Air Vegas to bet on Palmdale

Executives from the airline said they have a verbal agreement from Los Angeles World Airports to use the Palmdale Regional Airport facility on Air Force Plant 42 property, but that details of the deal haven't been finalized yet.

Estimates of when service to Las Vegas could begin run anywhere between two weeks and one month.

"We've got all our permits in place and can be flying in two weeks," said Steve Abrams, a spokesman for the airline.

James Cruson, senior vice president of operations for the airline, said he thinks service will begin in 30 days.

The announcement was made during a luncheon meeting of the Palmdale Regional Airport Advisory Council. Also in attendance from Air Vegas Airlines was its vice president of administration, Jim Swimelar.

Swimelar and Cruson flew into Gen. William J. Fox Airfield in Lancaster Thursday morning and returned home that afternoon after a meeting with Palmdale Mayor Jim Ledford.

Ledford did not return Valley Press phone calls Thursday.

Just how much it will cost to take the estimated hourlong flight to Las Vegas hasn't been worked out yet. The cost will be reasonable enough to entice Vegas-bound travelers to fly instead of drive, Cruson said.

When service begins, it will be Air Vegas Airlines' first venture into the commuter flight market.

For the past 20 years, Air Vegas has been a leader in the Southwestern U.S. air tour industry. Using nine Beechcraft C-99 planes, Air Vegas pilots make four round trips daily to the Grand Canyon, four days a week. Each aircraft can carry 15 passengers, a pilot and copilot. The airline flies between 60,000 and 70,000 passengers each year, Cruson said.

Clientele on the Grand Canyon trips has been almost exclusively Asian, Cruson said. An economic downturn in that corner of the globe, plus pressures from the National Parks Service and environmental groups to limit flights above the canyon, have caused the company to explore other ways to make money.

All the necessary paperwork is in place, and the airline has enough planes to begin service, Cruson said. He does not expect to add any planes right away. A new Beechcraft C-99, should the airline buy more in the future, costs between $1.2 million and $1.4 million, Cruson said.

Abrams said Air Vegas Airlines wants to offer service out of Palmdale, but will go to Fox Airfield in Lancaster if a deal with Los Angeles World Airports goes sour.

Abrams said the verbal agreement with Los Angeles World Airports was made by Michael DiGrolamo, the director of airports operations for LAX, Ontario, Van Nuys and Palmdale airports, all of which are owned by the city of Los Angeles.

"We will do anything we can to get them space at the Palmdale Airport," DiGrolamo said. The deal depends more on Air Vegas getting an operating permit from the FAA, he added.

"If they show up with an operating permit, I'll have space for them tomorrow."

Air Vegas Airlines was founded by Sid Petty 20 years ago and is now run by his son, Jim Petty.