US Airways to expand service from Charleston International to New York

US Airways announced Monday that it will begin service from Columbia and the Greenville-Spartanburg area to LaGuardia Airport in New York and will expand its existing LaGuardia service from Charleston.

US Airways will launch the new service to LaGuardia beginning Oct. 31. Presently, the airlines makes two daily trips between Charleston and New York at peak travel times. This expansion will add one trip per day, the company said in a news release.

The service is popular among business travelers seeking a direct connection to Manhattan, said Dave Edwards, executive director at GSP.

Southwest Airlines, meanwhile, is expected to announce destinations from Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport this fall, he said. Edwards said he expects six to eight daily roundtrip flights from Southwest. GSP continues to pitch Chicago, Boston, Denver and Baltimore, among others, as strong destinations for Southwest to serve.

“But ultimately, Southwest will make its own decision,” Edwards said. “We’re as anxious as everybody else.”

When Southwest announced plans earlier this year to launch service from GSP and Charleston International Airport in 2011, Edwards suspected existing airlines would lower fares or even add service from GSP in an effort to solidify market share.

Fares haven’t changed much since Southwest’s announcement in the Upstate, and Edwards doubted US Airways’ announcement had any connection to Southwest. US Airways currently offers service from GSP to Charlotte, Philadelphia and Washington D.C.

In Charleston, the departure of the region’s only discount airline, AirTran, in December prompted a 16% increase in airfares.

“Anecdotally, we have heard from people that they’ve seen better fares at GSP, but I don’t think we’ve seen anything dramatic,” Edwards said. “Some of the airlines we’ve talked to have said they probably won’t do much (to change service or add destinations) until Southwest announces its destinations.”

The airline said it will add service to LaGaurdia from Columbia; Asheville, N.C.; Hartford, Conn.; Washington, D.C.; Lexington, Ky.; and Harrisburg, Penn. Additionally, US Airways will also expand existing LaGuardia service from Columbus, Ohio; and Syracuse, N.Y.

As the industry returns to profitability, airlines are bringing back destinations that were suspended during the recession, Edwards said.

Andrew Nocella, senior vice president of marketing and planning for US Airways said: “We are making these enhancements to our New York service in response to the growing demand for air travel to this important and popular business and leisure destination.”