February 13, 2012
"Non-stop service between Ithaca and LaGuardia will cease on March 24th," say officials at the Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport, but they stress travelers trying to reach New York City and other destinations will still do fine. The change is due to a slot swap between Delta Air Lines and US Airways for travel rights at New York's LaGuardia International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C.
Called "slot pairs," the paired opportunities to land a plane at the airport and take off once again are what allow airlines to schedule flights in and out of airports. Under the agreement finalized in December, Delta is acquiring 132 slot pairs at LaGuardia from US Airways, which picks up 42 slot pairs at National. US Airways also gains the right to operate additional flights to Sao Paolo, Brazil, beginning in 2015.
Officials at Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport say those traveling to New York City can reach Manhattan just as easily from Newark Liberty International Airport, using the Airtrain and NJ Transit to Penn Station for a $12.50 fare each way, the Newark Airport Express Bus to Grand Central Terminal for $15 each way, or NJ Transit buses or commercial taxi, car, or van services. There's also daily bus service between Ithaca and New York City, including Short Line Bus service operated by Coach USA, and Campus-to-Campus service operated by Cornell University for students, faculty, and staff.
Travelers who used LaGuardia to connect to the US Airways Shuttle to Boston or Washington will find frequent flights to both destinations from the Philadelphia International Airport.
Currently, Delta operates flights between Ithaca and Detroit, formerly operated by Northwest Airlines. (Delta and Northwest merged following a deal announced in 2008, with most operations carrying Delta's name by early 2010.) US Airways operates Ithaca flights to and from LaGuardia and Philadelphia, and Continental Airlines serves Newark Liberty International Airport.
Delta had hinted that it might take over some US Airways routes operated by regional carriers to and from LaGuardia, including those at several Central New York and Western New York airports, but their current route plans for LaGuardia don't include Ithaca. Delta did add flights between LaGuardia and Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse.
Air Services Board chair Michael Stamm says he and airport manager Bob Nicholas "recently traveled to Atlanta to meet with Delta about this and other air service issues," and the pair plans to meet with US Airways officials soon to discuss adding service from Ithaca to Reagan National Airport. "The airline business is about as unpredictable as it gets," says Stamm, "so we try to compensate with clever ideas and good relationships."
