Travel & Tourism

aha! Announces Nonstop Flights to Palm Springs from Reno-Tahoe Hub

Published

2 years ago

November 4, 2021

Travelers can take advantage of $49* introductory fares and 100 free tickets giveaway as aha! celebrates 10th announced nonstop city

aha!, powered by veteran ExpressJet Airlines, announced nonstop service between Reno and Palm Springs, Calif. beginning January 3, 2022 – connecting the “Golf Capital of the World” and the “Biggest Little City in the World.”

aha! will fly to Palm Springs International Airport three times a week with 50-seat Embraer ERJ145 regional jets. Palm Springs becomes the 10th city served with nonstop flights from aha!‘s hub and home base at Reno-Tahoe International Airport.

Palm Springs becomes the 10th city served with nonstop flights from aha!’s hub and home base at Reno-Tahoe International Airport.

“The City of Palm Springs is delighted to welcome aha! to Palm Springs International Airport,” said Mayor Christy Holstege. “Coachella Valley residents have long desired a direct flight to Reno/Tahoe during ski season – and the snowbirds up north have long appreciated our year-round sunshine. A big thank you to aha! for investing in PSP, America’s best small resort airport.”

Convenient Nonstop Flights + Less Travel Time = More Vacations and Trips
The quick one hour and 35 minutes nonstop flight eliminates the need for time consuming connections at crowded hubs or a long drive giving travelers more time for adventure and less time traveling. Flights will operate each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday departing Palm Springs International Airport at 11:15 a.m. PT arriving in Reno-Tahoe at 12:50 p.m. PT. Return flights will depart Reno-Tahoe at 9:00 a.m. PT and arrive in Palm Springs at 10:35 a.m. PT.

“We are really excited to provide Palm Springs residents the opportunity to take short, spontaneous trips to Reno and Lake Tahoe without the hassle of multiple airport layovers,” said ExpressJet’s CEO Subodh Karnik. “aha!‘s nonstop flight from Reno to Palm Springs will also be a boon to incoming tourists, who will have extra time for Palm Spring’s golf, museums and cultural events.”

100 Free Tickets to Celebrate aha’s 10^th Announced Nonstop City
aha! Is giving one free ticket to the first 100 customers that book a flight between Reno-Tahoe and Palm Springs. Travelers can use promo-code WELCOME2PSP to receive the $0 base fare on travel through January 31, 2022 (available for purchase through 11:59pm on November 7, 2021 and while supplies last. Other restrictions apply).

Special Introductory $49* Fares
In addition to the ticket giveaway, aha! is offering an introductory, limited-time launch fare of $49 each way* until December 31, 2021. Book at www.flyaha.com or through the aha! contact center 775-439-0888.

“We are excited to see this new flight into PSP and look forward to welcoming Reno-Tahoe visitors to soak in our year-round sunshine and experience world renowned signature events in Greater Palm Springs,” said Colleen Pace, Visit Greater Palm Springs Chief Sales and Marketing Officer.

aha! current and announced flights are:

Pasco/Tri Cities, Wash (operating)
Bakersfield, Calif (operating)
Medford/Ashland, Ore. (operating)
Eugene/Springfield, Ore, (operating)
Ontario/Los Angeles, Calif. (November 4, 2021)
Redmond/Bend, Ore. (November 5, 2021)
Eureka/Arcata, Calif. (November 9, 2021)
Fresno/Yosemite, Calif. (November 10, 2021)
Spokane, Wash. (December 15, 2021)
Palm Springs, Calif (January 3, 2022)

Travel & Tourism

June was Another Record Month at Ontario International Airport

Published

2 months ago

July 13, 2023

Inland Empire Business Journal

Southern California gateway broke marks for both total passengers and international travelers

Southern California’s Ontario International Airport (ONT) set a record in June for passenger volume, welcoming more than 559,000 travelers and breaking a record set just a month earlier, officials announced.

The aviation gateway also recorded more than 37,000 international travelers, which was the most in a single month ever at ONT.

The total passenger count for June was 8.7% higher than June last year. The number of domestic passengers grew by 5% to 522,000, while international air travel more than doubled to 37,000.

The previous high for total passengers in one month since the airport’s return to local ownership in 2016 was recorded in May 2023, when 557,000 traveled through ONT.

Over the year’s first six months, total passenger volume was nearly 3 million, 12.4% greater than the first half of 2022. The passenger count included 2.8 million domestic travelers and 176,000 international passengers, increases of 9.5% and 94.4%, respectively.

“Since taking ownership of the airport our goal has been to create an international gateway for Southern California with the amenities, facilities and services befitting the region,” said Atif Elkadi, chief executive officer, of Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA). “We couldn’t be more pleased that demand for air travel through Ontario remains strong, outpacing other California airports, driven by large increases in population and jobs across our region.”

Ten million Southern Californians live or work closer to ONT than any other airport, and eight of the 10 fastest-growing California cities with over 100,000 population are in ONT’s primary service area.

Passenger Totals	Jun 2023	Jun 2022	Change	YTD 2023	YTD 2022	Change
Domestic	522,088	496,950	5.06%	2,813,917	2,570,272	9.5%
International	37,359	17,534	113.07%	176,238	90,677	94.4%
Total	559,447	514,484	8.74%	2,990,155	2,660,949	12.4%

Volumes of commercial freight and mail declined by 14% in June and 10% on a year-to-date basis, consistent with lower cargo volume globally which has been anticipated by industry analysts.

Air cargo (tonnage)	Jun 2023	Jun 2022	Change	YTD 2023	YTD 2022	Change
Freight	57,410	67,525	-14.98%	338,431	380,612	-11.1%
Mail	4,260	4,479	-4.89%	27,725	28,107	-1.4%
Total	61,670	72,004	-14.35%	366,156	408,720	-10.4%

“Despite the slow-down in freight movement worldwide, Ontario International is a vital cog in the U.S. supply chain,” Elkadi said. “Our modernized and expanded cargo facilities remain key components for shippers serving Sothern California.”

Travel & Tourism

China Airlines restores daily service between Ontario, California, and Taipei

Published

7 months ago

March 12, 2023

Inland Empire Business Journal

Airline resumes flights at pre-pandemic frequency with larger aircraft

China Airlines will fully restore daily round-trip service between Southern California’s Ontario International Airport (ONT) and Taipei beginning March 26, 2023, ONT officials announced.

The return of daily service connecting ONT and Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) marks a major milestone in Ontario’s recovery of international air service, all of which was suspended at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic nearly three years ago.

“We have eagerly awaited the resumption of daily service between Ontario and Taiwan,” said Atif Elkadi, chief executive officer of the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA). “This exciting development is a testament to the demand for long-haul international travel from the Inland Empire and the exceptional service provided by our global gateway.”

After suspending service in March 2020, China Airlines resumed ONT-TPE flights in June 2021, gradually increasing service levels as demand returned. The resumption of daily service occurs at the same time that China Airlines marks its five-year anniversary at ONT.

The first carrier to offer nonstop, transoceanic passenger service to ONT after its transition to local ownership, China Airlines will upgrade the aircraft operating the route from an Airbus A350-900 to a larger Boeing 777-300ER, increasing seat capacity from 306 to 358 across premium business, premium economy and economy classes. The service is also scheduled to provide customers with seamless one-stop connections to additional destinations throughout Asia.

TPE is the primary international gateway to northern Taiwan’s more than 9 million residents, while ONT is the closest and most convenient international gateway airport for more than 10 million Southern California residents in San Bernardino, Riverside, northern Orange and eastern Los Angeles counties.

Domestic air travel through ONT surpassed pre-pandemic levels in 2022, a milestone achieved by few other airports in California.

Transportation

Inland Empire Regional Chamber of Commerce Event to Spotlight Brightline West

Published

9 months ago

January 6, 2023

Inland Empire Business Journal

Program will highlight what’s next for high-speed rail in the Inland Empire

High-Impact Event Alert

Brightline West will be featured during the Inland Empire Regional Chamber of Commerce’s “High-Speed Rail is Headed to the Inland Empire” event on Wednesday, January 11, from 11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at Jessie Turner Community Center in Fontana, CA, which the County of San Bernardino is a title sponsor. The program will feature an update on Brightline West, including the project’s role in regional and statewide connectivity, its benefits to the community, what to expect in 2023, and how the public can stay engaged.

Featured panelists for the program are:

Fiona Ma, Treasurer, State of California
Ray Wolfe, Executive Director, San Bernardino County Transportation Authority
Sarah Watterson, President, Brightline West
Edward Ornelas, Jr., President/CEO, Inland Empire Regional Chamber of Commerce
Matt Burris, Deputy City Manager of Community Development, City of Rancho Cucamonga

Brightline is the only private provider of modern, eco-friendly, intercity passenger rail service in America. The company currently serves Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, and West Palm Beach in Florida, with its Orlando station beginning service in 2023. Recognized by Fast Company as one of the Most Innovative Companies in travel, Brightline offers a guest-first experience designed to reinvent train travel and take cars off the road by connecting city pairs and congested corridors that are too close to fly and too long to drive. Brightline West will build on this award-winning service by connecting Las Vegas and Southern California, with stations in Las Vegas, Victor Valley, Hesperia, and Rancho Cucamonga, and connectivity to Metrolink’s regional rail network.

“This will transform transportation in Southern California and Las Vegas for generations by providing a fast and efficient connection that gets people out of their cars, reduces traffic congestion and decreases air pollution.” -Fiona Ma, California State Treasurer

KEY FACTS:

Expected travel time is approx. 2 ¼ hours
Our route is 2x faster than driving
Zero-emission, electric train sets
Expected top speed is 180 mph
400,000 tons of CO2 removed annually by reducing 3 million vehicles
Connections to Metrolink and planned future connection to California High-Speed Rail in Palmdale
Convenient station location on the Vegas strip (I-15)

For more information and to register for the event, click here.