American Airlines to begin service out of Cape Cod Gateway Airport next summer
American Airlines will add seven new routes to its summer 2024 agenda, one of which is in the Cape’s very own backyard — Cape Cod Gateway Airport in Hyannis.
Beginning June 5 next year, Gateway Airport manager Katie Servis said American Airlines will commence daily flight service from New York’s LaGuardia Airport, and from Washington, D.C.’s Reagan National Airport on June 22.
“This is very exciting for us,” Servis said, adding she was in years-long negotiations with American about bringing commercial airline service to Hyannis.
She said airline representatives visited the airport on several occasions, and she finally got the notification on Wednesday "that it's definite" they're coming starting in June next year.
The newly announced flight services will be available for purchase on Oct. 23, Servis said, most likely ranging from $200 to around $400. She said there will be two daily flights from American, which will fly into and out of Hyannis connecting to LaGuardia and Reagan.
“For those that normally wouldn't want to fly on American Airlines (to get to the region), now they have a new option and a better option in southeastern Massachusetts to be able to do that,” Servis said. “So, I think that probably looking at market share, (American) thought that this was a win-win for them.”
American Airlines could not be reached for comment at this time, but a press release stated the airline is also adding services to Bangor and Portland, Maine and Halifax, Canada, as well as expanding services on Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.
Recently, Gateway Airport, which is owned by the Town of Barnstable, has faced public scrutiny stemming from a drop in flight operations over the last couple of decades. Some community members from Barnstable and Yarmouth have questioned the airport’s utility and importance, some calling for it to be moved to Joint Base Cape Cod and the current location converted into housing or other municipal uses.
A $22 million runway extension at the airport has also prompted public scrutiny, some calling it overspending on a facility that is not operating up to its capacity. Servis said the runway extension is to support the existing aircraft clientele and prepare for the possibility of new airlines that may want to operate out of Gateway.
“Airports in general, across the nation, have their ups and downs,” Servis said. “But this is a prime example of why we have instituted a number of projects here at the airport to maintain the facility and to be ready for the inevitability of being able to allow airlines, such as American Airlines, the opportunity to operate out of this airport.”
Walker Armstrong reports on all things Cape and Islands, primarily focusing on transportation and the Joint Base Cape Cod military base. Contact him at WArmstrong@capecodonline.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jd__walker.
This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: American Airlines set to begin operations at Cape Cod Gateway Airport
