Over 400 NM passengers flew Advanced Air last month. Company says initial numbers are soaring.

The president of the new airline serving Carlsbad seems happy with the number of passengers who flew out of Carlsbad as the company completed its first month of passenger service to Albuquerque and Phoenix.

Advanced Air, based in Hawthorne, California, began offering flights Nov. 5 from Cavern City Air Terminal after the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) approved an Essential Air Agreement (EAS) with the company July 27.

Advanced Air President Levi Stockton said a combined 409 people flew from Carlsbad to Albuquerque and Carlsbad to Phoenix during the first month of service.

“We did 278 to Albuquerque and 131 to Phoenix,” Stockton said.

More: Advanced Air prepares transition of flight service from Carlsbad to Albuquerque-Phoenix

The former air provider, Boutique Air of San Francisco, had 783 total passengers fly in and out of Carlsbad during the company’s final full month as the EAS provider, read data from the City of Carlsbad Municipal Services Department.

Boutique provided air service from Carlsbad to Albuquerque and Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) from 2015 to October 2023.

Stockton said Advanced Air’s numbers should not be compared with Boutique’s as the company opened a new route.

“With opening a new route with very little exposure, you’ve seen a decent amount of people jump on. To me that’s an impressive number of people in a month Besides Thanksgiving, that is kind of low travel in a transition period. You’re going to see those numbers increase drastically,” he said.

Advanced Air was named the new air carrier for Carlsbad July 27 as the USDOT accepted a recommendation from the Carlsbad City Council as a replacement for Boutique Air, who opted out of a previous agreement.

According to USDOT, EAS was put into place in 1978 after Congress passed the Airline Deregulation Act. The EAS guarantees small communities, like Carlsbad, that were served by certified airlines have a minimum level of service.

More: City Council extends air service agreement with Boutique Air

Cari Pickens, Cavern City Air Terminal manager, said passenger traffic has fluctuated depending on individual flights. She said it will be easier to spot trends in passenger traffic once Advanced Air settles in.

Transition started early for Advanced Air

The City of Carlsbad and Advanced Air have a two-year agreement and Stockton said the transition started in late July when the USDOT approved the EAS agreement.

“We had our schedules set several months prior and tickets for sale and then it was just time to execute and go from there,” he said.

Pickens said the transition went smooth from Boutique to Advanced Air, as both companies worked together during the change of office space and operations.

More: Flights between Carlsbad and Dallas-Fort Worth end Nov. 4

“There was no lapse in coverage during the transition period,” said Pickens.

She said establishing air service between Carlsbad to Albuquerque and Phoenix enhances regional connections for business and leisure travelers.

“Both flights, to Albuquerque and Phoenix, enhance accessibility to reach a major airport. Flights to Albuquerque and Phoenix also provide access to major medical hubs and allow for greater accessibility to healthcare,” she said.

Stockton said flights out of Carlsbad fit within Advanced Air’s plans for New Mexico as planes take off regularly from Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Silver City and Gallup.

Andy Hume, director of the Las Cruces International Airport, said Advanced Air opened opportunities when the company started air service earlier this year from Las Cruces to Albuquerque.

He said flight service from Las Cruces to New Mexico's largest city open a new window for residents to catch connecting flights that may not be available in El Paso, which is nearly 50 miles away from Las Cruces.

"We have seen an increase in the community using the service since it began in January. Usage has risen to just over a 60% load factor," he said.

Advanced Air prepares marketing campaign

“We’re just getting going and learn our way through the market,” said Lindsay Colker of Elevate Communications, a public relations and digital consulting firm.

“We’re learning where people are reading and what people are listening to and then we’re going to be doing it that way,” she added.

Colker said the marketing campaign for Advanced Air in Carlsbad should start in early 2024.

Hume said Advanced Air participated in the Las Cruces Air and Space Expo in October as a marketing outreach to the community. He said Advanced Air set up a booth and had a plane for public display.

Mike Smith can be reached at 575-628-5546 or by email at MSmith@currentargus.com or @ArgusMichae on X, formerly known as Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: Advanced Air: Ridership going up for flights to Albuquerque, Phoenix