2020 Oklahoma City Aviation Thread

[shawnw]

Why? Because Denver?

[catch22]

Why? Because Denver?

that doesn't help, but there is not really any reason to have such a route in their network. It's a low demand route with no connections on either end. COS-OMA, RNO, ICT etc would all have equivalent demand and are equally as unlikely.

I would expect them to add COS-HOU/MDW/LAS. maybe DEN it's not a huge market down here in the springs but is growing.

[shawnw]

Is that why we don't have other seemingly useful routes like OKC-ABQ?

[BG918]

that doesn't help, but there is not really any reason to have such a route in their network. It's a low demand route with no connections on either end. COS-OMA, RNO, ICT etc would all have equivalent demand and are equally as unlikely.

I would expect them to add COS-HOU/MDW/LAS. maybe DEN it's not a huge market down here in the springs but is growing.

Agree the route would have to mature considerably to get a flight but good to see Southwest expanding there. And just saying there have been flights there from Oklahoma in the past, it's a great alternative to DEN and just as easy to get to places like Breckenridge and Crested Butte (and you don't have to deal with I-70).

I remember flying West Pac there from TUL in the mid-90's to go skiing or river rafting on the Arkansas. They flew 737's if I remember correctly.

[gopokes88]

Is that why we don't have other seemingly useful routes like OKC-ABQ?

Okc-Abq could support an E-175 by American or United. I think there (pre-Rona) was like 50-60 passengers daily.

[Edmond Hausfrau]

Okc-Abq could support an E-175 by American or United. I think there (pre-Rona) was like 50-60 passengers daily.

Express Jet had it as direct flight around 2005, the flight then continued on to Southern Cali. I loved that flight.

[BG918]

Express Jet had it as direct flight around 2005, the flight then continued on to Southern Cali. I loved that flight.

Great Plains Airlines also had an OKC-ABQ flight. I sometimes wonder if they would’ve been successful had 9/11 not completely destroyed the industry. Using small 30 passenger Fairchild-Dornier 328’s to fly to regional cities like ABQ, COS, AUS, BNA maybe even MCI and MSY.

[BG918]

Express Jet had it as direct flight around 2005, the flight then continued on to Southern Cali. I loved that flight.

Great Plains Airlines also had an OKC-ABQ flight. I sometimes wonder if they would’ve been successful had 9/11 not completely destroyed the industry. Using small 30 passenger Fairchild-Dornier 328’s to fly to regional cities like ABQ, COS, AUS, BNA maybe even MCI and MSY.

[PaddyShack]

Great Plains Airlines also had an OKC-ABQ flight. I sometimes wonder if they would’ve been successful had 9/11 not completely destroyed the industry. Using small 30 passenger Fairchild-Dornier 328’s to fly to regional cities like ABQ, COS, AUS, BNA maybe even MCI and MSY.

I really like those planes, nothing in particular except I just like how they look.

[gopokes88]

OKC-ABQ would be a point to point type flight. Which SW specializes in, but they fly 737s. AA Delta United have the smaller planes that would service it well, but they operate on hub and spoke.

Via air tried to split the difference with the similar route OKC-AUS, but they were a disorganized unreliable underfunded mess

[catch22]

I wouldn't say these routes are high on their list, but Breeze will be entering the market next year. It will take several years before they grow to the point where OKC would be on their radar. They want to be a high-tech low-cost airline with better customer service and reliability than Allegiant. They plan to offer less than daily point to point service without the hassle of Allegiant, or the cost of the network carriers.

For those unfamiliar, David Neelman is the man behind this. He successfully started jetBlue (USA), Westjet (Canada), and Azul (Brazil). I believe he goes back to the Morris Air days before they were acquired by Southwest. He knows how to run an airline, and knows how to start them.

If they did come to OKC, I don't think COS or ABQ would be on their list, but anything is possible I suppose. I think they will look more like Allegiant's route map but with jetBlue's service. So think north-south leisure routes, not east-west business markets.

[gopokes88]

I wouldn't say these routes are high on their list, but Breeze will be entering the market next year. It will take several years before they grow to the point where OKC would be on their radar. They want to be a high-tech low-cost airline with better customer service and reliability than Allegiant. They plan to offer less than daily point to point service without the hassle of Allegiant, or the cost of the network carriers.

For those unfamiliar, David Neelman is the man behind this. He successfully started jetBlue (USA), Westjet (Canada), and Azul (Brazil). I believe he goes back to the Morris Air days before they were acquired by Southwest. He knows how to run an airline, and knows how to start them.

If they did come to OKC, I don't think COS or ABQ would be on their list, but anything is possible I suppose. I think they will look more like Allegiant's route map but with jetBlue's service. So think north-south leisure routes, not east-west business markets.

I do think coming out of the pandemic there's an opportunity for OKC to gain more routes that would have otherwise been tough to get because of the lack of fleet capacity. It's like a 25% chance we can actually take advantage of it, but it's there,

[sooner333]

I saw Southwest is adding OKC-ATL starting in November. I know this was operational when they started service in ATL, but it was later dropped.

[runOKC]

747 landing in OKC. Something you don’t see very often.

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/flights/5y8008

[mugofbeer]

747 landing in OKC. Something you don’t see very often.

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/flights/5y8008

Or an OKC to Frankfurt flight.

[d-usa]

I’m really looking forward to the new observation deck and doing some plane spotting.

[Ward]

Atlas air does not fly passengers, just freight, is that right?

[runOKC]

They do fly passengers. No idea if the OKC-FRA flight is passengers or freight though. Does WRWA have the capability to fly passengers internationally?

[catch22]

atlas does fly passengers. they do quite a bit of military charters.

you do not need customs to depart to an international destination, just to handle arrivals.

[HOT ROD]

and WRWA can handle international flight ops and does have a customs office, just not in the terminal - YET.

Weird that the Atlas was going OKC-Frankfurt in that I would think it'd be the other way around with the US military downsizing in Germany.

[LakeEffect]

and WRWA can handle international flight ops and does have a customs office, just not in the terminal - YET.

Weird that the Atlas was going OKC-Frankfurt in that I would think it'd be the other way around with the US military downsizing in Germany.

Downsizing was partly reversed in the last few years as Russia has amped itself up... whole divisions haven't been moved back to Germany, but more US troops are on rotation.

[HOT ROD]

yes, but Trump also downsized Germany recently as part of NATO prioritization. Not sure if this has anything to do with this flight but is why I'm surprised it's not OKC bound rather than departing. ...

[BoulderSooner]

yes, but Trump also downsized Germany recently as part of NATO prioritization. Not sure if this has anything to do with this flight but is why I'm surprised it's not OKC bound rather than departing. ...

none of that has really gone into effect yet

[Fletch]

United 777 inbound to OKC from SFO. Showing arrival at 11:02am.

[PaddyShack]

United 777 inbound to OKC from SFO. Showing arrival at 11:02am.

I would like if they were coming from the east or north so I could catch them on the approach...