Alaska Airlines ends this Boise flight early, delays a seasonal route to Texas
Alaska Airlines, the Boise Airport’s dominant operator, is scheduled to end a seasonal route early and delay by two months the return of flights to and from a warm-weather capital city.
The Seattle-based air carrier, which offers 15 of the local air hub’s 24 nonstop routes, will wrap up its three-times-weekly flight between Boise and Palm Springs, California, on April 16. Alaska previously planned to keep the seasonal winter route on the calendar through May 17.
The change has more to do with Palm Springs than it does Boise, Ray Lane, an Alaska Airlines spokesperson, told the Idaho Statesman by email. Palm Springs tends to start having less demand after April, and the airline is suspending several of its seasonal routes the same day, he said.
In addition, Alaska will push back the restart of service between Boise and Austin, Texas, until June 15, beginning with nonstop flights four days a week into mid-August. The route was previously scheduled to begin again in mid-April.
Alaska last fall ended its flight between Austin and Boise after just over a year largely because of crew shortages, Lane told the Statesman at the time. The direct flight was restored briefly for the end-of-year holidays, but hasn’t run since the beginning of the year.
Those plans are now delayed to the summer. The Austin flight, however, will expand into a daily route on Aug. 15, and is scheduled to remain on the calendar into early 2024, according to Alaska’s online booking website.
“We’re always tweaking our plans as we receive more updated and accurate information, including staffing capabilities,” Lane said. “We’re currently working on our fall flying plans.”
The Boise Airport had a record-breaking year for air travel in 2022, despite experiencing a net loss of nonstop destinations as airlines continued making cuts after financial losses from the COVID-19 pandemic. Off the board came flights to and from New York City, Nashville, Chicago-Midway and Dallas-Love Field, as well as Alaska Airlines pulling up stakes on Idaho Falls, and Everett, Washington. Alaska then reduced its Austin route from daily to seasonal service.
At the same time, the airport added flights to Burbank, California, and expanded service options to Las Vegas, with the launch of two more air carriers: Avelo Airlines and Spirit Airlines. Their additions boosted the airport’s total to eight commercial airlines.
Nearly 4.5 million passengers traveled through the Boise Airport in 2022, which was about 385,000 passengers more than its prior record set in 2019. Last year’s total also represented roughly a 25% increase from the year before, which was still affected by pandemic travel declines.
“The explosive growth we’ve seen in the Treasure Valley certainly correlates to an increased demand for air service,” Rebecca Hupp, director of the Boise Airport, said in a statement. “We expect traffic in 2023 to continue to be strong, which is why we’ve been working so hard to ensure the Boise Airport is prepared for that growth.”
The airport last year added a seventh security lane, as well as introduced the CLEAR check-in service. Also, the airport is in the process of expanding its public parking. A new five-level, 1,100-space garage is scheduled to open in the summer, and work is underway on a five-level, 700-space garage for airport employees.
Further expansion also is set to begin this year, first with the start of construction on a new car-rental center expected to be completed in 2025. After that, the airport plans to add another concourse and up to 10 passenger gates, with construction planned to start in 2026.
Alaska Airlines, North America’s sixth-largest commercial airline by several metrics, last month posted record annual operating revenue of $9.65 billion for 2022, including $58 million in profit.
“2022 was a year of significant recovery and accomplishment for Alaska Airlines,” airline CEO Ben Minicucci said in a statement. “I am confident that we are well positioned to grow, compete and out-perform in 2023.”
This story was originally published February 21, 2023 at 8:35 AM.
