REGIONAL AIRPORT Vacation Express revamps schedule

The schedule is expected to change again.
By STEPHEN SIFF
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
VIENNA -- Vacation Express has altered its schedule from the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport in light of disappointing ticket sales, officials say.
Through the end of August, flights from Youngstown to Sanford, Fla., will originate from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport.
On the return flight, Youngstown also will be a stop for fliers to the Pennsylvania airport, said Jim Gallagher, president of Aviation Technologies, which manages airlines for Vacation Express.
The schedule has not been established beyond next month, he said.
"We had too much supply, not enough demand," Gallagher said.
Only about 50 or 60 seats were being sold for midweek flights from Youngstown to Florida on the 120-passenger jets, he said. There was a similar problem with flights between Florida and the Pennsylvania airport, he said.
"We got off our original business plan," he said. "We should have walked, but we ran."
As a result of the change, flights have been scheduled to arrive and leave the Vienna airport a few hours earlier, he said.
Possible alterations
The change opens the possibility of ticket purchase between here and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, but the company is not marketing that service, Gallagher said.
The service may be changed so Youngstown is a stopover on Florida flights to and from Gary, Ind., he said.
A revamped flight schedule also could result in new connections between the Vienna-based airport and destinations in the Caribbean through Vacation Express. Flights from Youngstown had been arriving in Sanford too late in the day to catch connecting flights.
Gallagher said, however, that the focus will remain on moving leisure passengers to the Orlando area, "one of our region's top vacation markets."
As planned, twice-a-week service to Myrtle Beach, S.C., will be suspended at the end of August for that area's off season, he said. They are expected to resume in February.
Vacation Express is the only company to fly from the local airport. It began service in April.
siff@vindy.com