Horizon Air Chosen to Serve Flagstaff/Grand Canyon

3/19/2008 8:59 a.m.

SEATTLE —The City Council of Flagstaff, Ariz., has chosen Horizon Air to provide the city's first-ever nonstop service to Los Angeles. Horizon bid on the service earlier this month in response to the city's request for proposals (RFP) to provide service between the two cities.

"We're pleased Flagstaff chose us to offer this valuable service not only to the people of Flagstaff, but also to the countless visitors who travel to this area," said Dan Russo, Horizon's director of marketing and communications.

The service is subject to completion of an agreement between Horizon and the city of Flagstaff.

"We're now working with the city to firm up the details and expect to be able to announce more specifics by the end of the month," Russo said.

If Horizon moves forward, the new twice-daily nonstop service is tentatively planned to start on June 23. Flight times and ticket prices have yet to be finalized.

Horizon is proposing to operate the flights to Los Angeles with Bombardier Q400s. This 74/76-seat, high-speed, twin-engine turboprop is one of the most technologically advanced regional aircraft in the world. It's as quiet and comfortable as a jet – thanks to its special technology that suppresses noise and vibration, its generously sized overhead storage bins, its unobstructed under-seat space, and its ample headroom (6 feet, 5 inches). The Q400 is also among the most environmentally friendly aircraft today, producing up to 60 percent less CO2 than a comparable jet.

Horizon's all-Bombardier fleet serves 48 cities throughout California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Baja California Sur (Mexico), and British Columbia and Alberta (Canada). Together, Horizon Air and Alaska Airlines serve 92 cities and are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK).