On Monday, October 30, we will host a promotional flight and ribbon cutting ceremony at the terminal with the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce to celebrate the arrival of United Airlines jet service. The jet will arrive between 11:45 AM and 12:15 PM.

Since early October, United Airlines has been serving ITH with Embraer 145 jet aircraft (ERJ 145) as part of a service upgrade program. These fifty-seat jets have replaced the existing 37-seat turboprop planes to accommodate increased passenger demand at ITH. With the introduction of the ERJ 145s, ITH now has an all-jet service to each of its three hubs.

“As United continues to improve our fleet and access for customers we look at performance on every route and decide which warrant an upgrade of aircraft,” said Kevin Keado, Senior Regional Manager, Airport Operations East of United. “Utilizing an E145 verses a Dash 8 on the EWR/ITH route enables us to increase capacity and provide an improved customer experience.”

Director of Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport Mike Hall also stated his enthusiasm for the introduction of United Airlines jet service, “We are very excited that when United Airlines commences its jet service this fall, all of our air service at Ithaca will be with jets, providing a better experience for our customers.”

Jets will be the future for regional markets like Ithaca as the airlines upgrade their service.  The jets offer a smoother ride than turboprop planes they are replacing and give pilots more flexibility to avoid turbulent weather at lower altitudes. They also fit better into the air traffic flow, which is predominantly other jet aircraft. This new service will give ITH a competitive advantage over regional airports that do not offer jet service.

The ceremony will include cake and refreshments.

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