Boutique U.S. airline JSX is increasing on the Santa Monica Airport (SMO) in January, a month after launching the airport’s solely business flights.
The quasi-private public constitution operator will add a day by day flight to Scottsdale Airport (SCF) close to Phoenix on Jan. 22, 2026, JSX stated. Then, on Feb. 5, the airline will improve its choices to Harry Reid Worldwide Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas from as soon as a day to thrice day by day.
“Increasing our Santa Monica service is a direct response to robust demand for smarter, extra seamless regional journey,” Alex Wilcox, CEO of JSX, stated in a press release. “By rising frequencies and including new nonstop routes, we’re giving vacationers a sooner, extra snug method to hook up with the locations they love.”
What he didn’t say is the brand new SMO flights are solely doable with JSX’s latest airplane: the ATR 42-600 turboprop. Service started on Dec. 19 with a once-daily flip between SMO and LAS.
Outfitted with simply 30 seats just like the JSX’s Embraer ERJ regional jets, Wilcox stated in September that the turboprops want solely half the runway space, and burn half the amount of fuel because the Embraer jets. But, these planes double the variety of airports the airline can serve.
The query, nonetheless, is whether or not American flyers — particularly these on the luxurious finish of the market that JSX caters to — will take to flying on turboprops once more.
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Turboprops had been as soon as commonplace on U.S. regional routes however had been changed by bigger regional jets starting within the Nineties. Alaska Airways was the newest main provider with turboprops in its feeder fleet till its affiliate Horizon Air retired its final De Havilland Canada Sprint 8-Q400 in January 2023.
“We have to show that our prospects will get on a turboprop airplane,” Wilcox stated in September. “For the explanations I already outlined — as a result of it’s going to be a lot extra handy to them, as a result of the airports we’re going to decide on for it are a lot nearer to the place they dwell and the place they wish to go — I’m supremely assured it’ll occur however we nonetheless have to show it earlier than we will put actual cash behind it.”
The truth that JSX is already increasing its ATR community indicators that, whereas the planes possibly should not essentially successful but, the airline does see alternative with them and is prepared to spend money on making the ATRs successful.
Wilcox stated in September that the provider plans to finally add Telluride Regional Airport (TEX) in Colorado and Truckee Tahoe Airport (TKF) in California to its map with the turboprops sooner or later.
Sadly, whereas JSX companion United Airways does enable MileagePlus point redemptions on JSX-operated flights, neither the SMO-LAS nor the SMO-SCF flights are proven as accessible for buy with factors on United’s web site.
Flyers can earn Club JSX rewards (the airline’s personal loyalty program), JetBlue TrueBlue factors or United MileagePlus factors on JSX flights.
For one-way flights in January, fares begin at $215 from SMO to LAS and $279 from SMO to SCF, in response to JSX’s web site.