Since the beginning, JSX has focused on flying Embraer 135s/145s with 30 seats onboard to provide that premium experience customers want get around rules that wouldn’t allow this kind of service with more than 30 seats. Naturally, JSX has leaned into that seat limitation to create a premium experience all around including the use of private terminals. Of course, the airplane itself is only part of the story, but JSX is now making a big bet that customers will still consider it a premium experience even if it’s on a turboprop. And now we’re starting to hear where those airplanes will fly.
JSX said earlier in the summer that it would soon begin ATR-42 service. Initial plans have only recently become more clear. Service will begin with two leased ATR-42s that used to fly for Silver before it failed. The plan is to introduce them in California from Nov.
As of today, JSX serves eight airports in California including Concord, Monterey, Napa, and Oakland in the north along with Burbank, Carlsbad, LAX, and Orange County in the south. Nearby it also serves Las Vegas, Reno, and Scottsdale (AZ). These airports all work with 30-seat jets, apparently, so what does the airline need the ATRs for? Not these airports. It has other ideas.
Yes, they are cheaper to operate. Even with a 30-seat interior (it can hold around 50 usually, just like those ERJ-145s), the costs will be significantly less. But this doesn’t seem to be about cost. This seems to be about operational capability. ATR’s press release gives us more clues. In the release, JSX CEO Alex Wilcox is quoted as saying
The ATR -600 series will bring over 1,000 new airports into reach for JSX, expanding access to reliable public charter flights across the great United States. Many of these airports were, until now, reserved only for those who had the means to fly private…
So this is really a bet that JSX is making. It thinks passengers will be willing to tolerate the louder and slower turboprop in exchange for a more convenient airport. Maybe they will, but I wouldn’t call it a safe bet.
The question now is how much more convenient those airports will be. We know three targets so far.
Alex said at a recent event that the airline will eventually fly to Truckee (CA) and Telluride (CO). Those are high-altitude airports with challenging operating conditions. Both have runways of over 7,000 feet that are 100 feet wide, but Telluride sits more than 9,000 feet above sea level while Truckee is closer to 6,000 just north of Lake Tahoe.
Telluride sits on a plateau with a 1,000 foot drop at one end if you fail to stop in time. With winter weather being quite dicey, airlines generally opt to fly to nearby Montrose instead. But the demand to fly into Telluride remains great. With all the wealth in the area, people want the convenience and are willing to pay for it. Today, Denver Air Connection does actually fly jets in the market with the Dorner 328JET from both Phoenix and Denver. But that is a long out-of-production small jet that is uniquely able to handle operating at the airport. It’s great for Denver Air Connection, but it doesn’t provide much opportunity for anyone else.
Meanwhile, Truckee doesn’t have any commecial service at all. It sits on the north side of Lake Tahoe, opposite the old Lake Tahoe Airport which still lies on the south side but has been unable to support commercial service for 25 years. Truckee lies just off I-80, and it’s only about half an hour drive to the Reno airport from there. The thing is, when the weather is bad, that drive can take a lot longer.
Both of these airports serve very wealthy areas. They can also provide some rather turbulent flying experiences thanks to the mountainous terrain. I am very curious how people will feel about this service.
We don’t know what other airports make up that rather lengthy list of 1,000… except for one. Apparently JSX is trying to fly the ATR into Santa Monica on the west side of the LA Basin. This is one heck of a fight that, if JSX wins, will only let the airline fly for a couple years. After all, the residents of Santa Monica have a deep hatred of the airport. They got the runway cut down to 3,500 feet to eliminate most jet traffic, and the airport is scheduled to close for good at the end of 2028.
This service makes a lot of sense on the ATR in that it’s just about the only option that could use the airport. It is far more convenient than LAX for a very rich part of the LA area. I could easily imagine flights to Las Vegas operating from here, though they would be a little slower since the ATR is not known for its quick pace, to say the least.
But with Santa Monica closing soon, this seems like a waste of time. Maybe JSX hopes that Santa Monica will have a change of heart when they get this service. Yeah, right.
Overall, I do find this to be a really interesting pivot by JSX. In the US market, turboprops are decidedly viewed as inferior to jets by consumers. Acceptance is much lower here than it is in other countries. Yet JSX is a premium operation. Some of these airports are certainly attractive, but the tradeoff is slower flight times. That’s especially an issue in the West where distances are further.
