Roswell service opens airways to Ruidoso-bound travelers

Article Launched: 09/13/2007 07:26:51 PM MDT

DALLAS - "The Eagle has landed," a mission-fulfilled declaration transmitted from the moon July 20, 1969, by Apollo 11 Astronaut Neil Armstrong, seemed apropos last week when an American Eagle jet concluded its debut flight from Roswell to Dallas/Fort Worth.

The flight, which carried 48 passengers and one attendant, represented a new day for the people of southeast New Mexico who, for the first time in more than three decades, can access the world through daily nonstop air service.

Included among passengers were Ruidoso Village Councilor Greg Cory, New Mexico State Senator Tim Jennings, state Aviation Division Transportation Director Tom Baca, and Secretary of Tourism Michael Cerletti, along with residents of Roswell, Carlsbad, Artesia, Lovington, Carlsbad and Hobbs.

A day to remember
At a landing reception held at the C.W. Smith Museum in Dallas Sept. 5, Cerletti proclaimed, "This is a day that business and tourism will long remember."

Cerletti said American's investment in air service to and from Roswell, and beginning in December to and from Santa Fe, not only makes it possible for New Mexicans to get where they want to go, but for visitors to get to New Mexico.

"New Mexico's tourism industry is the state's largest private sector industry," Cerletti said. "So, this is no small thing."

Among those welcoming maiden flight passengers in Dallas was Deanna Cheney, director of sales at The Lodge at Sierra Blanca in Ruidoso. Cheney said the event was something she could not miss as "Air service opens up an entirely new level of opportunity." Cheney boarded her American Airlines 737 in El Paso ahead of Roswell's 2:10 p.m. takeoff in order to be on the ground and ready to witness the arrival of the Eagle, an Embraer ERJ 145.

Connecting with the world
"Everyone is going to gain from [today's] event," Cheney assessed. "American Airlines can proudly say it has expanded its network of service; the people of southeastern New Mexico no longer are isolated, and visitors who find they are attracted to the environs of Lincoln County can access the area more readily."

Councilor Cory concurred. "The world is literally one hour away from Ruidoso now. Hopefully our lodging establishments and realtors will capitalize on that," he said.

Cory, who has been working to bring air service to Ruidoso, said he joined others in applause when the Eagle took off.

"Having been on the other side of that I can tell you attracting air service can be a long, drawn-out process. Certainly to see it happen is something to celebrate," Cory said. "Of course, the mood [onboard] was very festive."

Tanicca Morgan, a development manager with American Eagle Air, a subsidiary of American Airlines, said the Embraer is powered by two turbofan engines and can carry up to 50 passengers at a cruising altitude of 35,000 feet. She described accommodations as never involving a "middle seat" as the jet features one by two seating.

Further, every flight is assisted by an attendant, and beer and wine and a variety of snacks are available. Travelers enrolled in American Airline's AAdvantage travel awards program can use the service to earn credit miles.

Air service to and from Roswell, the hub of four counties, including Lincoln, was two years in the making, according to Bill Armstrong, Jr., a member of the Chaves County Development Foundation.

Armstrong said air service might not have happened without the consultative services of Kent Myers and the creation of a southeastern New Mexico air service coalition.

"It is that alliance that is going to drive this and make it work," Armstrong said.

Peter Bowler, president of American Eagle Airlines agreed that broad-based support was essential to not only getting service off the ground but also keeping it going.

"You kept at it and pulled together a coalition that has been successful," Bowler stated at the reception. "Today's event is a realization of great teamwork. We are delighted to add Roswell and the rest of southeastern New Mexico to our airways."

Bowler said the Roswell connection is "looking strong." The load factor on advanced bookings over the next 14 weeks show that flights are more than 35 percent full, "which is above hub averages," he said.

To Dallas and beyond
Of the 7,119 reservations made from Roswell through last week, almost half were for destinations that extended beyond Dallas, the most popular domestics being New York, Chicago, Baltimore and Atlanta. Most popular international destinations from Roswell, so far, are Panama City, Cancun, Dublin and Geneva.

Inbound reservations are around 7,000 for the next 14 weeks.

Air service departs from Roswell twice daily at 7:30 a.m. and at 2:10 p.m. and from Dallas/Fort Worth to Roswell at 1 p.m. and 8 p.m., with connecting flights to more than 250 destinations worldwide. Reservations can be made through local travel agents or online at www.soarwiththeeagle.com.

To accommodate passengers headed to or from Ruidoso, Shuttle Ruidoso is now providing service to the Roswell Industrial Air Center as well as Lincoln County Tours and local taxi and limousine agencies. Roswell agencies Shiloh Limou-sine and Charter Services, as well as a variety of rental car services, also provide ground services.

In October, representatives with the Lodge at Sierra Blanca and Ruidoso Convention Center will spend a week with American Airlines' group sales and reservations managers to tout local attractions and meetings and convention space. The Lodge also is scheduled for a tour of travel agencies based in Dallas to promote travel to Ruidoso.

As an incentive, the resort hotel will distribute complimentary gift packages to include airfare, ground transportation, lodging and entertainment vouchers. The giveaways will be distributed through a variety of promotional events scheduled with Dallas-based media and corporations.

"It's our way of rolling out the welcome mat," Cheney said. "We don't want to leave any stone left unturned in getting the word out that one can fly to within 75 miles of Ruidoso.

"Our aim, literally, is to shout it from the mountain top."