PEOPLExpress, the reboot of a 1980s airline with the same name, said it has temporarily suspended and plans to resume flights on Oct. 16.
“Recent aircraft and crew availability and maintenance issues, including an aircraft recently damaged by a vendor’s truck, an engine change and a lack of a planned spare aircraft, have made it challenging to operate a full schedule, preventing us from delivering the passenger experience we are striving for,” the airline said in a statement.
The low-budget airline, which began flying in June and shares the name, philosophy and logo of a carrier that went out of business 27 years ago, serves Newark, N.J.; Pittsburgh; Atlanta; West Palm Beach, Fla.; and Boston from its home base in Newport News, Va. The airline, which for now is operated by Vision Airlines, plans to add service to New Orleans and Tampa, Fla., according to its website.
During the startup of the new airline, Vision Airlines is flying Boeing 737-400 aircraft on behalf of PEOPLExpress. The planes bear the logo of the popular 1980s carrier of the same name and feature a green livery.
The 1980s iteration of PEOPLExpress, also known as People Express Airlines, operated between 1981 and 1987. Continental Airlines, now United Airlines, absorbed PEOPLExpress in 1987; the current iteration of PEOPLExpress is not a corporate successor.
PEOPLExpress has successfully served 55,000 passengers on 817 flights since launching service on June 30, the airline said.