United Express plans to end service to Oxnard Airport

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Beginning this summer, Oxnard Airport will no longer offer regular passenger flights to Los Angeles International Airport.

United Express, the only commercial airline serving the airport, said it plans to stop flying into Oxnard Airport on June 8. The airline, operated by SkyWest, now offers three flights a day on Sunday through Friday and two flights on Saturday. All of the flights from the western Ventura County airport go to and from Los Angeles International Airport.

In a statement, United Express said serving Oxnard was ‘not economically feasible’ any longer. The plan to end service must be approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The airport primarily serves private pilots and other airport-related businesses. In 2008, it generated about $40 million in economic activity, including $12.3 million in annual tax revenues, according to an economic study by Ventura County.

But the airline’s passenger numbers have been dropping for years, said airport manager Jorge Rubio. About two years ago, the airline served more than 1,800 passengers per month in Oxnard, he said. Now, the airline serves between 600 and 700 passengers monthly, he said.

‘This is the lowest it has ever been,’ he said.

Rubio said he hopes another commercial airline will replace United Express in Oxnard and offer routes to other airports besides Los Angeles International.

-- Hugo Martin