Second Orange County-N.Y. Nonstop Flight Added

COSTA MESA —  The airline offering the only daily nonstop flight between John Wayne Airport and the East Coast announced Wednesday that it will add a second flight to the route.

America West Airlines said its nonstop service to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York has been popular enough to warrant the second round trip, starting July 1.

“Passenger response to our unique nonstop transcontinental service has been extremely positive since we initiated the service only one month ago,” said Mark Coleman, the airline’s senior vice president of market planning.

An airline spokesman said the company does not divulge actual load factors on a particular route.

Under the revised schedule, 190-seat Boeing 757s will depart John Wayne at 7:50 a.m. and 1:10 p.m. local time, arriving at JFK at 4:20 p.m. and 9:40 p.m. Eastern time.

Returning flights will leave from JFK at 8 a.m. and 5:05 p.m. Eastern time and arrive at John Wayne at 11:07 a.m. and 8:12 a.m. local time.

The lowest round-trip fare is a non-refundable $358 and must be purchased at least seven days before the departure date, spokesman Mike Mitchell said.

David Buskirk, senior vice president for the Associated Travel Management in Santa Ana, said he is pleased but surprised to see the second flight.

“I’m a little surprised that the marketplace could stand a second nonstop,” he said. “But I’m pleased . . . about it. There’s no doubt about it: There’s a lot of pent-up demand in Orange County for point-to-point service.”

For the airlines, there also may be profits. “The airlines have been successful at pricing a little higher than at other airports,” he said. “They are figuring they can get a fairly good yield.”