N419FJ, a charter flight, slowing down on Runway 28R at Port Columbus International Airport. Photo: Stephen Mosely Sr. – OPShots.net Contributor//
Cleveland, OH – On Friday September 4th, Ultimate Air Shuttle announced that scheduled air service is returning to Cleveland’s Burke Lakefront International Airport on October 26, 2015. After a nine-year hiatus, passengers will be able to arrive and depart directly from the downtown airport rather than commuting to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, 16 miles away. Targeted for the business traveler, this new route will cut flight time more than half, reduce security wait times, cut costs from $445 or more, and skip the layover at a heavily congested hub airport like Chicago O’Hare.
Ultimate Air Shuttle announced the launch of its VIP-style, commercial flights, from Cincinnati Municipal Airport – Lunken Field to Cleveland Burke Lakefront Airport scheduled to begin October 26. The public charter flights that operate on a published schedule and are sold to the general public according to regulations issued by the Department of Transportation.
Ultimate Air Shuttle, based at Lunken Field, is a subsidiary of Ultimate Jet Charters, based at Akron-Canton International Airport. Ultimate Jet Charters began as Gordon Air in 1984 with one aircraft, and soon began to expand and develop into the larger cabin charter operations market, quickly becoming an industry leader. Operating a fleet of 10 Dornier 328Jets, Ultimate Jets provides services to many collegiate and professional sports teams, fans, group travel, large corporations, and casino shuttles.
In July 2009, Ultimate Jet Charters launched Ultimate Air Shuttle flying from Cincinnati to New York City. The airline has grown and now offers a number of services. From Lunken Field, the airline currently operates to Charlotte, North Carolina, Chicago Midway, and New York City via Morristown, New Jersey. From Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (KCVG), the airline operates to Chicago Midway and New York City via Morristown.
The airline also operates seasonal flights, May 28 to September 28, from Morristown to both Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.
Ultimate Air Shuttle will operate to and from Burke Lakefront, twice a day, Monday through Friday, on their fleet of 30 seat, Dornier 328Jets, for $199 one way or $379 round trip. Below is the flight schedule:
7:00 AM Depart from Cincinnati (LUK)
7:45 AM Arrive in Cleveland (BKL)
8:10 AM Depart from Cleveland (BKL)
8:55 AM Arrive in Cincinnati (LUK)
5:15 PM Depart from Cincinnati (LUK)
5:55 PM Arrive in Cleveland (BKL)
6:20 PM Depart from Cleveland (BKL)
7:00 PM Arrive in Cincinnati (LUK)
Ultimate is offering a special buy one flight, get one FREE – now through December 22, 2015! Ultimate Jet is in talks to acquire an Embraer ERJ, which is at its facilities at CAK, so the service could be upgraded as Ultimate Jet looks to upgrade its fleet.
This revival of commercial air service follows Destination One’s brief scheduled charter service on Embraer 120s between BKL, Detroit, Cincinnati, and Hilton Head, South Carolina, discontinued in 2006. Before that, Wright Airlines, the United States’ first regional airline, began its operations out of BKL in 1966, operating to Detroit every hour. Wright Airlines also flew between BKL, Columbus, Dayton, Cincinnati, Syracuse, New York, and Elkins and Clarksburg, West Virginia, among others, on its large fleet of Beech 99A, Convair 440, Beechcraft Model H18, Convair 600, Convair 640, Douglas DC-3, De Havilland DH-114 Riley Heron, De Havilland DH-114-2B Hero, De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, Embraer EMB-110P1 Bandeirante, Shorts 360 and Beechcraft BE-99, mostly acquired after mergers with Tyme Airlines (1968), Air Commuter Airlines (1968), and Aeromech Airlines (1983). In 1979, Midway Airlines briefly operated service from BKL to Chicago Midway, before moving operations to Hopkins.
Touted as a VIP experience for a commercial rate, Ultimate Air Shuttle sells the Cleveland flight as a way to “Spend a day at the home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum!” This is exciting news for Burke and downtown Cleveland, connecting two of Ohio’s largest cities, hopefully bringing more business and more tourism.
See: Ultimate Air Shuttle – Cleveland for more details.
