Boston Globe
August 6, 2004
Business section, page D1

Upstart airline sees need for more flights to Cape

By Keith Reed, Globe Staff

The airline that has long had a lock on shuttling Boston-area travelers to
Cape Cod and the islands may soon face competition from an upstart
challenger.

Linear Air, a Lexington start-up, expects to get Federal Aviation
Administration approval to begin service today. The first flights from
Hanscom Field in Bedford will take off almost immediately, making it a
challenger to Cape Air, its founder said.

The company, which has raised $3 million from private lenders and investors,
plans to target the market for leisure travelers who have tired of the
inconveniences of regular air travel.

"We think there's a relatively large market of people who want to travel
more privately, who don't want to deal with going to the airport and waiting
in lines," said Linear Air founder William Herp. "We view the Cape and the
islands marketplace as being one that is underserved from Hanscom."

Still, it could be a while before Linear cuts into any of Cape Air's market
share. The carrier's service will be limited by federal regulations and by
the small, private-jet-style aircraft it will operate.

So far, the carrier has purchased one new Cessna Grand Caravan, a small
turboprop plane traditionally used to ship cargo on short hauls. But more
and more they are being fitted with luxury interiors and used for commuter
service.

Linear's plane will seat eight passengers in reclining leather seats, with
power outlets for plugging in laptops or other portable devices. The airline
will offer complimentary snacks and beverages. The company plans to put
another Grand Caravan in service in October, and to add as many as 13 more
airplanes by the end of 2006.

Because its FAA license designates it a charter carrier rather than a
regular airline, Linear can't offer scheduled service. Instead, it plans to
fill its flights using a so-called shared charter model.

It will list suggested charter itineraries on its website for passengers to
choose from for example, a potential trip from Hanscom to Martha's Vineyard
at 9 a.m. Saturday morning. If enough passengers are interested in
chartering a flight at that particular time, it will book the passengers and
make the trip. If not, the plane becomes available for other groups or
passengers to charter.

Because of this arrangement, Cape Air dismisses the idea that Linear will be
a rival.

"We really don't see them as any competition," said Michelle Haynes, Cape
Air's spokeswoman. "They're flying out of Hanscom. They would be under a
charter certificate. It's really apples and oranges."

Linear will offer Cape and islands service on weekends, while focusing on
making charter runs to places like New York, Providence, and Pittsburgh for
business travelers during the week.

Herp said charters to the Cape and islands will cost about $169 per person
each way, with higher prices for longer flights during the week. He said he
expects six charter flights per day on the weekends.

Cape Air, by comparison, flies 53 flights daily from Logan International
Airport to the Cape and islands, using nine-seat Cessna aircraft. A
reservations agent quoted a $259.95 round trip fare between Boston and
Martha's Vineyard yesterday.

Linear has already incurred the ire of citizens who loathe the idea of any
additional planes using Hanscon Field. Even though the carrier plans to use
small planes for relatively few flights, it would still add to noise and air
pollution in the towns near the airport, said Marty Pepper Aisenberg,
project director for Save Our Heritage, a Concord preservation group.

"It's easy to say, 'Well, Linear isn't all that much, it's a few flights.'
But this new model of shared charters, one could see this Linear Air service
becoming really big," Aisenberg said. "Our position is that there is already
too much air traffic at Hanscom. Any additional traffic simply makes the bad
problem worse."

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