May 2—Any travelers flying out of the Merced Yosemite Regional Airport should know TSA screening is returning soon, Advanced Air announced Monday.
The airline is scheduled to begin TSA-secure operations in and out of main terminals at Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) from Merced starting May 16, according to a company new release.
Advanced Air began operating locally in January. Although flights have been coming in and out of the Merced airport, TSA security service was paused while the airline applied for approval.
"We are pleased to provide Merced residents with access to connections in the main terminals in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, and provide a premium product at a discounted rate," Advanced Air President Levi Stockton said in the release. "This has been a long time coming."
The airline was also flying a reduced number of weekly flights up until April 3, when the schedule grew from a decreased 17 round trips to the originally planned 24. Twelve of those flights are bound to and from LAS and the other 12 go between Merced and LAX.
Round trips were cut at the start of the year to better align flights with January's low passenger count, Stockton previously told the Sun-Star.
Low ridership was likely due to residents' unfamiliarity with the new airline and the COVID-19 omicron variant deterring passengers from flying, he said. Advanced Air received approval from the DOT and the city before reducing trips.
Passenger count has since increased, with March flights flying 60-70% full, Stockton told the Sun-Star in a recent interview.
"It's going great. We're getting great feedback. We're seeing a lot more ridership," he said of the airline's first few months in operation. "The community has been very engaged and the city has been a great partner."
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) selected Advanced Air as Merced's Essential Air Service (EAS) provider last year after the City Council recommended it over Boutique Air, which held the EAS contract since 2015.
The EAS program offers continued flight service in the nation's rural areas by providing an operating subsidy to air carriers. The DOT makes the final contract selection for a region after soliciting local governments' recommendations.
Advanced Air's fixed price starts $145, plus tax, each way. Discounted tickets are available in packets of 10 for $138.09 per seat.
Past controversy over Merced airline contract
The Merced City Council's controversial selection of Advanced Air over Boutique Air largely came down to the airline providing sought-after service between Merced and Las Vegas.
Advanced Air also pledged to market the Merced airport to meet the city's tourism goals. The airline has plans to align flights with YARTS bus schedules to Yosemite — something city officials said further reflects support and knowledge of Merced's economic development and tourism needs.
Stockton said those plans are still in the works. The hope is that travelers to Merced will eventually be able to purchase an integrated YARTS pass and flight ticket.
The decision by a majority of Council members to endorse a new airline over Boutique Air spurred enough debate that the final recommendation to the DOT was delayed.
City and airline officials said the delay shortened the amount of time for Advanced Air to set up shop at the Merced airport.
Stockton said the wait also held up the airline's TSA application, which takes about six months. Advanced Air informed the city and the DOT that they weren't yet TSA-approved, but Stockton said the airline was given the green light to start service in Merced to fixed-base operator sites starting Jan. 1.
Fixed-base operator sites are located on airport grounds but not at the main terminals. Passengers connecting to other flights must enter the terminal from the outside and be screened by TSA before gaining access to "sterile areas" located behind airport security.
Some Merced residents publicly voiced concerns about potential safety and logistics issues that could be brought about without TSA screening, objecting that flying without TSA screening made them wary and that landing at fixed-base operator sites could make connecting to another flight difficult.
Several city officials appeared receptive, but others expressed that it was too early to cast judgment on how the airline will ultimately serve Merced.
Once TSA operations begin May 16, Advanced Air passengers will go through security at the Merced airport and land directly at LAS and LAX main terminals.
Merced officials told the Sun-Star that conversations between the city and airline showed that Advanced Air's efforts to improve service and invest in the community are genuine.
"You can't always make everybody happy, but our job is to provide a reliable product," Stockton said of the airline's critics.
This story was originally published May 2, 2022 10:12 AM.
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