Originally Posted by
RASMguy
No plans for HIO. The PDX population base is not quite large enough to support this level of service without reducing flights from the regular Shuttle pattern. That could require going below hourly service, which we aren't willing to do. It's an interesting idea though and we did explore it when several years back for the Q200.
It's funny someone started this thread cause this has been my wish for awhile...Hillsboro probably would have to do little to nothing in order to get "certificated for commercial service"...it looks and feels like a small commercial airport already...two major car rental companies (Avis and Hertz) are based at the terminal, hotel across the street, parking lot always packed with Intel and Nike employees taking their private shuttle flights multiple times a day...for a non-commercial airport, it's VERY busy with multiple prop and jet flights all day. Looking at it from a "population base" standpoint may be a bit short-sighted...you have two major international companies (Intel and Nike) based in Washington county not to mention the lessor known tech companies that populate what has become the silicon valley of the pacific northwest (solar world, as an example). Business travel is really what Hillsboro is all about and that is what I think could support Hillsboro air service in the future, maybe not a great fit for the Q400s of Horizon, but certainly a Skywest EMB120 (United Express service to SFO for example)...and to a lessor extent, SeaPort Air. Thanks for beating me to the punch by starting this thread!
