Another Blow for Atlantic City: It Lost United Airlines

The last United Airlines flight from Chicago to Atlantic City limped into the New Jersey airport at 11:33 a.m. Tuesday. It flew, really, but “limped” is a more appropriate description for this final touchdown in Atlantic City, which, along with its United flights, has lost four casinos and up to 12,000 jobs this year alone. Spirit Airlines is now the only commercial airline to operate out of the Atlantic City International Airport.

The United experiment was a short but expensive one. The company began operating non-stop flights between Atlantic City and Houston and Chicago on April 1 of this year at the behest of New Jersey travel and tourism authorities, who hoped to attract well-to-do businessmen and tourists to multinight stays on the Jersey Shore. The state sweetened the deal with a number of incentives. According to the local Press of Atlantic City, the New Jersey's Casino Reinvestment Development Agency spent $2 million in promoting the upstart airplane routes. The South Jersey Transportation Authority, which runs Atlantic City’s airport, gave United a break on landing fees, fuel purchases, and airport charges, also pledging $60,000 in marketing for the routes.