California Pacific Airlines plans flights to Las Vegas

San Diego County startup California Pacific Airlines has included a Las Vegas route in its plans when it launches service, now planned for early next year.

In doing so, it would partially go head-to-head with Southwest, which flies a dozen nonstops a day between Las Vegas and San Diego’s main airport, Lindbergh Field. California Pacific plans four flights a day from Palomar-McClellan Airport in the coastal town of Carlsbad, about 35 miles north of Lindbergh.

Company founder and veteran San Diego businessman Ted Vallas said California Pacific would run four flights a day on Embraer 170 jets, which seat 70 people. The airline is still going through the certification process with the Federal Aviation Administration.

Southwest has had a monopoly on the San Diego route since US Airways pulled out in late 2009, ending the feeder service under contract. It had quit using mainline jets earlier.

While Southwest and California Pacific go to different airports, Vallas said he would try to lure passengers in between that now have no choice but Lindbergh. Executives of the technology industries that attend Las Vegas conventions would be targeted as clients.