As Homer Simpson says........"DOUH!" Independence Air To Cut More Markets At End Of January By Lori Ranson 01/04/2005 08:15:49 PM Independence Air plans to scrap regional jet service on five routes by the end of the month and cut several frequencies to more than 10 other cities, The DAILY has learned, as the deadline for an $83 million lease payment approaches. Effective Jan. 31, the airline plans to end flights from Orlando to Charleston, S.C., and Huntsville, Ala. It will also cease flights from Tampa to Charleston, Huntsville and Greenville, S.C., after operating them only for several months. In addition to eliminating several routes, the airline will drop frequencies to other cities it serves from Washington Dulles. Also effective Jan. 31, a spokesman confirmed that flights from Washington to Boston will be cut from 11 to seven. Frequencies to Cleveland will dwindle from seven to three, as will flights to Columbus. Independence is cutting four flights to New York Kennedy, from 13 to nine, and reducing flights to Newark from 10 to seven. Flights to Indianapolis are being cut in half from six to three, with frequencies to Pittsburgh moving from 10 to seven. Flights to Orlando are set to fall to six from 11. An Independence spokesman said the carrier currently has about 560 daily departures, and that number would fall to 410 by Jan. 31. Total daily departures in mid-February should reach 422 with the introduction of Airbus A319 service to West Palm Beach and Fort Myers, Fla., with three daily roundtrip flights. The fate of the 50-seat CRJs affected by Independence's route adjustments is unclear. Since November, the carrier has been trying to negotiate lease deferrals and early terminations with its lessors for its regional jets to ease a huge payment due this month and avoid a potential Chapter 11 filing. The carrier recently sold four planes to SkyWest Airlines. Independence officially exited Lansing, Mich., and Dayton, Ohio, this week. Shortly after Independence declared its plans to abandon Lansing, Northwest also scaled down its service, reducing flights from Dulles to Lansing from four to two (DAILY, Dec. 8). Roger EWROPS