Maxjet to suspend Dulles-London flights

Maxjet Airways announced yesterday it will temporarily suspend service from Washington Dulles International Airport to London beginning Tuesday.

The low-fare carrier, which operates four weekly flights from Dulles to London’s Stansted Airport, said it will resume the service on May 24.

The Dulles, Va.-based airline said it’s suspending service from the airport so it can focus on its more successful New York-London and Las Vegas-London routes.

The airline said it plans to increase its Las Vegas-London service from twice to three times a week beginning March 10.

Maxjet service operates six flights a week from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to London.

The carrier, founded as a low-fare international airline catering to business travelers, debuted in 2005 with a single Boeing 767 flying one route — London to New York. The airline added a second plane months later and began its Dulles-to-London service last March.

Roundtrip fares from Dulles to London start at about $1,900.

Former Maxjet Chief Executive Gary Rogliano last winter said the airline would bolster its fleet to 11 planes by the end of 2007 and add new flights from Boston, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

But so far, the carrier has only three planes, with plans to add two more later this year.

Mr. Rogliano was replaced as the carrier’s top official in November by William Stockbridge, who had served as board chairman of the company since 2004.