Speedy service from Newark to lower Manhattan coming

US Helicopter, a start-up based in New York, next week launches a shuttle service between Newark Liberty and lower Manhattan. It will operate 12 flights a day each way, and the 8-minute ride costs $159. At Newark, the service operates from a secured area at Gate 71 in Terminal C, used by Continental Airlines.

The shuttle operates from Manhattan Heliport, near Wall Street. Continental customers can clear security at the heliport. It also flies from Manhattan to John F. Kennedy airport.

RALEIGH, N.C.

Terminal expansion

Raleigh officials have approved a $570 million plan to overhaul Terminal C at Raleigh-Durham International, home to American Airlines, United Express and Air Canada. With the number of local travelers rapidly growing, the airport earlier this year began to remodel the terminal's north concourse, adding more gates and enlarging the ticketing and baggage claim areas. But airport officials soon realized that the south concourse, with its outdated gates, also needed to be overhauled. That led to the new plan announced last week.

Spokeswoman Mindy Hamlin says the construction areas will be walled off, and the airport expects "no major impact" for travelers. The airport expects to finish the north concourse by summer of 2008. Work will then begin on the south concourse, which will be completed by late 2010, Hamlin says.

Space in Terminal C will more than double to 893,000 square feet, making it the larger of the two terminals at the airport. It will feature 32 gates, three ticketing islands with 60 airline check-in counters, 10 security checkpoint lanes and five baggage carousels.

INDIANAPOLIS

Valet parking coming next year

Indianapolis plans to offer valet parking service for travelers starting Jan. 8. Travelers can drop off the car in front of the main terminal on the upper level.

Long-term parking will cost $22 a day. Short-term parking will cost $8 for the first hour and $2 for each additional 30 minutes. Arriving travelers can call the service in advance to have their cars waiting for them at the curb.

ONTARIO, CALIF.

Los Angeles link

Ontario International formally changed its name last week to LA/Ontario International Airport.

Like some other small airports, Ontario, located 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, made the move to gain more traffic by being associated with a large city nearby.

Los Angeles World Airports, an agency of the city of Los Angeles, operates Ontario.

The California airport is also hoping that the change will eliminate any possible confusion with airports in Ontario, Canada, spokeswoman Maria Tesoro-Fermin says.

City officials also voted to change the name of the Palmdale airport, which doesn't yet have commercial service, to LA/Palmdale Regional Airport.

TUCSON

'Welcome lounges' open

Tucson unveiled last week two new "welcome lounges" near the baggage claim area for those waiting to pick up friends and family members.

Located at the bottom of each of two escalators used by arriving passengers walking to baggage claim, the lounges offer a coffee counter run by local retailer Ike's and a place to relax.

They're also meant to discourage people waiting at the top of the escalators, near security checkpoints, says Paula Winn, airport spokeswoman.

Each lounge is about 1,000 square feet, she says. In 2007, the airport will install a wireless Internet hot spot, flight-information monitors and closed-circuit television that will show people exiting from gates.

MINNEAPOLIS

Separate Muslim prayer area bid rejected

Minneapolis/St. Paul International is rejecting a request from local imams to set aside a praying area for Muslims, says spokesman Patrick Hogan.

"We would not provide a separate room for a particular faith," he says, adding that the airport already has two all-faith areas for prayer and meditation on the mezzanine level of the Lindbergh Terminal.

The request stems from an incident last month in which six Muslim passengers were removed from a US Airways flight at the airport.

Some local Muslims protested that incident with a pray-in.

Omar Jamal, executive director of the Somali Justice Advocacy Center, which organized the pray-in, says he'll continue to talk to airport officials about a separate area.

Every Monday, we report on the latest news in airports across the USA. See something noteworthy in your travels? E-mail your suggestions to ryu@usatoday.com.

Enlarge US Helicopter launches its Manhattan-Newark shuttle service next week.