Alaska Airlines photo contributed by FAT

Alaska Airlines will discontinue its daily service between Fresno and Los Angeles next month.

The reason is ongoing regional capacity constraints, according to a representative of the Seattle-based airline reached by email Friday.

Specifically, “it is due to a shortage of crew from our regional operator that wasn’t anticipated when we built our summer schedule several months ago,” the spokesperson. 

Utah-based Skywest Airlines operates the route under an agreement with Alaska Airlines.

The representative said the suspension of the LAX route would last through the winter and return in spring 2023.

The Alaska Airlines service from Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT) to LAX ends effective Sep. 7 after Labor Day weekend, according to the Alaska Airlines online booking portal.

That leaves United as the remaining service from FAT to LAX, with twice-daily flights.

In February Alaska Airlines launched what it called the first-ever flight subscription service in the U.S., allowing people to take up to 24 roundtrip flights a year for a flat rate, including the FAT-to-LAX route.

“While this route impacts a small fraction of our Flight Pass subscribers, we understand the inconvenience it may have on our guests who have relied on this route for business or to visit family and friends,” according to Alaska Airlines. “We apologize and we’re working with our Fresno guests on what they would like to do with their Flight Pass subscription, which could include canceling the service. Those guests can call our toll-free Flight Pass line at 1-888-885-0155 to discuss their options. Alaska Airlines still operates 130 intra-California flights across 15 markets.”