CARLSBAD ---- For the first time in its history, Carlsbad's McClellan-Palomar Airport could have three commercial carriers.

Scenic Airlines, which has offered sightseeing tours of the Grand Canyon since 1967, wants to operate daily flights between Carlsbad and Las Vegas starting by next spring if not sooner, county airport officials announced Thursday.

Spring is the "conservative" start date, but Scenic Airlines would love to have the planes in the air before that, company President Chad Dixon said in a telephone interview Thursday.

The company is in the process of purchasing two 19-passenger Beechcraft 1900D aircraft for the service and should have delivery of the planes in mid-November, he said.

Plans call for Scenic Airlines to offer 10 to 12 flights a week between the two communities. One-way tickets would cost about $100.

"We certainly see an opportunity to offer great value and fill seats in both directions," Dixon said.

Scenic Airlines expects the flights will interest people seeking low airfares to other parts of the country as well as vacationers interested in a weekend stay in Las Vegas, he added. JetBlue and other companies offer cut-rate tickets from the Las Vegas area.

Carlsbad is now home to America West and United Express, but neither company flies directly to Las Vegas. Passengers flying out of Carlsbad need to go through Phoenix or Las Angeles to get there.

United Express has operated out of Carlsbad since 1994, while America West started offering its Carlsbad service in 1997, Carlsbad airport manager Floyd Best said. Carlsbad was once home to American Eagle, which stopped serving the city in 1997, he added.

Peter Drinkwater, manager of the county's airport system, said the Las Vegas service ought to be a success because people already call the airport asking about flying there. Best agreed.

"I think it will turn out, do well and build," he said.

The county is now discussing the "technical details" of the service, including whether Scenic Airlines will use the airport's main terminal, Drinkwater said. If the county lands the commercial airline deal, it will benefit in the form of fuel fees, passenger fees and landing fees, among other revenue, he added.

Scenic Airlines is known for its airborne tours of scenic and man-made wonders, including Bryce Canyon, Yosemite and Hoover Dam. In addition to airplane tours, it offers helicopter trips into the Grand Canyon and white-water rafting trips. It has ticket offices in Europe, South America and Japan.

"One out of 10 Americans would know who we are, and five out of 10 Europeans would know who we are," Dixon said.

It also runs commercial airline service between Merced and Las Vegas.

Contact staff writer Barbara Henry at (760) 901-4072 or bhenry@nctimes.com.