If a private air service network has its way, passengers may not have to rely on Mesaba Airlines to get to Minneapolis or a number of other cities.
Private Air Shuttle Services Network, a Plymouth, Minn.-based company, is gathering support for a new network of private passenger flights to and from a number of Midwest communities to make connecting flights in Minneapolis.
John Warnock, PASSNet's CEO, contacted Aberdeen Transportation Director Dave Osborn this week, informing him of the company's intentions to make Aberdeen one of those cities.
Warnock said PASSNet would like to provide five-day-a-week service from Aberdeen to Minneapolis as well as Bismarck, N.D., Pierre and Watertown.
Why?: He said the idea was partly in response to Mesaba and Northwest Airlines' recent schedule reductions at Aberdeen Regional Airport.
Starting on Oct. 2, the early morning flight out of Aberdeen was moved from 6:45 a.m. to 8:10 a.m.
That raised the ire of business travelers who needed to make connecting flights to the East and West coasts because the flight gets into Minneapolis too late to make many connections.
Northwest has since re-adjusted its schedule, Osborn said.
Starting Dec. 1 the early flight will be moved back to 6:45 a.m., and the last flight leaving Minneapolis for Aberdeen will be moved back 15 minutes to accommodate travelers coming from the West Coast.
The Mesaba schedule change would not likely impact PASSNet's plans as its only direct flight to Minneapolis would leave the Hub City at 5:12 a.m., according to a proposed schedule Warnock sent to Osborn.
Warnock, who was previously with ICS, a cargo company that already flies into Aberdeen, said PASSNet was started to try to coordinate passenger service for areas with limited or no passenger service.
"When we found out that some of our business associates, who were not lacking the funds for an airline ticket, were driving 300 and 400 miles to get to meetings, we discovered that there's a niche market for passenger service," he said.
Other cities: The company is working with Bismarck and Minot, N.D., Watertown and Pierre, as well as larger Midwest cities such as Duluth, Minn.; Sioux Falls; Milwaukee; and Chicago.
Once there are commitments from enough of those cities, Warnock said PASSNet will assess the need and determine what type of planes are needed to serve those areas.
In terms of commitment, Warnock said he and others at PASSNet will be looking for communities that can offer specific numbers of passengers to make the service viable.
As for how the service would operate in Aberdeen, Warnock said it depends of the service's classification by the Federal Aviation Administration.
If it's classified as a private charter, then the flights could go in and out of one of Aberdeen Regional's fixed-base operators - Aberdeen Flying Service or Quest Aviation.
He also said PASSNet is in talks with at least one unnamed airline looking to get into service in the region, and if those talks are successful, the flights could land at the airline's terminal gate in Minneapolis instead of the general aviation area.
Some concerns: Osborn said he'd be interested in hearing more about the proposed service, but he had some concerns. Mainly whether passengers flying out of Aberdeen would be subject to the same security rules as airline passengers who fly out of the main terminal.
"Also, what, if anything, will it take away from Mesaba and the airport? Will it affect our passenger facility charges?" he said.
Warnock said PASSNet's plans are still in the early stages, and Aberdeen is one of the first communities he's contacted.
But if all goes well, the service could be off the ground late in the first quarter or early in the second quarter of 2006.
A round-table discussion is going to be scheduled later this month in Aberdeen, Warnock said. That will include city and business leaders interested in the proposal.
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