FLINT, MI -- Delta Air Lines can suspend flights to and from Flint Bishop Airport and United Airlines can stop service to Kalamazoo and Lansing, according to a tentative order issued by the federal government.
The U.S. Department of Transportation issued the show cause order on Friday, May 22, and set the deadline for hearing objections to the tentative decisions for 5 p.m. Thursday, May 28.
A total of 15 airline requests to suspend service to various airports across the country in response to the COVID-19 pandemic were covered in the order, including Delta’s route from Flint to Atlanta and United’s service from Chicago to Lansing and Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport.
“After reviewing the carriers’ prioritized lists, and resolving any conflicts per the procedures described above and in the notice, the department has tentatively decided to grant exemptions to covered carriers for points as described ... The department granted all requests that were possible to grant under the procedures published in the notice ...," the order says in part.
Delta, which lost $534 million in the first three months of this year, had initially asked to suspend all flights to and from Flint, Lansing and Kalamazoo without forfeiting money it’s receiving in response to the coronavirus emergency.
Pat Corfman, a Bishop Airport spokeswoman, said in an email to MLive-The Flint Journal that officials are awaiting the final word from the DOT on Delta and said that once final, the order would represent a market suspension that “does not necessarily mean that Delta will be gone from Flint forever.”
“What it does mean is that Delta doesn’t have to fly from Flint between now and Sept. 30 to receive the governmental financial aid available to the airlines,” Corfman said. “Delta has been a fantastic airline partner to us since April of 2001. We will work with them through this process, and look forward to their continual reassessment of the situation and how Flint Bishop can fit into their network.”
Corfman said in the interim, American Airlines continues its Flint service to Charlotte, North Carolina, "which has very similar connections to Delta’s flight to Atlanta.
American and United also fly from Flint to Chicago O’Hare, and Allegiant Air flies to Florida and is still scheduled to begin flights between Bishop and Nashville starting June 5.
Delta has said in its request to suspend service to some markets that it recognizes its exemption request may result in an inconvenience for fliers who will have to drive farther to access its flights.
“However, that inconvenience is outweighed by the public health and safety of the employees that Delta is trying to protect,” the airline filing with the DOT says. “This is especially true given the limited number of passengers who will be affected, as reflected in the passenger counts” from the affected airports.
The airline says fliers who would typically use the airport in Flint can still use Delta flights in Detroit, 74 miles away.
Craig Williams, director of the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek airport, said the decision to suspend United flights is disappointing.
“However, the airport needs our stakeholders to be strong as we navigate our exit out of this pandemic,” Williams said in an email to MLive. "Our focus now is on ensuring United’s return in October and making sure that when they do they can do so with the optimism that they will succeed in serving southwest Michigan.”
Delta Air Lines files to suspend all flights in Flint, Lansing and Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo airport loses 94% of passengers amid pandemic
Flint Bishop Airport stays open, starts checking passenger temperatures
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