Airlines Submit EAS Bids for Plattsburgh International

PLATTSBURGH — The bids are in for Essential Air Service (EAS) funding at Plattsburgh International Airport.

At last week's Clinton County Legislature Airport Committee meeting, Airport Manager Chris Kreig and legislators reviewed three proposals for the federal program.

Those included one from SkyWest, doing business as United Express, that would continue offering the daily round-trip flights to Dulles International Airport, located near Washington, D.C., that began in August 2018.

Airport Committee Chair Robert Hall (D-Area 10, City of Plattsburgh) said the county hopes to keep the service to Dulles.

"We are very satisfied with SkyWest," he told the Press-Republican.

"We love the service. It's been great for our people traveling."

THREE BIDS

According to SkyWest's proposal, available on regulations.gov, the EAS subsidy would come to $6.7 million over two years to continue sending a 50-passenger CRJ-200 twinjet on 12 round trips each week.

Hyannis Air Service, doing business as Cape Air, and Silver Airways both submitted bids to the U.S. Department of Transportation offering flights between Plattsburgh and Logan International Airport in Boston.

Cape Air put forth three daily round trips on a nine-passenger Tecnam Traveller and two possible contracts for EAS subsidies.

On average, both the two-year and four-year proposals come out to about $2.5 million each year, with the latter starting out at $2.4 million in year one and rising in increments to $2.6 million in year four.

Silver Airways would utilize a 34-seat Saab 340B Plus aircraft and require an annual subsidy of $4.55 million for two years.

COMMUNITY INPUT

Kreig explained that, as the DOT reviews the bids, it is mandated by federal law to consider five criteria.

According to the request for proposals for Essential Air Service to Plattsburgh, those include service reliability and community input, with substantial weight given to the views of elected officials who represent the service's users.

Community members have until Feb. 28 to submit their comments to Michael F. Martin of the DOT before he makes his own recommendation to the assistant secretary for Aviation and International Affairs.

Kreig anticipates that the agency will select the winning bid at least a month after the comment deadline, though that will be preceded by further discussion at the Airport Committee's February meeting.

DONE WELL

Prior to when SkyWest was awarded the EAS funding in 2018, the service brought an average of 7,500 enplanements — the number of people who board a plane — to the Plattsburgh airport each year, Kreig said.

In 2019, the number of enplanements for the flights came to just more than 17,000.

"It’s done well," Kreig said of the Dulles service. "I’ve received positive feedback from the community.

It’s ultimately DOT’s decision as to what service we get, but it has done well."

Hall pointed out that it provides an option for travelers besides Florida.

"It's convenient. It's certainly something that we'd like to continue to make use of."

Email Cara Chapman:

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Twitter: @PPR_carachapman

LEARN MORE, GIVE INPUT

Visit regulations.gov to view the proposals put forward by SkyWest, Cape Air and Silver Airways for Essential Air Service to Plattsburgh.

Community members are welcome to send their comments to Michael F. Martin of the U.S. Department of Transportation at [email protected] by Friday, Feb. 28.

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