By JOE LoTEMPLIO
PLATTSBURGH — Clinton County legislators will make their final decision at tonight's Finance Committee meeting as to which airline will serve the community the next two years.
The battle has been on the past two months between Cape Air, the existing air-service provider, and Colgan Air, a USAirways affiliate.
Supporters of both airlines have been lobbying legislators about which one should secure a two-year contract to fly out of Plattsburgh International Airport under federal funding from the Essential Air Service program.
"It's been like a campaign for office," Legislature Chairman Jimmy Langley (R-Area 7, Peru) said.
"The only thing that has been missing is the television commercials."
CAPE AIR PROPOSAL
Cape Air has been serving the airport the past two years under the federal program, offering daily flights to Boston and connections with Jet Blue.
Cape Air uses nine-seat aircraft. They are offering three flights daily and four during the summer months for $65 for a one-way trip.
Since Cape Air began flying out of Plattsburgh, it has increased emplanements from 3,267 in 2007 to 10,432 in 2009.
The Cape Air bid will require about $1.4 million in subsidies from the federal government over the two-year contract.
COLGAN PROPOSAL
Colgan Air is offering to use 34-seat aircraft with pressurized cabins and a flight attendant and connections with USAirways.
They will fly twice daily to Boston Monday through Friday and once on Saturdays and Sundays under the Essential Air Service contract for $75 one way.
They will also offer a third flight Monday through Friday that will not be under the program, but it is unclear what the price for that flight will be.
The Colgan bid will require about $2.2 million in federal subsidies over two years.
RISK WORTH IT
Congressman William Owens (D-Plattsburgh) is supporting the Colgan bid.
Owens said he believes that having larger aircraft will attract more businesspeople to the area, which can lead to job growth.
He noted that the airport has been successful in attracting large numbers of Canadian travelers who fly to Florida and South Carolina on direct flights with Allegiant and DirectAir since the airport opened in 2007.
"There is a comfort factor in flying in larger aircraft, and it is a higher level of service, and that is what we are trying to sell," Owens said.
"I think it is a risk worth taking to upgrade service in hopes that it will attract more riders and people who will bring jobs to the area."
PRICE CONCERNS
Legislator Robert Heins (R-Area 10, City of Plattsburgh) said he favors Cape Air because they have guaranteed low prices throughout the contract while Colgan has not.
"I would love to see bigger airplanes, but I don't want to see a huge jump in price," Heins said.
He said he was disgusted with some of the tactics that supporters of Colgan Air have taken, namely an editorial by a local television station that called legislators who did not support Colgan gutless.
"That is just coarse, crude, cowardly and unprofessional," Heins said.
PROVEN COMMODITY
Plattsburgh Mayor Donald Kasprzak also supports Cape Air.
"I don't believe that having a stewardess is that important in this decision-making process," he said.
"I don't believe that having larger planes is going to bring in more passengers, and regardless of size, if you have an airline that has worked in the best interests of this community the past two years with the lowest fares, they deserve to have the contract extended another two years."
AIRLINES EAGER
Cape Air spokeswoman Michelle Haynes said Cape Air wants to continue flying out of Plattsburgh.
"We love Plattsburgh, and we want to stay and continue to serve the market."
Joe Williams, director of corporate communications for Pinnacle Airlines Corp., Colgan's parent company, issued a statement Tuesday: "We believe the community will greatly benefit from having service on USAirways Express, providing regional airliner service to a major airline network and the worldwide Star Alliance. With this access, we are hopeful that boardings at Plattsburgh could rise from the current 420 per month to more than 1,150 per month."
ACCIDENTS
It was a Colgan Air aircraft that crashed in Buffalo last year, killing 50 people. Pilot error was cited by the National Transportation and Safety Board as the main reason for the crash.
The airline's training of pilots was also criticized in a report that was released Tuesday.
A Cape Air airplane went off the runway Monday in icy conditions in Watertown, but no one was injured.
'FEAR OF FAILURE'
Legislator Robert Butler (R-Area 6, Saranac) said he supports Colgan.
"We can't have fear of failure as a reason why we don't keep with our vision of growing. If Cape Air had offered to use bigger airplanes, we wouldn't even be having this discussion."
Butler said he is concerned about what prices Colgan will be offering throughout the length of the contract, but he believes Colgan's larger aircraft will make a difference.
"We can't give in to emotion, and we can't stay stagnant for another two years."
DEADLINE
The county's recommendation must be delivered to the federal Department of Transportation by Friday.
The department will make its choice of which airline receives the Essential Air Service contract in the next few weeks.
The Finance Committee meeting, which is open to the public, begins at 5:15 p.m. in the Legislative Chambers of the Clinton County Government Center at the corner of Margaret and Cornelia streets.
E-mail Joe LoTemplio at: jlotemplio@pressrepublican.com
