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November 20, 2009

Clinton County leaning toward new air carrier

By JOE LOTEMPLIO

PLATTSBURGH — The battle is on to see who will provide area airports with daily commuter service.

Clinton County legislators are leaning toward a new provider for Plattsburgh International Airport that will feature larger aircraft, while their counterparts in Franklin County want to keep their tried-and-tested carrier at the Lake Clear Airport in Harrietstown.

The contract for federal Essential Air Service funding is due for renewal, and three airlines are bidding for the deal.



GROWTH WITH CAPE AIR

Under the Essential Air Service program, the government subsidizes airlines for providing service to under-populated areas.

Cape Air has been providing service under the program in both Plattsburgh and Lake Clear since Feb. 12, 2008, using nine-passenger Cessna 402 aircraft.

They fly from both Plattsburgh and Lake Clear to Logan Airport in Boston.

The airline has proven successful in both communities, with enplanements up 17 percent in Plattsburgh and up 10 percent at Lake Clear over the past year.

Cape Air wants to continue providing the service and is offering direct connections with Jet Blue Airline starting early next year.

“We’ve increased enplanements by 17 percent in Plattsburgh and 10 percent in Lake Clear, and in these challenging economic times, Cape Air has proven to be a very good partner with these communities,” Cape Air spokeswoman Michelle Haynes said Friday.



BIGGER PLANES

But Clinton County legislators are leaning toward a bid from Colgan Airlines of Manassas, Va., that would offer flights to Boston on 34-passenger Saab aircraft.

Colgan would fly from Plattsburgh to Lake Clear and then on to Boston.

Legislature Chairman Jimmy Langley (R-Area 7, Peru) said the larger aircraft is an attraction.

“We are never going to get any bigger than we are with Cape Air,” he said. “They’ve done a great job, but we obviously are looking to expand, and we have to be able to provide bigger and better aircraft. Some people just won’t fly on those smaller planes.”



LEGISLATORS SPLIT

In a straw poll taken this week among legislators, six of them — Langley, Harry McManus (D-Area 1, Champlain), John Gallagher (D-Area 9, City of Plattsburgh), Sam Trombley (R-Area 2, Ellenburg) Sara Rowden (D-Area 4, Town of Plattsburgh) and Robert Butler (R-Area 6, Saranac) — supported Colgan.

Keith Defayette (R-Area 5, Schuyler Falls), Airport Committee Chairman Robert Heins (R-Area 10, City of Plattsburgh) and Tom Sears (R-Area 3, Beekmantown) sided with Cape Air.

Jackie Walker (R-Area 8, Town and City of Plattsburgh) was absent.

Defayette said he, too, would like to see bigger airplanes, but he does not like Colgan’s proposal of flying from Plattsburgh to Lake Clear and then on to Boston instead of direct flights from Plattsburgh to Boston, like Cape Air offers.

“Flying into Lake Clear in the middle of winter can be nasty sometimes,” Defayette said.



PLEASED WITH SERVICE

In Harrietstown, officials are sticking with Cape Air.

“They came in here and promised on-time service and good service, and they’ve more than done that,” Harrietstown Supervisor Larry Miller said.

Miller said the nine-seat aircraft are suitable for the Lake Clear airport and that the low fares are attractive for travelers.

“We will come close to 9,000 enplanements this year, and we haven’t done that since the 1980 Winter Olympics.”

Miller also said the town is talking with Cape Air about having a flight from Massena stop at Lake Clear and then continue on to Albany for connecting flights.



READY FOR ‘WAR’

Both communities have until Dec. 31 to submit recommendations to the federal Department of Transportation Aviation Division, which will ultimately make the decision as to which airline gets the federal subsidy.

It is unlikely that DOT will split the Essential Air Service contract and offer funding to both Colgan for servicing Plattsburgh and Cape Air for Lake Clear.

Miller said they will do whatever they can to keep Cape Air.

“We will go to war with Plattsburgh to keep Cape Air.”



LOW FARES

Cape Air officials say that low prices are what will allow the Plattsburgh airport to expand, not larger planes.

“A great way to keep growth is to continue to offer low fares,” said Andrew Bonney, the vice president of planning for Cape Air.

“People will fly if the fare is low.”

Cape Air offers one-way flights direct to Boston for $70 per ticket. Colgan is offering $100 one-way tickets to Boston on their larger planes.

Bonney said service to Boston also will provide seamless connections with Jet Blue to numerous destinations, including 62 trips to New York City daily.



CHARTER OPTION

The division is something that worries Defayette, who said that the federal government could wind up picking the third bidder, Charter Air Transport.

Charter submitted a bid that would include service to Boston on 19- or 30-seat aircraft. It also is talking about service to JFK Airport in New York City, but only if they get authorization to fly into that airport from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Defayette said Charter is a new airline and unproven.

“I don’t want to get stuck with them,” he said.

Langley said Charter’s bid did not appear to have complete information.

Estimated ticket prices for all three bids vary and will be affected by the amount of federal funding that is awarded.

Up to $3.2 million per year could be given to the airline that gets the contract.



E-mail Joe LoTemplio at:

jlotemplio@pressrepublican.com

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