Airline effort stepped up; Cape Air an option

By JOE LoTEMPLIO
Staff Writers

January 04, 2008 04:00 am

— and DAN HEATH
PLATTSBURGH -- Clinton County officials are stepping up efforts to bring in a new airline to replace outgoing Big Sky Airlines.
They may have one candidate in Cape Air out of Hyannis, Mass.
"They could be, but we can't say just yet because there is still a process to go through," County Legislator Robert Heins, chairman of the county's Airport Committee, said Thursday.
Big Sky is leaving Plattsburgh International Airport on Monday, after just two months of providing service.
EMERGENCY REQUEST
The Montana-based company blamed high fuel costs and poor weather for its problems, which led to many delayed or canceled flights.
Big Sky was designated by the federal Department of Transportation as the Essential Air Service provider for both Plattsburgh and Saranac Lake, meaning the government subsidized the airline to provide flights.
Big Sky is required to remain in business in Plattsburgh and Saranac Lake until a replacement airline is found, but if the company goes out of the business, the government cannot force it to continue flying.
DOT put out an emergency request for proposals to airlines on Dec. 20, just one day after Big Sky announced it would be leaving.
The deadline for the proposals is Jan. 11, which will likely mean some time when no daily air service will be operating out of the Plattsburgh airport, which opened this past summer.
"Maybe we can get something going by the end of the month, but we really don't want a (bigger) gap," said Heins (R-Area 10, City of Plattsburgh).
U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) is pushing the federal government to provide the necessary incentives to lure a new Essential Air Service carrier right away.
"Simply waiting until Jan. 11 would be a grave mistake," Schumer said in a letter to DOT.
CAPE AIR INTERESTED
The county met with three airlines Wednesday, and Heins said prospects are promising.
One of them is the Cape Cod-based Cape Air.
Cape Air spokeswoman Michelle Haynes said Thursday that the airline plans to apply before the Jan. 11 deadline for the Essential Air Service contract that provides flights from Plattsburgh and Saranac Lake to Boston.
She said that if Cape Air gets the deal, it will probably offer three non-stop flights a day from Plattsburgh, including one early morning departure.
"We offer convenient connectivity with our partner, Jet Blue Airways, steps away from our arrival gate at Logan (International Airport)," Haynes said.
Cape Air was attracted to the Plattsburgh and Saranac Lake markets because it specializes in tourist destinations.
Haynes said the airline also sees a strong market for business travelers who need to get to and from Boston, where they can make hundreds of connections.
"We specialize in destinations that are geographically challenged," she said.
"We hope we can give the type of service people deserve up there."
While Haynes isn't sure what type of fares will be offered from Plattsburgh and Saranac Lake, she said the airline offers flights from Rutland, Vt., to Boston for as low as about $40 one-way.
The airline has been in operation about 20 years. It operates its own fleet of 49 eight-seat Cessna 402 aircraft.
GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY'
Heins said, ideally, any airline that comes to Plattsburgh will be connected to a large airline so it can provide direct flights or service to major hubs where people can catch connecting flights.
Plattsburgh International Airport Manager Chris Kreig said there's plenty of opportunity for an airline to make money here.
"Big Sky had a golden opportunity here because people want badly to fly out of here. They don't want to go to Burlington or Albany," Kreig said.
"The right company will make money here."
Emplanements for Big Sky were actually up while it was here, but the problems caused by delays and cancellations left too many negative feelings with the traveling public, Heins said.
"All the things we built brick by brick, they were tearing down brick by brick.
"That was hurting our marketing."
ALLEGIANT BOOMING
Heins stressed that Big Sky's problems were not related to the Plattsburgh airport but were internal.
While Big Sky struggled, Allegiant Air's direct service to Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, Fla., is booming to the point that two more flights per week to Fort Lauderdale will be starting in February.
More than 1,700 passengers flew from Plattsburgh to Florida on Allegiant between startup on Nov. 16 and Dec. 25.
jlotemplio@pressrepublican.com

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