SARANAC LAKE -- Big Sky Airline's final departure from Northeast skies Jan. 7 will leave five airports in upstate New York without commercial flights for months.

U.S. Department of Transportation has opened an emergency search for Essential Air Service providers for Saranac Lake, Plattsburgh, Ogdensburg, Massena and Watertown airports, with bidding to close Jan. 11.

Already, airports are scheduling visits from interested airlines.

But commuter air traffic will end abruptly when Big Sky shutters eastern operations next Friday, even though DOT has ordered the beleaguered airline to stay open until a new carrier is found.

SHUTDOWN EXPECTED

If the airline cannot physically do the job for which it signed a contract, there is nothing DOT can do about it, airport officials say.

"It all depends on whether or not they get rid of their planes and terminate their employees," said Harrietstown Town Councilman Barry DeFuria.

Word from Big Sky employees here is that they're out of work Jan. 7.

"From what we're seeing, yes, they will leave," said John Lawrence, transportation supervisor for Jefferson County, which operates Watertown Airport.

Big Sky built an airline service department at Watertown to support operations in the Northeast. That will close, too, cutting 30 good-paying jobs, Lawrence said.

In all, Big Sky's final departure will leave about 150 people in the North Country unemployed or looking for new jobs.

ONE VOICE

DOT's flexibility in this emergency may revise the way Essential Air Service works in upstate New York.

The five communities affected are working together to find individual solutions.

"We formed this alliance to act as one voice," said Harrietstown Supervisor Larry Miller, acting manager of Adirondack Regional Airport, which is owned by the Town of Harrietstown.