"Nebraska airport authority members like dual-hub idea"

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Airport authority members like dual-hub idea
Board members will vote today on which of the 11 submitted proposals they
plan to endorse
By Tracy Overstreet
The Grand Island (NE) Independent

 
The chance to fly both east and west out of the Central Nebraska Regional
Airport at Grand Island is something the majority of Hall County Airport
Authority board members like.

"I really think it's important to have dual-hub service," authority board
member Lynne Werner said. "I want to see us go east and west."

The board is to vote this morning on which proposal of 11 submitted would be
the best for Grand Island.

Once selected, the proposal will be forwarded to the Grand Island City
Council for its support. Grand Island's air service recommendation will then
go on to the federal Department of Transportation, which makes the final
pick for the air service it is willing to fund under the Essential Air
Service (EAS) program.

The current EAS contract runs out June 30. Current provider Great Lakes
Airlines of Cheyenne, Wyo., has rebid, along with Big Sky Airlines of
Billings, Mont.; Mesa Airlines of Phoenix; and Mesaba, part of Northwest
Airlink, of Eagan, Minn.

The EAS program gives subsidies to airlines to provide service in
low-population areas that otherwise would not have service. In Nebraska,
those cities eligible for airline subsidies are Grand Island, Kearney,
McCook, Scottsbluff and North Platte.

While Grand Island's westbound destination is a given -- every westbound
proposal is to Denver -- the destination east can either be to Omaha, Kansas
City or Minneapolis.

Werner hopes for Kansas City.

Specifically, she thinks a $1.3 million subsidy proposal from Big Sky
Airlines of Billings, Mont., to fly into Kansas City would be a good fit for
Grand Island.

The flight leaves pretty early -- 5:55 a.m. -- but would give a person all
day to conduct business in Kansas City before returning home late the same
day, Werner said.

She also likes Big Sky's promise to jump start boardings by offering a $79
one-way trip to Kansas City. That fare is proposed to go to $99 one-way for
the duration of the two-year air service contract.

Airport board member Jim Roe said he also likes Kansas City as a
destination.

"It's a more reliable airport climatewise there," he said of Kansas City.

"Since the new DIA (Denver International Airport) was built, there have been
more shutdowns for fog and climate issues."

Airport board Chairman Ken Caldwell said he still has questions on dual-hub
issues and wants to see the final tally of public surveys that came in
through Monday noon.

"Nothing has been eliminated yet," he said.

"I think dual-hub is what everybody is wanting," Caldwell said Monday. "It
gives the most flexibility for ridership."

He said he was pleased with the amount and type of public feedback given at
a public hearing at College Park last week and through written and e-mailed
surveys.

"People have been pointed on what they are wanting," Caldwell said.

Airport Executive Director Michael Olson said the public's wishes on the
service that will best serve them is the key to the airport board's
decision.

"You have to look at the big picture," he said. "We need the service that
will get us the most enplanements so we can get off EAS quickly."

President Bush has announced plans to cut EAS funding from the federal
budget, meaning all air service in rural areas would have to be
self-supporting or subsidized locally.

If that requires making a drastic change from the current air service
provider of Great Lakes Airlines, which flies to Denver, so be it, Olson
said. Great Lakes did submit its own flight plans to Kansas City, but they
aren't the lowest subsidy bid.

Olson said Great Lakes' economic impact on its number of local employees,
local hangar rental and local maintenance shop shouldn't play a factor in
picking the best air service for Grand Island.

Airport authority member Harold Rosenkotter will not be at Tuesday's meeting
to vote on the preferred EAS contract. He is in Washington, D.C., as part of
a multi-year medical trial and already was scheduled for treatment this
week.

The fifth and newest airport authority member, Curtis Griess, was
unavailable for comment Monday but is expected to be at today's meeting to
vote. He, like the rest of the board, attended a special meeting last Monday
regarding the passenger demand at the airport and one on Thursday night
about the 11 EAS proposals.

If you go

What: Hall County Airport Authority board meeting

When: 8 a.m. Tuesday

Where: Airport Administration building, south of the airport terminal

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