Airport Authority Selects New Air Carrier
[SIZE=-2]Posted Wednesday, January 10, 2007 ; 06:12 PM[/SIZE]
Watch VideoThe Benedum Airport Authority Board has selected Colgan Air to replace RegionsAir.
Story by Gabe Gutierrez
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BRIDGEPORT -- After months of mounting frustrations with its current air carrier, the Benedum Airport Authority voted Wednesday to endorse Colgan Air as its replacement.
Colgan Air said it will provide 19 non-stop and one-stop round trips per week to Pittsburgh. The current carrier, RegionsAir, makes round trips through Cleveland.
The airport authority expects Colgan Air to take over in early March.
"We need to think positive," said Ron Watson, the airport authority's vice president. "Colgan Air has more substantial experience than RegionsAir."
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RegionsAir has filed an emergency request to get more money from the Department of Transportation to maintain the air service it offers now.
The request asks that the carrier be allowed to make schedule changes starting Saturday.
RegionsAir is also asking that it be allowed to run these shortened schedules until another carrier starts providing air service or for at least the next 30 days.
At its meeting Wednesday, the airport authority also expressed concern over the high cost of de-icing aircraft. It spent about $2,000 Wednesday alone. RegionsAir is supposed to reimburse that money, but the airport authority said it hasn't done it for months. "Words cannot fully express our frustration with (RegionsAir)," said Jim griffith, the Harrison-Marion Regional Airport manager. The airport authority voted to give the carrier until next week to respond, or else risking shutting down its service.