Carriers present three options for Joplin airport

The U.S. Department of Transportation sought bids for Joplin’s essential air service (EAS) after the current carrier, Trans States Airlines, announced its intention to leave the airport when its current deal ends later this year. Carriers had until April 10 to submit proposals.

Mesa Air Group, which operates under the name Air Midwest, and RegionsAir submitted bids. Mesa offered two proposals with service to Kansas City International Airport and an option for service to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. RegionsAir proposed continuing service to Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.

Mesa/Air Midwest’s first option proposes 18 nonstop roundtrips a week to Kansas City with an annual subsidy of $849,757. The federal government pays the cost of the subsidy, Stockam said.

The carrier’s second option proposes 12 nonstop round trips a week to Dallas/Fort Worth plus six nonstop round trips a week to Kansas City with an annual subsidy of $1,336,786. Air Midwest would fly a 19-seat Beech 1900 turboprop aircraft.

RegionsAir proposes 19 nonstop round trips a week to St. Louis with 19-seat Jetstream 32 aircraft with an annual subsidy of $1,336,786.

The public may view the proposals’ details on the Department of Transportation’s Docket Management System. The Web site is dms.dot.gov and the case number for Joplin is 23932.

Stockam said the airport and the Boyd Group, the airport’s air service consultant, are reviewing the proposals and plan to give the Department of Transportation a recommendation by the end of April.

The department will then review the proposals and recommendations and decide which airline will get federal money to help pay for the cost of flying to and from Joplin. The Department of Transportation will determine when the new service begins.

The government created EAS during the deregulation of the airline industry to guarantee continued service to certain communities. The government requires that Joplin to be served with a minimum of two-pilot, twin-engine aircraft offering at least 15 passenger seats and a total of 60 inbound and outbound seats each day.

Trans States, operating as AmericanConnections, currently offers 14 nonstop round trips a week between Joplin and St. Louis with 30-seat aircraft. The current annual subsidy is $755,762.

Trans States proposed transferring Joplin service to RegionsAir, so officials expected the firm to bid. Stockam said the airport lobbied for more carriers to provide proposals. He said he was happy to get two offers, but wanted at least one more.

“We courted Northwest strongly,” Stockam said. “We wanted them to put in a bid for service to Memphis, but they said their finances would not afford it.”

Northwest Airlink withdrew in October 2002 leaving Trans States as the airport’s lone commercial carrier.

Stockam said that he was pleased that the proposals provide the opportunity for the airport and government to choose from multiple destinations.

He said many of the area travelers using other airports in the region are flying to Dallas. And, he said, service to Kansas City would provide fliers with access to low-cost carriers.

This articles appears in the April 24 issue of Joplin Tri-State Business. Click here to subscribe. Contact JTB Editor Jeff Wells at jwells@joplintsb.com.