REGIONAL AIRPORT Will plan for carrier take off?

One travel agent says the service would benefit older travelers.
By STEPHEN SIFF
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
VIENNA -- Travel agents are uncertain whether the air service contemplated for the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport will take off with travelers.
On Wednesday, the Western Reserve Port Authority Board, which runs the airport, announced it was negotiating with Flightserv Inc. of Atlanta to begin regularly scheduled flights from the airport as soon as March.
The board is contemplating four nonstop flights a week to Sanford, Fla., outside of Orlando, and two per week to Myrtle Beach, S.C. The board is willing to pledge up to $125,000 to guarantee an airline will break even over the first six months.
"This is awesome," said Pam Baker, owner of Four Star Travel agency in Cortland. "People will go out of Akron because it is convenient, and the [Akron] airport is so easy to get in and out of. Youngstown is even better."
Terms of deal
The way the potential deal is structured, Flightserv would provide Boeing 737 jets and contract with another company to actually operate them, airport director Steve Bowser said.
It has not been determined under what name the jets would fly, he said. "Vacation Express" is a possibility, he said.
Cary Evans, Flightserv executive vice president, said he would not comment on the details of what is being discussed until negotiations are complete.
Flightserv has aircraft based in 13 cities, including Cincinnati and Allentown, Pa., Evans said.
"There are certain advantages to smaller airports," Evans said. "Parking, security, convenience, and you don't have to travel to another city to get where you are going."
The convenience would be especially valuable to older travelers, Baker said.
People who don't drive can pay up to $80 each way for trips to the Cleveland or Pittsburgh airports, she said, and parking can top $200 a week.
Baker predicted that an airline would have no trouble filling seats if it offers fares at about $100 each way, the level mentioned by John Masternick, a port authority board member.
That price is competitive with deals that can be found at other local airports for flights to Orlando and Myrtle Beach.
"It really is an enticing scenario," Bowser said. "Many people who fly out of here fly out of here on leisure, and these certainly are a couple of the more popular spots."
Agent's concerns
Another travel agent, however, expressed reservations about the service.
John Kropolinsky, owner of Progressive Travel Center in Youngstown, described a $100 fare to Orlando as "moderate" and the proposed frequency of flights as poor.
"If the prices were really low, people would put up with bad scheduling," he said. "But if they are moderate, they will pursue other options."
There have been no regularly scheduled commercial flights since Northwest Airlines pulled out in 2002. There are charter flights to Atlantic City, N.J., nearly every weekend, and frequent charters to Las Vegas, however.
Bowser said he hoped to sign a contract with Flightserv before month's end.
"It would be good for the area, no doubt about that," said Joyce Kalosky, office manger of Pan Atlas Travel Service in Youngstown. "We will have to see if it really starts off."
siff@vindy.com