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Another delay for ADI Youngstown/Chicago flights
By Kalea Hall
VIENNA
An Aerodynamics Inc. leader says the company is doing everything it can to bring Chicago air service here.
But before the tickets go on sale, the airline needs final approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
On Friday, Aerodynamics, or ADI, announced another delay in the service between Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport and Chicago O’Hare International Airport – because it has yet to receive that approval.
Flights are now slated to start July 1. The initial start date was June 1, but that date was moved to June 13 in early May because the DOT still hadn’t given its final approval.
Ticket sales are dependent on when the DOT provides its final certification for the service.
“It will be critical that we have sufficient time in advance of our first flight date to fill these seats, once the service goes on sale,” said Mickey Bowman, ADI’s chief operating officer, in a statement. “While we regret having to further delay our inauguration of service, it is unavoidable at this point.”
On May 3, the transportation department highlighted three concerns it had with ADI’s request to make the service effective.
Two concerns were addressed quickly; ADI’s leaders are working to address the main concern of the airline’s financial fitness.
“We are hoping to be able to get back to the DOT on Monday,” said Bowman.
The Western Reserve Port Authority, which operates the airport, has offered a $1.2 million revenue guarantee to ADI to ensure it makes a profit during the startup phase of the service. Of the $1.2 million, $780,000 comes from the transportation department’s Small Community Air Service Development Program and $420,000 comes from the local hotel-bed tax fund.
The DOT said it had communicated to ADI before that “it could not use the full $1.2 million” to meet the department’s financial fitness test.
But the DOT says the company can use the local portion of $420,000.
“At this time, we find that ADI does not have sufficient funds to meet the department’s financial fitness test,” the DOT’s May 3 filing reads.
The DOT has requested ADI provide third-party verification that it has the funds to meet the department’s fitness test and that ADI verify “the commitment of funds” from John Beardsley, ADI’s owner.
Beardsley is in real estate and is moving some things around to have the needed funds for the service to be approved soon, Bowman explained.
The Kennesaw, Ga.-based airline applied to bring the scheduled service of 10 flights a week to the Vienna airport on its 50-seat Embraer ERJ-145 in June 2014.
The DOT tentatively denied the application because of concerns over the airline’s former leadership. The ownership and much of the leadership have since changed. After vetting the airline, the DOT tentatively approved the service in late January this year.
ADI has successfully completed its required “proving runs” with the FAA.
“Mr. Beardsley is going to make this right,” said Dan Dickten, director of aviation at the Youngstown airport. “They will have the funding they need.”