Feds should issue public statement on air service

Last week’s announcement that the federal government has approved commercial air travel between the Mahoning Valley and Chicago is welcome news in light of the delays in the launch of service.

Aerodynamics Inc. of Kennesaw, Ga., will receive a formal letter of approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation in the near future.

Barring any unforeseen problems, daily flights will begin July 1. ADI will use 50-seat aircraft to provide 10 round-trips a week between Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport and Chicago O’Hare International. Tickets are to go on sale this week.

Given that the department of transportation is responsible for the June 13 and June 1 starting dates being missed, we believe residents of the Valley deserve to hear from a high-ranking federal official about Aerodynamics Inc.’s plans.

Thus far, the federal agency has spoken through its rulings and email exchanges with airline officials. It has not issued a public statement that could be viewed as a good-flying seal of approval.

Why is that necessary? Because each delay to the start of passenger air service has added to the concerns of Mahoning Valley residents over the viability of ADI.

The region was all set for the June 13 inaugural, but then was told that July 1 would be the go date.

In fact, the first flight initially was set for June 1, but the U.S. Department of Transportation, which has spent many months evaluating ADI’s flight plans, failed to give final approval.

The federal government raised three issues pertaining to the airline’s viability. Two were quickly resolved, but the third, ADI’s financial fitness, remained a sticking point.

Mickey Bowman, the airline’s chief operating officer, said the delay in the inauguration of service was unavoidable. However, he indicated the company was moving quickly to address the department of transportation’s concerns.

Like most Mahoning Valley residents who have looked forward to the return of passenger air service for a long time, we were elated when Aerodynamics Inc. stepped forward to accept a $1.2 million revenue guarantee from the Western Reserve Port Authority, which governs the regional airport. The money is meant to ensure the airline’s profitability during the startup phase of 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 hotel-bed taxes levied by Mahoning and Trumbull counties.

‘FINANCIAL FITNESS TEST’

But the revenue guarantee did not pass the federal government’s sniff test.

“At this time, we find that ADI does not have sufficient funds to meet the department’s financial fitness test,” the department of transportation said in a May 3 filing. The department wanted ADI to provide third-party verification of funds to meet the government’s standard and also sought verification of “the commitment of funds” from ADI’s owner, John Beardsley.

We have no doubt that the department of transportation has examined every aspect of ADI’s operation with a fine-tooth comb and is confident that the company is capable of providing safe, efficient service.

Nonetheless, we believe an unequivocal statement from the federal government is warranted given the delays in granting a final certification of service.

It may well be that such delays are normal and that the department of transportation is just making sure that all the t’s are crossed and the i’s dotted.

While we remain convinced that the people of the Mahoning Valley will respond positively when Youngstown- Chicago service begins, a public statement from the federal government would help tremendously.

As we noted in an editorial April 1 after officials of Aerodynamics Inc. came to the Valley to announce the June 1 launch of daily flights, “Failure cannot be an option as the Valley has suffered more than its fair share of disappointing letdowns in previous efforts to lure daily flights and in a wide variety of other economic development initiatives over the past few decades.”

There are definite price advantages to the Youngtown-Chicago service: The preliminary one-way ticket cost will range from $99 to as high as $250. By comparison, a Cleveland to Chicago or Pittsburgh to Chicago one-way trip could cost as much as $875.

And if you’ve been following the national news stories about the very long lines at major airports because of a shortage of TSA workers, flying out of Youngstown-Warren will be a breeze.