Wednesday, September 14, 2016
By Kalea Hall
VIENNA
The abrupt ending of the Youngstown/Chicago flight service a few weeks ago has left the Western Reserve Port Authority board questioning what to do next.
On Tuesday, the board’s Aviation Committee met and went into an executive session to discuss the Great Lakes JetExpress topic with its legal counsel, Dan Keating.
John Moliterno, executive director of the port authority, which oversees Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport, said Keating is going to consult with other counsel who has expertise in aviation, but the board has not moved to retain anyone.
“We want to know legally where we stand,” Moliterno said. “We want to have a conversation with experts in the field to determine our position.”
The board voted Aug. 17 to cease its funding to Aerodynamics Inc. to run the Great Lakes JetExpress from a $1.2 million federal grant.
The airline abruptly ended the service Aug. 24. The airline said the “reluctance of the WRPA Board to come to a reasonable ceasing of operations and services” led to its decision to immediately terminate the flights.
The Great Lakes JetExpress flights launched July 1 to Chicago O’Hare International Airport as the first daily service out of the local airport in 14 years.
Ticket sales for the service did not meet expectations in the first month for various reasons, including Aerodynamics, or ADI, not having an interline agreement with United Airlines.
Load factors on the Great Lakes JetExpress averaged 31 percent in July and 23 percent in August, the airport said.
The port authority paid $361,714 to subsidize the start-up service. The U.S. Department of Transportation will reimburse the airport 65 percent of that amount from the federal grant.
ADI has yet to send in another invoice to the board.
Also at Tuesday’s meeting, Dan Dickten, the airport’s aviation director, said the airport had 11,263 passengers on 67 flights – 31 ADI; 34 Allegiant; and two charter during August.
Allegiant’s Youngstown-Punta Gorda, Fla., service was put on hiatus Aug. 16. It is expected to return May 17, 2017.