Port Authority to pay $150K to ADI in Chicago flights dispute

VIENNA

The Western Reserve Port Authority will pay $150,000 to a company which briefly offered flights to Chicago from the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport to settle a lawsuit between the parties.

The port authority board approved the settlement with Aerodynamics Inc. (ADI) of Beachwood at a special meeting Friday morning.

The airline offered daily flights to Chicago for a short time in 2016 before the service ended because of low ticket sales.

The port authority initiated the legal action which ultimately cost them money.

WRPA filed a suit last year to recover $361,714 it paid to ADI as a revenue guarantee to ensure the airline would be profitable during the startup phase.

The port authority argued that ADI breached its contract because it did not have arrangements in place so passengers could easily connect with other flights at Chicago O’Hare International Airport.

ADI filed a counterclaim which demanded $294,221 it billed the port authority for flights in August 2016 and never received.

Read more about the dispute in Saturday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.