Subsidized air service

I post this item for no other reason than to remind folks of the existence of a federally subsidized program to provide air service to small communities. It is useful and necessary and we at TFA are pleased that small towns in Montana will have essential air service.

We also believe that Billings, Great Falls, Helena and Missoula deserve daily service as well.

Replacement airline welcomed
By JO DEE BLACK
Tribune Business Editor
News that a Cheyenne, Wyo.-based airline will take over federally subsidized rural flights in Montana from Big Sky Airlines is good new for seven small Montana communities.

Big Sky Airlines’ parent company, MAIR Holdings, an-nounced on Dec. 17 that it will cease its East Coast operations on Jan. 7 and work to find another carrier for Montana’s Essential Air Service flights.

The federal EAS program subsidizes flights to rural communities. Big Sky Airlines was awarded the contract to provide EAS flights to Glasgow, Glendive, Havre, Lewistown, Miles City, Sidney and Wolf Point.

“We don’t know when the transition will take place, but we can confirm that Great Lakes Airlines will be providing service to the seven EAS Montana destinations,” said Monica Taylor, spokeswoman for Great Lakes Airlines. “We will use the same type of 19-passenger planes that Big Sky is using now.”

Filed under: Passenger Rail Transportatio Policy, Regional USA Passenger Rail