Airport boards learn about carrier
By JOLENE CRAIG, jcraig@newsandsentinel.comArticle Photos
WILLIAMSTOWN - Members of both Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport boards met Wednesday to learn more about proposed air service carrier Gulfstream International Airlines.
Mickey Bowman, Gulfstream International Airlines vice president of corporate development, attended the meeting with seven members of the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport Authority and two members of the Wood County Airport Authority at the airport.
"Hopefully, we can demonstrate we are a reliable option for the airport," Bowman said.
Gulfstream has provided service in Florida and the Bahamas for more than 20 years and is in the process of branching out.
The airline was recently awarded contracts with the U.S. Department of Transportation to begin air service in September to DuBois Regional Airport in DuBois, Pa.; Venango Regional Airport in Franklin, Pa.; and Greenbrier Valley Airport in Lewisburg, W.Va.
Bowman said the airline was awarded a contract last week to service both Bradford, Pa., and Jamestown, N.Y., airports.
"We are in the process of establishing Cleveland operations from DuBoise with a codeshare with Continental Airlines," Bowman said.
Blair Couch, MOV authority president, said he is worried local flyers will not take kindly to flying into Cleveland after all of the problems the airport had flying to the airport with RegionsAir a little more than a year ago.
"Cleveland has a terrible perception from our market because of connections and Regions canceled flights," Couch said.
Bowman said Gulfstream had to sign a contract with codesharing partner Continental Airlines with a 98.5 percent controllable completion factor.
"If we do not make this completion factor, (Gulfstream) not only loses the Cleveland codeshare agreement, but also Florida," Bowman said.
The airline bid 18 flights a week to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport on 19-seat Beech 1900D turboprops.
Current airport carrier Colgan Air bid 12 flights a week on Saab 340 planes to Washington Dulles International Airport near Washington, D.C.
Moore said the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport Authority is expected to decide between the two bids and make a recommendation to the United States Department of Transportation.
The airport boards will hold a special meeting July 9 at 7:30 a.m. at the Judge Black Annex to discuss the bids and make a decision.
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WVCommissioner
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07-05-08 2:23 PM
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Of all the things we could lose or do without, if you want Wood County and Parkersburg to become SECOND CLASS as a city, lose the Airport. When you don't have an airport you are second class to business leaders. Lose the park, the homecoming, the fair, and we lose face. Lose the airport and we business and jobs money.
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vortex
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07-03-08 9:48 PM
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I can’t believe the White Elephants here in Wood County. An Airport that couldn’t stand on it’s own for 5 minutes. A park that is ready to loose its only revenue source and won’t be able to pay the electric bill. A County Fair that has been operating on a wing and a prayer for several years. A City Homecoming that is in no better shape and a Mayor that is trying to kill it. Last but not least a County Government that is operating out of 5 different buildings, 3 of them are very inadequate of which 2 should be condemned. I won’t start on the Cities at this time.
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RickWT
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07-03-08 4:45 PM
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I read an article two months ago (wish I saved it) about the hundreds of small airports like ours (and Clarksburg, Morgantown, Elkins, Zanesville) which rely on a pretty expensive federal program to ensure commercial air service in places where it doesn't make sense in pure economic terms. The article questioned the wisdom of continuing the program and I have to say it made sense.
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Boazian
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07-03-08 12:30 PM
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I do not envy the board members decision having to make this decision due to points made in the article as well as tubaman's "mistake on the lake" perception. The mistake was going with Regions Air and had ZERO to do with Cleveland's airport. I was treated quite well by Continental when Regions Air failed to deliver. Please do not blame the CLEV airport or Continental for that mistake. As for the plane's size, the 19 seaters had better leg room than the first five rows on the Saab. With only a 35 flight time, I don't see this as a big problem. Good luck board members.
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RickWT
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07-03-08 10:11 AM
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Jolene, thanks for the explanation. Unusual arrangement.
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tubaman
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07-03-08 9:32 AM
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Two boards for this one tiny little airport? Yowza - talk about overkill. I appreciate the work that is being performed by our local officials to ensure that we have some form of air service in this community. Sadly, though, we are doomed. It sounds as if we are back to the little turboprop planes that we originally had with USAir, but now we're going to the "mistake on the lake". The problem is this: while this issue is up-in-the-air, people are reluctant to fly out of MOV. Thus, people find alternatives that are moderately acceptable (Charleston), and will continue to use those alternatives even if we end up with 16 jet flights out of MOV daily. We're doomed. Doomed, I tell you.
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Jolene_Craig
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07-03-08 8:13 AM
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To RickWT: Yes, the one airport has two boards. It has been explained in previous articles that the Wood County Airport Authority is the managing arm of the airport while the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport Authority is the marketing arm of the facility. Both boards are kept aware of what the other is doing.
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RickWT
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07-03-08 1:19 AM
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One airport has two boards?
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