WILLIAMSTOWN - The U.S. Department of Transportation has issued a request for proposals for commercial service for the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport.
The request is for air carriers interested in providing essential air service (EAS) to four West Virginia airports - Beckley, Clarksburg, Morgantown and locally - for two years, beginning Aug. 1, to have proposals to the DOT by April 19.
"This bid is tied to four different airports simultaneously, which muddies the waters a little bit," said MOV airport manager Terry Moore. "It is not clear if this is to our advantage or not."
All four airports are provided subsidized EAS to Washington Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C., by Colgan Air Inc. under the United Express banner.
For the MOV airport, the DOT is expecting two non-stop roundtrip flights a day - a total of 12 a week if in a 30- to 37-seat plane is proposed. There also is a possibility of three non-stop roundtrip flights a day - a total of 18 flights a week - as well as four non-stop roundtrip flight - a total of 24 flights a week if a 19-seat aircraft is proposed, according to the request.
The Clarksburg/Fairmont and Morgantown airports are expected to have three flights a day - 18 flights a week - on two-pilot, twin-engine aircraft with 30 to 37 seats. The Beckley airport is expected to have two roundtrip flights each day - 12 a week - on the same size aircraft.
Moore said the number of flights is based on the number of passengers who have used the airport in the recent past.
For the year that ended Sept. 30, 2009, which is the most recent period that traffic dates are available, Beckley averaged 8.1 passengers a day, Clarksburg/Fairmont averaged 21.2 passengers, Morgantown averaged 33.1 passengers and Parkersburg averaged 15.6 passengers.
It is unknown where the destination could be for the four airports, Moore said. According to the request, hubs include Charlotte, Cleveland, Detroit, Washington Dulles, or "another suitable hub where connections to the national air transportation system" can be met.
Moore and other members of the Wood County Airport Authority, the managing arm of the airport, have looked into three possible bidding airlines, Colgan, Florida-based Gulfstream Air and Cape Air of Hyannis, Mass. Moore visited Cape Air and Gulfstream's headquarters in the past few months.
The DOT will choose the winning airline, but the airports and their resident cities are able to give their opinions after bids are received.
