By RANDY GRIFFITH
JOHNSTOWN — Could a flat rate for all seats on all flights get more passengers onto Johnstown commuter airplanes?
Two air service operators believe the plan will end ticket pricing confusion that often sends travelers driving to larger airports.
Gulfstream International Airlines is proposing a flat rate of $50 on three daily flights to Pittsburgh and back, or $75 on four flights to Cleveland.
Charter Air Transport would charge $69 for either Pittsburgh or Washington’s Dulles International Airport.
Both airlines presented plans to the Johnstown-Cambria County Airport Authority’s airline committee before the authority’s regular meeting Tuesday.
“We love the idea (of a flat fee),” committee Chairman Jonathan Gleason said. “It makes things easy for the public to understand.”
Currently, the price of United Airways Express flights from Johnstown to Dulles varies greatly, depending on destination, booking dates and numerous other factors.
Airport authority members also liked having more than one airline interested in the service.
“Now that there is competition, I think you are going to see a big difference,” board member Ed Cernic Sr. said.
Gulfstream and Charter Air Transport both plan to submit proposals to take over the local commuter service under the federally subsidized Essential Air Service contract. Colgan Air has operated the United Airways Express commuter flights since December 2002. Colgan was awarded the federal contract when it was given up by Chautauqua Air of Indianapolis, which cited declining ridership after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Colgan’s current Essential Air Service contract ends June 30.
Colgan plans to submit its own proposal to continue the service.
Each of the three airlines competing for the contract has its own approach.
Gulfstream is based in Orlando and has been established in Florida for more than 20 years.
It set up a northeastern base in DuBois, Clearfield County, in 2007 when it acquired the Essential Air Service contract to airports in DuBois, Franklin, Bradford and Jamestown, N.Y.
Gulfstream flights from those airports operate as Continental Connection.
Cleveland is one possibility for Johnstown, said Gulfstream Vice President of Corporate Development Mickey Bowman.
As a Continental Airline partner, Gulfstream would provide convenient access to Continental’s 196 daily departures to
66 destinations from the Cleveland hub.
A Pittsburgh option would be part of Gulfstream’s Pittsburgh Connection project being developed in cooperation with Pittsburgh International Airport and various government agencies to bring more connector routes back to Pittsburgh.
“We have been working hard with the state and city of Pittsburgh,” Bowman said. “We are on track to start service June 1.”
The first scheduled flights will connect Pittsburgh to DuBois and Harrisburg, with more service to be added later.
Pittsburgh, however, does not have as many connecting flights as Cleveland or Dulles.
“What you are selling in Pittsburgh is convenience,” Bowman said. If a Johnstown flight is canceled, it is often still possible to travel to Pittsburgh to connect.
Pittsburgh service is also in Charter Air’s mix, but service would also include daily flights to Dulles and weekend flights to Atlantic City, N.J.
“We are considering seasonal operations to other destinations,” said Michael A. Gallagher Sr., chief executive officer of Charter Air’s partner, Aviation Technologies Inc.
These could include public charter flights to places such as Myrtle Beach, S.C., or Florida cities.
Atlantic City and the seasonal destinations would be unsubsidized add-ons, Gallagher explained Tuesday at the airport.
Proposals for the federally subsidized contract are due March 24. Airline executives in Johnstown on Tuesday said they would like feedback on their plans before finalizing proposals to the Federal Aviation Administration. Comments can be submitted to the airport authority through its Web site: http://www.flyjohnstownair
port.com/contact/index.htm.
After proposals are filed, they can be viewed at the FAA Web site: airlineinfo.com, under the docket number OST-2002-11451. The airport authority, local government leaders, businesses and the public will be invited to comment on the proposals.
