You Gulfstream guys better buy a coat (EAS)

Cheyenne

Cheyenne

Well-Known Member
I'm not sure if this is final but it looks bad to me...​

January 14,2011
Mr. Dennis DeVany cr
Chief, Essential Air Service Division, X-53
Office of Aviation Analysis
United States Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Ave, SE
Washington, DC 20590​

Subject: EAS Carrier Selection. Order 2010-11-6​

Dear Mr. DeVany,
On January 13, 2011 the Montana Essential Air Service Task Force met to consider the
proposals received for the above-referenced order. TTie community representatives voted
6-1 in favor of the proposal received from Gulfstream International Airlines to provide
essential air service to the commimities of Glasgow, Glendive, Havre, Lewistown, Miles
City, Sidney and Wolf Point.
TTiank you for considering our recommendation as you choose an essential air service​
carrier to provide service to our Montana communities.

Seems you've upset the natives-

http://www.regionalaviationpartners.org/Home/pdf/1.31.11EAS_MT_lwtboard.pdf

http://www.regionalaviationpartners.org/Home/pdf/1.26.11EAS_MT_newton.pdf

http://www.regionalaviationpartners.org/Home/pdf/1.26.11EAS_MT_richland.pdf

It appears all the local players are writing to protest but one. And that one is widely regarded as bottom feeders anyhow so maybe they like the idea?:pirate:

Have fun with this one guys:yup:
 
Wait...so instead of connecting those airports to hubs like DEN, Gulfstream is planning to connect them to eachother? Yeah...good luck with that.
 
Something about this business model is strikingly similar to what another Operator tried... and failed. Deja vu?
 
O Boi one bottom feeder undercutting another. I hear both has a quick upgrade though so who cares. :sarcasm:
 
jhugz said:
O Boi one bottom feeder undercutting another. I hear both has a quick upgrade though so who cares. :sarcasm:
Click to expand...

Well, first of all GIA was 200K MORE than Lakes. So I don't understand what you mean?:pirate:

One of the points IS that GIA appears to be acquiring new flying. And in doing so they have to split the fleet... ala-Big Sky Airlines (you'll recall that Big Sky split the fleet and headed east a few years ago?) Discuss?

The other point some may find interesting is that, as a whole MT EAS flying is a needed boost to otherwise poor economies. There's a big hoopla' up here because the new GIA route structure will only benefit the BIL economy. No more GGW overnights for the Lakers means almost certain death to the Cottonwood Inn's beer sales:cool:. Not to mention the nightly top-offs of jet a for the GGW, SDY, and MLS airports.

Some see a connection between good economy = more pax travel. And some don't... Some might also view this phenomenon as having something to do with how pilots get compensated for their trade.... some don't...
 
Cheyenne said:
Well, first of all GIA was 200K MORE than Lakes. So I don't understand what you mean?:pirate:

One of the points IS that GIA appears to be acquiring new flying. And in doing so they have to split the fleet... ala-Big Sky Airlines (you'll recall that Big Sky split the fleet and headed east a few years ago?) Discuss?

The other point some may find interesting is that, as a whole MT EAS flying is a needed boost to otherwise poor economies. There's a big hoopla' up here because the new GIA route structure will only benefit the BIL economy. No more GGW overnights for the Lakers means almost certain death to the Cottonwood Inn's beer sales:cool:. Not to mention the nightly top-offs of jet a for the GGW, SDY, and MLS airports.

Some see a connection between good economy = more pax travel. And some don't... Some might also view this phenomenon as having something to do with how pilots get compensated for their trade.... some don't...
Click to expand...

My company will sure get hit if this actually takes place. Great Lakes is one big reason why our FBO in GGW is operational.
 
Anytime the gubment has to subsidize the flying, its a bad deal... if there was a demand for air service, another company would already be flying here. i am glad MT can afford to pay for this kind of waste.
 
SIUav8er said:
Anytime the gubment has to subsidize the flying, its a bad deal... if there was a demand for air service, another company would already be flying here. i am glad MT can afford to pay for this kind of waste.
Click to expand...

Um, at first glance, Essential Air Service is a Federal matter, so it's not (just) Montanans footing the bill. It's the rest of us too. ;)

"Good gubment" versus "bad gubment" is a matter of perspective...normally, the perspective is a function of whether or not you're getting the subsidy, or you're the one doing the subsidizing.

(Disclaimer - none of this should be viewed as commentary on the EAS awards, more a commentary on the 'necessary and properness' of certain especially Federal government programs.)
 
Autothrust Blue said:
Um, at first glance, Essential Air Service is a Federal matter, so it's not (just) Montanans footing the bill. It's the rest of us too. ;)

"Good gubment" versus "bad gubment" is a matter of perspective...normally, the perspective is a function of whether or not you're getting the subsidy, or you're the one doing the subsidizing.

(Disclaimer - none of this should be viewed as commentary on the EAS awards, more a commentary on the 'necessary and properness' of certain especially Federal government programs.)
Click to expand...

Agreed, for the most part. In general I'm against EAS however, it serves a purpose to "real" rural communities. Take Haver, MT for example. They are over 4hrs. by road (two lane hwy) from BIL which is by definition a small airport. It makes sense to me to provide a service to that community. With that said it does not make sense to make 3 trips a day into Haver... like they do to say, Glasgow.

Wolf Point, Glasgow, and Sydney are close enough to ISN to justify terminating the service in my opinion. Same for Miles City-BIL and Pendleton-PSC. There needs to be a revision when you look at it. Especially when you consider the less than 50% loads they currently have. Lewistown (pronounced Lewis Town) MT is an example with .6% seats sold. There is something wrong with that. IIRC the subsidy is $9,015,000 according to the Jan 2010 spreadsheet I have.

For some people who have not been out west (or to Alaska) it might be hard to envision. Some of these places are a days drive or more from a town that has *some* service. They need the service. Slash the rest of it for all I care. What I'm saying is that it has it's place. But in it's current form, it needs a lot of work.
 
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