The Juiceman
Jun 28, 07, 11:02 pm
This is in the 6/29/07 edition of the Athens Banner/Herald. Possibly good news for those of us in the NE Georgia area:
Airline interested in Athens
Florida carrier applies for subsidy to serve Ben Epps
By Blake Aued | Staff Writer | Story updated at 10:59 PM on Thursday, June 28, 2007
One airline has applied for a federal subsidy to provide commercial air service from Athens-Ben Epps Airport, and at least one other airline is interested in flying out of Athens as well.
Gulfstream International Airline has submitted an application to the Federal Aviation Administration to replace Air Midwest as Athens' commercial carrier, according to Athens-Ben Epps Manager Tim Beggerly.
A Wisconsin-based startup and possibly a group of Athenians also are interested in flying out of the Athens airport, but wouldn't apply for the federal subsidy.
Gulfstream has proposed to take over flights from four eastern cities that Air Midwest is pulling out of, including Athens, Beggerly said. The airline would offer service similar to that of Air Midwest: two flights to Charlotte, N.C., on weekdays and one on Saturdays and Sundays, using 19-seat turboprops.
The Florida-based company, founded in 1988, now offers 207 daily flights among 21 cities in Florida and the Caribbean.
"Their specialty is to go into underserved markets and build up the ridership in those markets," Beggerly said.
Before beginning service at Ben Epps, the airline needs approval from the FAA and a code-sharing agreement with U.S. Airways so passengers can connect with flights in Charlotte.
Air Midwest announced last month it wants to pull out of Ben Epps, but because the FAA designates Athens an "essential air service" city, the company can't stop service until a replacement is found. The designation comes with a subsidy, currently more than $600,000 a year.
Because the deadline for airlines to apply to the FAA passed last Friday, the FAA will almost certainly choose Gulfstream. Locals have some input into, but no control over, the decision. The Athens-Ben Epps Airport Authority likely will ask the FAA to require Gulfstream to offer more flights to more destinations on larger turboprops or regional jets, said outgoing authority Chairman Jim Box.
"We don't want somebody who's just going to come in and ride the subsidy," Beggerly said. "We want to go above and beyond."
With a runway extension and a new commercial terminal planned in coming years, airport officials say they want to grow the airport into a regional one that will serve not only Athens, but all of Northeast Georgia and even some north Atlanta suburbs.
The first step is to find a replacement for Air Midwest, a company that's drawn criticism for poor service and shoddy maintenance. Officials also are searching for an airline or even several airlines that are willing to expand service beyond a dozen flights a week and fly to multiple cities.
One group is interested in starting an airline based in Athens, Box said, but he would not provide details.
"Everything's confidential at this point in time," he said.
Green Bay, Wis.-based MetJet, a startup that won't start flying until next year, also sent a proposal to Athens-Clarke officials earlier this month.
MetJet wants to make Ben Epps one of its hubs, offering three daily flights on 50- or 100-passenger jets to Gary, Ind., an overflow airport serving Chicago, and to Clearwater, Fla., near St. Petersburg. It could eventually expand to other cities like Nashville, Tenn., Washington, D.C., Detroit and New York, said founder Michael Heisman, an Atlanta native.
"(Ben Epps) is the brightest diamond in the rough I've ever seen, and I don't know why people don't capitalize on it," Heisman said.
MetJet would offer a unique pricing system. One-way flights would cost $75 to $150, but passengers also could purchase cards for unlimited flights for $1,500 a year or $2,000 for two years.
The company would need a $1.5 million investment from the Athens-Clarke government or business community to begin operations, Heisman said. The money could be paid back by selling advertisements on the airline's Internet travel guide or in-flight magazine, he said.
While airport officials agree with Heisman's rosy assessment of Ben Epps' potential, they first want to draw an established airline. The airport is organizing an airline subcommittee that will try to recruit an existing company to serve Athens without the essential air service subsidy, giving locals more control.
"Right now, we need an airline that's up and running," Beggerly said.
Airline interested in Athens
Florida carrier applies for subsidy to serve Ben Epps
By Blake Aued | Staff Writer | Story updated at 10:59 PM on Thursday, June 28, 2007
One airline has applied for a federal subsidy to provide commercial air service from Athens-Ben Epps Airport, and at least one other airline is interested in flying out of Athens as well.
Gulfstream International Airline has submitted an application to the Federal Aviation Administration to replace Air Midwest as Athens' commercial carrier, according to Athens-Ben Epps Manager Tim Beggerly.
A Wisconsin-based startup and possibly a group of Athenians also are interested in flying out of the Athens airport, but wouldn't apply for the federal subsidy.
Gulfstream has proposed to take over flights from four eastern cities that Air Midwest is pulling out of, including Athens, Beggerly said. The airline would offer service similar to that of Air Midwest: two flights to Charlotte, N.C., on weekdays and one on Saturdays and Sundays, using 19-seat turboprops.
The Florida-based company, founded in 1988, now offers 207 daily flights among 21 cities in Florida and the Caribbean.
"Their specialty is to go into underserved markets and build up the ridership in those markets," Beggerly said.
Before beginning service at Ben Epps, the airline needs approval from the FAA and a code-sharing agreement with U.S. Airways so passengers can connect with flights in Charlotte.
Air Midwest announced last month it wants to pull out of Ben Epps, but because the FAA designates Athens an "essential air service" city, the company can't stop service until a replacement is found. The designation comes with a subsidy, currently more than $600,000 a year.
Because the deadline for airlines to apply to the FAA passed last Friday, the FAA will almost certainly choose Gulfstream. Locals have some input into, but no control over, the decision. The Athens-Ben Epps Airport Authority likely will ask the FAA to require Gulfstream to offer more flights to more destinations on larger turboprops or regional jets, said outgoing authority Chairman Jim Box.
"We don't want somebody who's just going to come in and ride the subsidy," Beggerly said. "We want to go above and beyond."
With a runway extension and a new commercial terminal planned in coming years, airport officials say they want to grow the airport into a regional one that will serve not only Athens, but all of Northeast Georgia and even some north Atlanta suburbs.
The first step is to find a replacement for Air Midwest, a company that's drawn criticism for poor service and shoddy maintenance. Officials also are searching for an airline or even several airlines that are willing to expand service beyond a dozen flights a week and fly to multiple cities.
One group is interested in starting an airline based in Athens, Box said, but he would not provide details.
"Everything's confidential at this point in time," he said.
Green Bay, Wis.-based MetJet, a startup that won't start flying until next year, also sent a proposal to Athens-Clarke officials earlier this month.
MetJet wants to make Ben Epps one of its hubs, offering three daily flights on 50- or 100-passenger jets to Gary, Ind., an overflow airport serving Chicago, and to Clearwater, Fla., near St. Petersburg. It could eventually expand to other cities like Nashville, Tenn., Washington, D.C., Detroit and New York, said founder Michael Heisman, an Atlanta native.
"(Ben Epps) is the brightest diamond in the rough I've ever seen, and I don't know why people don't capitalize on it," Heisman said.
MetJet would offer a unique pricing system. One-way flights would cost $75 to $150, but passengers also could purchase cards for unlimited flights for $1,500 a year or $2,000 for two years.
The company would need a $1.5 million investment from the Athens-Clarke government or business community to begin operations, Heisman said. The money could be paid back by selling advertisements on the airline's Internet travel guide or in-flight magazine, he said.
While airport officials agree with Heisman's rosy assessment of Ben Epps' potential, they first want to draw an established airline. The airport is organizing an airline subcommittee that will try to recruit an existing company to serve Athens without the essential air service subsidy, giving locals more control.
"Right now, we need an airline that's up and running," Beggerly said.