Now that the cities of Waynesville and St. Robert have made the recommendation that Cape Air be the next carrier provider for Forney Field, they wait — wait for the federal officials at the Department of Transportation to accept their collective nod or choose another carrier.
“That's the thing. We wait,” said Chris Schrantz, the Fixed Base Operations Manager at Forney Field. “We're hearing the decision could come as early as Friday or they could hold off til the end of the month. We just don't know.”
Whatever the timeline, Schrantz said the current service provider — Great Lakes — has a contract through Sept. 5, which could be extended.
Schrantz said the contract could be extended until Cape Air or the next provider can take over.
“The DOT wants to make sure there is no lapse in service,” Schrantz said. “I'm thinking, if it's approved soon, I'd say (the new provider) could take over by mid-September,” Schrantz said.
In a joint press release featuring the letterhead logos of both cities, the announcement of recommendation that Cape Air could be the next service provider was received via e-mail at 11:13 a.m. Tuesday. The Daily Guide had the story in its Tuesday editions.
“The Cities of Waynesville and St. Robert and the Waynesville-St. Robert Joint Airport Board are pleased to announce that they have recommended Cape Air as the next Essential Air Service (EAS) Provider to the Waynesville-St. Robert Regional Airport,” the release begins.
“This recommendation has been forwarded to the Department of Transportation who will make the final determination as to the award of service.”
Cape Air was the joint-city Airport Committee's recommendation over Air Choice One, another carrier based in Farmington, Mo.
“Both airlines had some significant positive things,” said Schrantz, who is not a voting member of the board. “This was an extremely difficult decision. To have Air Choice One's CEO (Shane Storz) come and talk, make himself available was big,” Schrantz said.
In the end, however, Schrantz said Cape Air's reputation put it ahead.
“Cape Air had the proven product with the EAS (Essential Air Service),” Shrantz said. “They have an almost unblemished record — everywhere. You just don't hear of that.”
The joint statement also mentioned Cape Air's “attractive rate structure-that capped fares at $69 (one-way), a positive track record for timeliness and dependability, a code share with American Airlines, and the ability to add aircraft to meet additional passenger demand,” as a primary reason for its selection.
“We were also impressed by the capabilities of Cape Air with a dedicated aircraft for cargo which would meet the baggage requirements of many of our military passengers. The success that Cape Air has experienced in growing passenger service in other similar markets in Missouri and elsewhere was a major factor in their selection. We believe Cape Air will serve as the best balance between value and service for our community,” the statement said.
The statement also touched on the difficulty the committee had in coming to a decision.
“Our recommendation for a carrier was a very hard choice for our Joint Airport Board and the Cities. Our Airport Board members were also very impressed with the proposal and community involvement evidenced from Air Choice One. However, in the end the proposal from Cape Air was the one recommend(ed) by the Airport Board.”
The statement said it expects a DOT decision soon, and that it is likely that service to Lambert-St. Louis International Airport with the new airline will begin sometime in October.
The outgoing carrier, Great Lakes Airlines, will continue to provide flight to Kansas City International until then.
The e-mailed statement also included a copy of the letter to Dennis DeVany, chief of the EAS & Domestic Analysis, of the Department of Transportation.
That letter was signed by Waynesville City Administrator Bruce Harrill and St. Robert City Attorney Kevin Hillman, who both sit on the Airport Board.
