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3rd flight to SF eyed
Move would end Sacramento trip; Medford mulled Scott Whaley of San Diego waits for a flight out of Crescent City on Thursday. The Daily Triplicate/Bryant Anderson The Border Coast Regional Airport Authority is considering asking SkyWest Airlines to switch the daily flight to Sacramento via Arcata for another flight to San Francisco via Arcata. Currently there are two direct flights daily between Crescent City and San Francisco. SkyWest is apt to make the change, since officials from the airline suggested it. Airport Manager Jim Bernard said board members want public comment before making any decisions. “We’re going to approach SkyWest to drop the Sacramento flight and add another San Francisco flight,” he said. There are multiple problems with the Sacramento flight, which stops in Arcata, Bernard said. First, that flight only averages about four people (compared to an average of 15 on the San Francisco flights). Secondly, the flight to Sacramento leaves at about 6:40 p.m. from Crescent City and returns at about 8:45 a.m. Those with only a day’s business in the capital would have to stay two nights in the city instead of one. “It’s inconvenient and not user-friendly,” Bernard said. Ideally, the new flight would depart at about 6 a.m. and return at about 9 or 10 p.m., Bernard said. This would provide plenty of connection options at San Francisco International Airport and a same-day return flight for those going to the Bay Area for business. SkyWest used to offer two daily flights to Sacramento, he said, but through a “straw poll” the county discovered that few people wanted to fly there. SkyWest made the switch to one Sacramento flight and two non-stops to San Francisco. “Enplanement jumped dramatically,” Bernard said about the change. “That’s why we want to make sure to get public comment.” North by Northwest What SkyWest is less likely to hop on board with right away is adding a daily flight to Medford. A survey completed last summer indicated that Del Norters want to fly north without having to first fly south to San Francisco. “The Medford leg is iffy,” Bernard said. The airport board will discuss the idea of a travel bank to obtain a Medford flight from SkyWest. The community would collect money for the travel bank and then pre-pay the airline for a particular service for a period of time. This flight would not be part of the airport’s federal subsidy, which guarantees airlines a certain revenue level for providing service, and therefore would be an “at risk” flight for the airline. “The economic times, airlines are not wiling to take at-risk legs,’ Bernard said. A flight from Crescent City to Medford would open up more connections. The Rogue Valley-International Medford Airport has direct daily flights to Portland, Eugene, Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix, Denver, Las Vegas and Salt Lake City. Bernard said a travel bank is Del Norte’s best option to entice SkyWest to add a Medford leg. “A travel bank would prove there’s a demand for it,” he said. “What happens once it runs out after a year? There’s a demand there or not.” To get the Medford service, locals would have to raise roughly $400,000, Bernard said. That amount is based on how much the extra flight would cost SkyWest for a year. Bernard said he is also looking into federal Small Community Air Service Development grants to help pay for the additional air service. However, those grants are competitive, he said. If a demand for the Medford flight remains after the travel bank has run out, SkyWest might be more willing to add the leg to the schedule. “Then it can carry itself,” Bernard said. “Local folks want it. Whether they use it is to be determined |
