New airline to serve McCook
Posted by airlinenews on June 23, 2006
Mesa Air group Inc. will be the new essential air service carrier at McCook Regional Airport, it was announced Thursday.
Mesa’s subsidiary, Air Midwest Inc., will replace the current carrier Great Lakes and was the first choice of McCook airport officials, Acting City Manager Kyle Potthoff said.
The new service will consist of two one-stop round trips each weekday and weekend to Omaha and Kansas City in a 19-passenger Beech aircraft, the same plane that is currently being used at the airport.
Mesa will offer one way fares to Omaha at $49 and to Kansas City to $59.
The Department of Transportation also chose Mesa for Grand Island, for a total annual subsidy of $2,296,462.
By combining McCook and Grand Island with service from Mesa, the total EAS package was reduced by half million dollars, according to the DOT document.
The DOT retained Great Lakes Aviation for westbound service at Kearney, North Platte and Scottsbluff, their first choice for EAS airline service.
The two-year contract with Mesa begins July 1, but Potthoff estimated it may take at least 60 days for Mesa to begin operations.
There are no flights to Denver with Mesa, Potthoff conceded, but airport officials hoped the the low rates to Omaha and Kansas City would boost airline passenger numbers at the McCook airport.
For those wanting to embark from Denver, flights can be made from the North Platte airport or a connecting flight from Omaha, he said.
“We are delighted to be awarded these new contracts by the U.S. Department of Transportation,” said Mesa Air Group Vice President of Planning Mickey Bowman.
With the addition of McCook and Grand Island, Air Midwest will serve 31 EAS communities across the country, he said.
Mesa currently operates 185 aircraft with departures to 173 cities, 46 states, Canada, Mexico and the Bahamas.
