The pressure continued to mount on the U.S. Department of
Transportation Thursday, as officials with the New York State
Department of Transportation issued a letter backing a proposal by
the Bradford and Jamestown (N.Y.) airports to change hub cities to
Washington.

The NYSDOT letter to Michael Reynolds, assistant secretary for
aviation and international affairs at the U.S. DOT, is one in a
series of high-level correspondence from federal, state and local
officials on both sides of the border as the DOT ponders whether
Colgan Air Inc., will continue to service both facilities and
change hub cities from Pittsburgh to Washington.

Officials cite the move as critical to enhancing service and
passenger levels at both airports and removing Bradford Regional
Airport from the federal Essential Air Service program.

The DOT is measuring its decision on Colgan needing a higher
federal subsidy amount to fly to Washington.

“We urge you to look into these issues and consider them in your
selection of service for Jamestown and Bradford,” Seth Edelman,
director of state aviation for the New York State Department of
Transportation, wrote to Reynolds. “While financial considerations
are important, we urge you to consider the quality of the service
to be provided, as well as the needs of the communities in making
your decision.”

The current high stakes chess match for air service seems to be
unparalleled for this area. Officials are worried about the DOT’s
choice, in part, because the other airline vying for service to
Bradford and Jamestown – RegionsAir of Tennessee – doesn’t have a
written agreement with a parent airline. RegionsAir would also use
nearby Cleveland as its hub city, which lacks the diversity of
international destinations that officials from both airports cite
as key to developing business and leisure travel.

Under the Colgan proposal to DOT, the subsidy level would stand
at $2,837,967, while the RegionsAir offer comes in at $1,649,913.
Colgan is attempting to renegotiate a two-year agreement under the
EAS program due to a hike in fuel costs and a decline in passenger
levels.

“Adequate air service is especially critical for communities
served under the EAS program as they strive to increase
enplanements and offer their citizens access to the national
network,” Edelman said.

In his letter, Edelman also backed previous concerns about
RegionsAir, noting there is a lack of a code-share agreement
between the airline and parent carrier Continental Airlines, the
proposal entails using aircraft not currently in the RegionsAir
fleet and the inability of the airline to begin operations in a
community where an EAS contract was awarded by DOT last July –
service won’t begin there until May 1.

Edelman said the change in hubs is also being backed by the
Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency.

According to figures supplied in Edelman’s letter, Washington
Dulles International Airport has contracts with 30 airlines,
compared to 13 in Pittsburgh and 11 in Cleveland; serves 109 cities
compared to Cleveland’s 75 and Pittsburgh’s 70; and offers service
to 28 countries, compared to Pittsburgh’s seven and Cleveland’s
six.