Changes are coming to Bradford Regional Airport.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced that
RegionsAir of Tennessee will be servicing the airport under the
auspices of Continental Airlines, and will change hub cities from
Pittsburgh to Cleveland.

Local airport officials said they will make the changes work
despite an original desire to have Washington as a hub city and to
retain current carrier Colgan Air Inc. While no date has been set
for the changeover, officials said they expect the transition will
be seamless.

“Obviously, we would have liked to have Dulles (Washington), but
we can understand the Department of Transportation’s decision,”
Airport Advisory Committee Chairman Mike Glesk told The Era during
a meeting with Airport Director Tom Frungillo and Rob Huber, a
member of the Airport Advisory Committee. “Getting out of
Pittsburgh isn’t a bad thing. We got great service from Colgan, but
we will now work with RegionsAir.”

While not their first choice, the trio said the change does
accomplish two primary goals – changing from Pittsburgh and US
Airways.

“This could be a breath of fresh air to have a new carrier to
work with,” Huber said. “We believe there is potential with
Cleveland, which has competitive fares.”

The final decision by DOT eventually came down to money; the
federal government would have had to pay a higher subsidy to Colgan
to fly into Washington’s Dulles International Airport under the
federal Essential Air Service program.

In a report on its decision, the DOT indicated RegionsAir will
operate the same 34-passenger aircraft, complete with steward and
lavatory, that currently service Bradford Regional.

Numerous federal, state and local officials from both sides of
the border – Bradford shares flights with nearby Jamestown, N.Y. –
sent correspondence to the DOT over the past few months in an
attempt to solidify their stance of changing hub cities to
Washington and retaining Colgan as the airline servicing both
facilities.

Officials said they preferred Washington due to its larger
selection of international flights for business and leisure
travelers.

“We would’ve preferred a different ruling from the Department of
Transportation, but we view this decision as an opportunity to
forge a new and mutually beneficial relationship with a carrier we
hope can serve the short and long-term needs of the area,” U.S.
Rep. John Peterson’s, R-Pa., Communications Director Chris Tucker
said. “Cleveland offers travelers in the region another option for
air travel, which should help all of our airports in the long
run.

“We’re hopeful that RegionsAir can become an important
facilitator for, and central partner in, the community’s ongoing
economic expansion.”

Colgan announced last September it was seeking to renegotiate
its two-year contract under EAS due to high fuel prices and
slipping passenger levels. RegionsAir’s contract with the DOT will
also be for two years, and come at a combined subsidy of
$1,649,913.

“Our goal has always been better destinations, better fares and
to get off the EAS program,” Frungillo said, adding the airport
will look to market the new airline and hub city as aggressively as
Colgan.

According to Huber, “Continental could give the airport a
renewed identity. It’s a new brand, a new look.”

Under DOT’s order, RegionsAir will use Saab 340 airplanes and
will make three round trips to Cleveland daily. DOT received two
proposals from each airline during the bidding process, with
Colgan’s offer for subsidy standing at $2,837,967 and RegionsAir at
$1,649,913.

“The carrier’s (RegionsAir) proposed service and subsidy levels
are reasonable and the carrier’s service at its other subsidized
Essential Air Service communities continues to be satisfactory,”
the DOT order said, noting the agency looks at four criteria when
deciding on an airline to service a facility: scheduled service
reliability; contractual and marketing arrangements with a larger
carrier to ensure service beyond the hub; interline arrangements
the applicant has made with a larger carrier at the hub; and
community views, giving substantial weight to those of elected
officials.

According to DOT, Colgan’s Dulles proposal would cost over 70
percent more than even RegionsAir’s more expensive proposal.
Meanwhile, DOT said, as of this month, Continental’s Cleveland hub
offers a larger number of flights, available seats and range of
destinations than Pittsburgh – Continental offers 247 departures to
71 destinations from Cleveland.

Continental will also offer 25 major destinations that are not
currently available through Pittsburgh, including to Atlanta,
Austin, Cincinnati, Dallas-Fort Worth, Detroit, Houston,
Jacksonville, Kansas City, London, England, Milwaukee, Nashville,
New Orleans, San Antonio and Knoxville.

Officials said Continental’s international flights go through
Newark and Houston.

Under the transition, DOT expects Colgan to contact all
passengers holding reservations for travel to notify them of the
suspension of service and secure alternate air transportation for
them or provide a refund of the ticket price.

“The bookings will be changed with no extra cost to the
traveler,” Huber said, noting fares are guaranteed at the time
flights are booked. “With Continental having more flights and
better scheduling, there should be a quicker layover in
Cleveland.”

This is not the first time the airport has gone through a change
in carriers. In 2003, after then-carrier Mesa Air Group Inc. sought
subsidized help under EAS, airport leaders turned their attention
to Continental carrier CommutAir, which services Cleveland.
However, the DOT eventually chose Colgan for the role.