It will be at least another month before RegionsAir officially
begins service at Bradford Regional Airport.
On Monday, RegionsAir President and Chief Executive Officer Doug
Caldwell said the airline is now looking at sometime between Sept.
26 and 30 to begin its operations at Bradford Regional, delaying
service to ensure a smoother transition.
“We want to hit the ground running in both Bradford and
Jamestown, N.Y.,” Caldwell told The Era by phone from the airline’s
headquarters in Smyrna, Tenn. “It’s basically come down to
logistics and we want to make sure there is a smooth transition
(between carriers).”
Flying under the Continental Airlines banner, RegionsAir had
tentatively slated to begin service at the airport on Monday under
the federal Essential Air Service program. It will be taking over
from current carrier Colgan Air Inc., and change hub cities from
Pittsburgh to Cleveland. The airline will also service Jamestown as
part of its Bradford route.
Colgan, which flies as US Airways Express, will continue to
provide service to the airport until RegionsAir is ready to take
over. There has been no definite date given for that to occur,
however.
Officials said the delay was approved by both Continental and
the U.S. Department of Transportation.
According to Airport Director Tom Frungillo, officials expect
the transition to be “seamless.”
“RegionsAir did not make this decision lightly and are confident
it is in the best interest of the airport passengers,” Frungillo
said in a press release issued to The Era. “This move will allow
RegionsAir more time to better schedule flights to meet with our
passengers needs as well as provide more reliable aircraft,
ultimately guaranteeing better customer satisfaction.
“Airport officials are convinced this decision is in the best
interest of everyone involved and would like to reassure the
community that there will be no interruption of commercial air
service at the airport.”
Frungillo said he was notified of the delay a couple of days
ago.
“It’s just part of the transition process,” Frungillo said.
Caldwell said while RegionsAir “could probably push ahead” with
a Monday arrival, “we want to make sure everything is covered. We
want to get all the issues and challenges addressed and have a
really good product.”
According to Caldwell, the airline has had some delays in
aircraft coming on line. Caldwell also said all the parties
involved in the transition – RegionsAir, Colgan and the airport –
have to agree to a deal before going back to the DOT for
approval.
“In this case, that is happening,” Caldwell said. “They (Colgan)
are a good airline and are working with us.”
The airline is slated to fly 34-seat Saab 340 aircraft into
Bradford and Jamestown, complete with a steward and lavatory.
Officials said previously that RegionsAir had to shift over to the
larger planes; the company has been using 19-passenger aircraft in
its fleet.
Meanwhile, officials said a transition also involves
establishing code share agreements, dealing with Federal Aviation
Administration regulations and training employees at its various
stations, or stops.
Tentatively, RegionsAir – which recently began service in West
Virginia – will make three daily flights into Bradford, although
some airport officials have expressed a desire to add an additional
fourth morning flight, especially for business travelers.
To that end, Caldwell said the airline is looking at a late
September starting time, in part, because it “wants to make sure
people have advance time to get bookings.”
“We are looking at something that will work in the computer
system for both carriers to maximize the benefits and minimize the
problems,” Caldwell said.
Typically, airlines also try to match up with the flight banks
at a hub city, in this case, with Continental’s flights into
Cleveland. Meanwhile, under the transition, DOT expects Colgan to
contact all passengers holding reservations for travel and notify
them of the suspension of service and secure alternate air
transportation for them or provide a refund of the ticket price.
The bookings are changed with no extra cost to the traveler, with
fares guaranteed at the time flights are booked.
Airport officials have indicated they are hoping the change in
hub cities will also provide additional connections across the
country and world.
Last fall, Colgan announced it was looking to renegotiate its
two-year contract with the DOT under EAS due to a decline in
passenger levels. The final decision came down to the DOT, which
decided it would have to pay a higher subsidy level to Colgan to
continue providing the air service.
Airport officials said passengers with questions or concerns
about the transition are asked to contact US Airways at
1-800-428-4322, a local travel agent or the airport.
