Third airline seeks Lake Clear subsidy
By CHRIS KNIGHT, Enterprise Senior Staff WriterSARANAC LAKE - A third airline is seeking a federal subsidy to provide commercial passenger service at the Adirondack Regional Airport in Lake Clear.
Hyannis, Mass.-based Cape Air, the airport's current carrier, and Virginia-based Colgan Air Inc. were believed to be the only companies to respond to a request for proposals from the U.S. Department of Transportation by an Oct. 29 deadline. But a third airline is also interested and, due to a misunderstanding, was not included as a bidder in a Nov. 5 letter sent to the town of Harrietstown, which runs the airport.
Charter Air Transport, based in Cleveland, Ohio, has proposed nine different service options using either 19- or 30-seat planes. The company says it can provide 12 weekly round-trip flights from Saranac Lake and Plattsburgh to either Logan International Airport in Boston or John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.
Charter Air is asking for an annual federal subsidy of between $2.9 million and $5.6 million, depending on the option, to serve both Saranac Lake and Plattsburgh. It describes itself as an "air taxi operation" and does not name any larger airline affiliate in its proposal.
Cape Air has proposed three daily, round-trip flights to Boston from Saranac Lake and Plattsburgh using nine-seat aircraft. The airline is seeking an annual subsidy of $2.7 million for a two-year contract or $2.6 million annually under a four-year contract.
Colgan Air, which flies as a U.S. Airways Express affiliate, is requesting a two-year subsidy of $3.2 million for year one and $3.1 million in year two. Saranac Lake and Plattsburgh would receive 19 round-trip flights each week to Boston in 34-seat planes.
The U.S. DOT is accepting public comments on the proposals until Dec. 4. The agency is expected to decide which airline will receive the subsidy sometime in January.
Harrietstown Supervisor Larry Miller, in an e-mail, said the town is satisfied with Cape Air and will be writing to U.S. DOT in support of the airline's proposal. He said they've also received letters supporting Cape Air from the towns of Tupper Lake and Santa Clara, the village of Saranac Lake, Franklin County, the chambers of commerce in Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake, and several area residents.
Miller noted that Cape Air was the only company to meet with the community and airport management.
"The other two airlines made no attempt to do so," he wrote. "Cape Air has lived up to their commitment to the community by currently providing reliable on-time flying performance, low user fees, completion of flights and targeted ridership growth."
Cape Air also provides commercial passenger service between Albany and the Ogdensburg, Massena and Watertown airports.
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Contact Chris Knight at 891-2600 ext. 24 or cknight@adirondackdailyenterprise.com.
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genezee
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11-20-09 6:38 PM
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Sounds like socialized transportation. Where are the teabaggers on this expenditure of tax money? Where is the anti-government, anti-APA, anti-Obama crowd? Where are the anti-tax Little and Sayward on this issue? Can you spell hypocrisy?
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contrary1
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11-20-09 9:35 AM
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A recent Watertown Daily Times article talks about Cape Air being the first commercial customer allowed to garage their plane in the new publicly financed hanger. Cape Air's Watertown commercial flights go to Albany, and the planes were formerly housed in Albany, yet the Lake Clear service only flies people to Boston. They receive over $3,000,000 in subsidies for their Watertown to Albany service too. I understand the benefit of a well run service, but I also understand that Government subsidization should be spread around a little. Cape Air "allows" people in Watertown to fly to Albany, and "allows" Harrietstown residents to fly to Boston, and gets over $6 million from "we the people" for being so gracious. What happens if they increase the subsidized service and do both Albany and Boston on the same run? Or is that the real reason they only fly to one destination? How many single destination franchises do they have, and does each one get $3 million from
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CabinDweller
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11-19-09 12:19 PM
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With 10,000 passengers this year and a $2.7m subsidy, the airfare is subsidized to the tune of $270 per passenger. For those commenters who stated Cape Air was a "good value" would they still think so if they added $270 to their fare (each way)? Would they have even used the service at that price?
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MyZero
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11-19-09 9:34 AM
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As a SL native living in Boston, I am partial to an airline that directly connects the two cities and am clearly biased about the convenience of flying locations. Therefore, I am writing to comment on my flying experiences with Cape Air. Over the years, I have flown this route with four different carriers and Cape Air has proven itself indisputably the most reliable. For me, without recounting stories in arduous detail, Cape Air has proven to be trustworthy, dependable, responsible and authentic. Previous airlines (big and small) lacked the fortitude needed for flying in the Adirondack Mountains. Many variables need to be weighed regarding such an important decision, convenience and cost should be only two of many.
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TLNative
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11-18-09 7:41 PM
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I think the majority of the people who fly out of here, or would like to, are heading south. It seems ridiculous to have to fly east before you can go south. We need an airline who can provide service to Albany to connest to flights headed south.
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YouKnowImRight
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11-18-09 7:35 PM
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I've never flown Cape, or out of Lake Clear for that matter-I know quite a few people that have, and they're happy. IMHO, Allegiant Air out of Plattsburgh is a good deal. Flew to Orlando last year direct for a bit under $240 (round trip).
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TruLiberShultz
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11-18-09 2:13 PM
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Make a careful review of their respective balance sheets a part of your decision. Yes, government is everywhere now as an inefficient and stiffling "player" instead as a referee. The Founders feared such a role having watched the King and Parliment, and limited it to necessary evils such as defense and facilitating interstate commerce. It has now evolved beyond the tipping point. It will be interesting how this fundamental issue shakes out as all levels of government fess up to their bankruptcy. Sure you want de guvmt providing your health care?
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Spooner
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11-18-09 1:59 PM
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Once again, the Feds step up to the plate with an entitlement program for the elite few. If I want to get off the rock for awhile I don't see anybody subsidizing my transportation costs. If you're gonna play the game you ought to pay the price. Millions of dollars in subsidies, it's no wonder there are so many players in the game.
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jackkk
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11-18-09 12:20 PM
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Why should my tax dollars go to subsidizing any airline that flies out of Lake Clear. This is a perfect example of misuse of OUR tax dollars.
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contrary1
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11-18-09 12:04 PM
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Why is the travel being limited to Boston? My family pays taxes too, and when they went to Greece this year they had to fly from Montreal to Philadelphia. It would have been much better to have an Adirondack airport option, but the only city our taxes allow us to fly to is Boston. It did give me an excuse to get my passport, but it makes me wonder whether we should be using so many millions to benefit so few. I brought my son to Burlington so he could fly to South Carolina, and picked my family up in Montreal due to local airport limitations. Even when my daughter goes to Boston for college, I'll still see it as a boondoggle. It did benefit me once though...my luggage was flown there after it got lost, and they didn't lose it a second time.
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PNorthElba
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11-18-09 11:16 AM
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My daughter lives in Boston and uses Cape Air several times a year to fly home to Saranac Lake. Cape Air has shown they can be trusted to deliver relatively inexpensive, reliable serve to the North country. We should continue to support Cape Air as our airline of choice.
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Mandy46
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11-18-09 10:50 AM
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Our son lives in Boston and has flown on Cape Air about 4 times a year since they started flying into Lake Clear and has been very happy with their service. I hope they continue to be the airline that flies into Lake Clear.
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