Delta Air Lines planes came and went at Fort Dodge Regional Airport Wednesday, and a decision by federal officials will keep them doing so for awhile.
The airline announced last month that it wants to stop serving Fort Dodge. But because it receives government money to make those flights, the U.S. Department of Transportation won't let Delta depart until another carrier is found to take its place.
Federal transportation officials recently decided to postpone the search for that replacement in a move that further prolongs Delta's commitment to the local airport.
Proposals from airlines interested in serving Fort Dodge were originally due on Tuesday, a deadline set before Delta announced its intention to leave.
''We are going to postpone collection of proposals,'' Bill Mosley, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Transportation, said Wednesday.
''We will issue a new round of solicitations for proposals to attract as many proposals as possible,'' he said.
Mosley said a schedule for seeking those proposals hasn't been set.
''In the meantime, we talk to airlines,'' said Rhonda Chambers, the director of aviation at Fort Dodge Regional Airport.
She said she'll be providing airlines with information about the Fort Dodge market, and the costs, such as landing fees, that they'll encounter.
Chambers said people shouldn't shy away from using Delta. When the airline finally does leave Fort Dodge, people who hold tickets will be sent to other airports Delta serves, she said.
''I encourage people to continue to book tickets on Delta out of Fort Dodge,'' Chambers said. ''Their ticket will not be void.''
The subsidies for Delta, totalling about $1 million a year, come from the Essential Air Service program, which provides money to ensure that airlines continue to serve smaller communities. Fort Dodge became eligible for that program when air travel plunged after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
On July 15, Delta announced plans to end service to Fort Dodge and several other communities. At that time, Kristin Baur, a Delta spokeswoman, said the Fort Dodge flights were on average 39 percent full. The upcoming retirement of the SAAB 340 turboprop planes used for the Fort Dodge flights was also a factor in the decision to exit the market, she said.
Chambers said more than 1,000 people boarded Delta flights in Fort Dodge during July. Another 1,000 boarded during June, she added.
Airline officials have not told her where they obtained their figures on passenger loads, she said.
''I would say that the data they're using isn't current data,'' Chambers said.
Delta, based in Atlanta, Ga., is the only airline serving Fort Dodge. Its flights link the city with Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in Minnesota, where passengers can connect to Delta flights to cities all over the world.
Source: http://www.messengernews.net
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