Vision Airlines doesn't see Naples in plans, gas prices daunting to other carriers

NAPLES —Vision Airlines flights linking the Florida Panhandle to the rest of the state proved to be a short-lived service.

And with the cost of fuel on the rise and the Vision company cutting back, it doesn't appear that's about to change anytime soon. Airport executives say the cost of fuel is keeping airlines from adding commercial flights into smaller markets like Naples and Charlotte County.

Vision Air launched a non-stop, low-fare air service between Punta Gorda and Destin-Fort Walton Beach last March, but suspended flights about two weeks ago.

Vision's emphasis on the Panhandle had drawn support from Gov. Rick Scott, who raved about the effort to restore the part of the state that took a big hit after the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in April 2010. But many of the flights on the company's current schedule may not continue into April, according to various news reports coming out of the cities served by the carrier.

"Vision flew here on their own for a short period of time, but they aren't any longer," said Gary Quill, executive director of the Charlotte County Airport Authority. "They also flew in here for several months for Direct Air, but they (Direct Air) went bankrupt last week. They want to have guaranteed revenue, so in effect, they're not flying at any risk to themselves."

The Naples Airport Authority also had expressed some interest in Vision Air, and looked into the possibility of having 30-seat commercial prop planes flying in and out of Naples, but an agreement couldn't be reached.

"Vision Air came down here with a middle man and they were going to fly on a contract basis for him," Soliday said. "But I don't think there was ever a realistic plan put together on that for us."

In 2010, the airline wanted to offer commercial flights to Miami, Orlando and Tampa, but couldn't reach a local agreement with the other airlines, Soliday said.

Clay Meek, Vision's director of marketing and sales, couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

Meanwhile, the Naples airport has been without a commercial carrier for three years.

"I still believe we can serve this community with turbo props in a very profitable way for the airlines," Soliday said. "People here are willing to pay if they can transfer from this airport to another airport without having to go back through screening and can get their bags taken care of."

Soliday is convinced that the demand is there.

"We were carrying almost 200,000 passengers in the mid-90s," he added. "Our population has increased by three-fold since then. The number of hotel rooms and vacationers has doubled since then. Our income per capita is the second highest in the nation. You put all that together and you say there has to be a market there."

So if there is a market, where are the airlines?

Soliday said the cost of fuel is the problem.

"Fuel is the big issue," he said. "Smaller airplanes just don't have enough seats to cover the cost of fuel. Will a person pay $200 each way to get to Miami? I don't know. But I think there is a market and it will happen. When? I don't know. It will probably take the price of fuel going down. Right now, the airlines won't bear any of the risk for starting up the service."

The conversation these days at local airports doesn't stray far from rising fuel prices.

"Every aviation user is being affected. I think every industry is," Quill said. "Everyone is nervous that we are kind of on the edge."

Profits for the airline industry could plummet 62 percent this year due to the rising cost of fuel, according to the International Air Transport Association in a forecast for the global industry.

"To me, this problem rests with Washington," Quill said. "We need to increase supply to bring the cost down. That's just basic economics."

Source:  http://www.naplesnews.com