12/02/12, 14:27:43 EST

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Another airline bites the dust

visaliatimesdelta.com

Strike two. Visalia's effort to keep commercial airline service at Visalia Municipal Airport is still at bat and fighting to stay alive, but it's deep in a hole.

For the second time in less than a year, a commercial carrier has notified the federal Department of Transportation that it intends to drop commercial service from Visalia.

Air Midwest, aka Mesa Air and America West Express, had provided twice daily service between Visalia and McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas since November.

Air Midwest's predecessor, Scenic Airlines, had begun daily flights from Visalia to North Las Vegas in September 2005. It told the DOT it was getting out in May 2006.
Six to eight months is about what it takes these airlines to learn that it is losing money on these routes, even with almost $2 million in annual federal government subsidies.

Eventually the city of Visalia will have to face that unpleasant bottom line as well.

We're not going to recommend that the city drop commercial air service for good, because the decision will likely be made for it, and Visalia has put up a determined fight to keep a commercial airline.

The decision by Air Midwest does not mean any interruption in service. Thanks to the Essential Air Service, air service will continue to Visalia.

Besides, the city has invested millions of dollars into improvements at the airport and into paying its own share of operating expenses. It probably deserves one more shot at retaining air service.

But with strike two this week, it's hard to see how the city will hang on. Visalia ought to be prepared for life after commercial air service. It ought to begin exploring cheap, viable shuttle service to other airports.

Visalia will continue to receive commercial air service under the Essential Air Service program, by which the federal government subsidizes air service in cities that would not be able to support commercial service. The DOT solicits carriers to submit bids for the amount of subsidy they will need to provide service.

Air Midwest had agreed to a two-year contract for an annual $1.6 million subsidy. Although Air Midwest can opt out of its agreement, it won't be leaving Visalia until the DOT can install another air carrier here. This is the third time in two years the DOT will go through the process of soliciting bids for a commercial air carrier. It went through the same process when SkyWest ended service to Visalia in 2005. With three air carriers in two years deciding to leave Visalia, the message is pretty clear: Operating commercial air service out of Visalia is simply not profitable, even with subsidies.

Regardless, the DOT will start the process again.

City of Visalia officials have worked hard to make air service at Visalia Municipal Airport work. The city has invested much more than $1 million in airport improvements. It has upgraded runways, instrumentation and security. It has renovated the terminal. It has worked hard at marketing and promotion. The Transportation Safety Administration has installed new security equipment at Visalia.

All that investment has led to another rejection.

The city will undoubtedly keep plugging away at this, because the potential rewards for commercial air service are worth it. Visalia had hoped that smaller carriers such as Scenic Air and Mesa would build the number of passengers to a level where a larger airline would take notice. That could have built a strong base for increased service, more flights, perhaps a second carrier and reliable business and travel service to serve this growing area.

But there are simply not enough people flying out of Visalia. Most air passengers still find it more convenient and affordable to begin their air travel in Fresno, Bakersfield, Los Angeles, San Jose, etc.

Visalia has pursued this course this far, it might as well hang in there and take its swings. The city might even turn this into a hit, even with two strikes.

 Printable Version  | published May 23, 2007