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Grand Island could be partnering with the Big Island for air service in the coming months.
Two air carriers, Hawaii Island Air and Great Lakes Aviation, have bid for the Essential Air Service contract at the Central Nebraska Regional Airport.
Bids were due to the U.S. Department of Transportation by 5 p.m. Friday, and the DOT released the bids to the Grand Island airport Tuesday morning.
The airport's current air carrier, Mesa Airlines, in January filed a notice with the DOT to terminate its Essential Air Service contract before its official completion date of Oct. 28.
Mesa will still be required to provide air service until its contract is up or another air carrier takes over service, whichever comes first.
The Hawaii Island Air and Great Lakes Aviation contracts would last for two years, said Mike Olson, executive director of the Central Nebraska Regional Airport. Both airlines would only offer routes to and from the international airport in Kansas City, Mo.
Great Lakes would be subsidized $1,867,351 to provide three nonstop flights Mondays through Fridays on a 19-seat Beechcraft 1900D aircraft. The airline would also offer two flights on Saturdays and Sundays. Great Lakes did not release estimates for airfare costs.
Hawaii Island Air would offer two nonstop flights per day Mondays through Fridays and one flight per day on Saturdays and Sundays on a 37-seat DeHavilland Dash-8-100 series aircraft. The aircraft would include a rest room and flight attendant. Seven-day advance tickets would tentatively cost $59 one way or $118 round-trip.
Island Air offered Grand Island 11 different flight-schedule options that would allow the airline to receive between $1,493,258 and $1,722,068 in Essential Air Service subsidies. Some of the options originate at the McCook airport.
The Island Air options are packaged with service to other cities in Missouri, Nebraska and Arkansas, as the airline is a new Essential Air Service carrier to the Midwest. That means each option is contingent upon Hawaii Island Air receiving Essential Air Service contracts for the other corresponding package cities.
After studying which options would be best for Grand Island, Olson said, he would be in contact with the other airports included in the bid. Olson said he couldn't comment on which airline package he preferred, as he hasn't had much time to study them and the decision is really up to the airport board. He did say, however, that he would prefer to go without flights that originate in McCook.
"We feel we have enough traffic demand here to have just our own stand-alone service," Olson said.
The airport will accept public comment on the bids from 8 to 9 a.m. April 7 during its Hall County Airport Authority monthly meeting, Olson said. Representatives from Hawaii Island Air and Great Lakes are expected to attend and give presentations on their service.
On April 11, the airport board will discuss the Essential Air Service bids during its daylong retreat and likely will decide which it would prefer. It will then seek concurring approval from the mayor before forwarding its preference to the DOT.
While the Grand Island airport can express a preference, the DOT will decide which airline will receive the Essential Air Service contract. The new air carrier would probably start service 90 to 120 days after the contract is awarded, or around August, Olson said.
"A couple of months ago, I was concerned that we wouldn't get any bids," Olson said.
Now, Olson said, he's grateful to Hawaii Island Air and Great Lakes Aviation for throwing their hats into the ring.
He hopes local residents will get involved in deciding who will provide Essential Air Service to Grand Island for the next two years.
"I would encourage the community to weigh in on this," Olson said.
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