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Loss of RegionsAir a source of problems for many airports
[December 02, 2007]

Loss of RegionsAir a source of problems for many airports


(Paducah Sun, The (KY) (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Dec. 2--Airports in a four-state area are struggling to keep passengers in seats as airlines opt for larger, fuller planes in bigger cities to offset soaring fuel costs.

RegionsAir pulled out of Barkley in July 2006, blaming high fuel costs and planes less than half full. Although Northwest has gained many Regions passengers, the loss of commercial flights means less income for the airport from fuel sales, airline counter space, parking, rental cars and other spin-off services, Roof said.



"When Regions was here we were running 150 seats a day each way (between St. Louis and Memphis, Tenn.). So if you had a really good day you could have 130 to 125 passengers each way," he said. "Now with basically 96 seats, we can't have a good day anymore."

McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport in Jackson, Tenn., lost much of its $12,000 in annual counter-rental income while being without commercial service for much of this year. Manager Rodney Hendrix said there were other extensive revenue losses that he can't estimate.


The FAA grounded Regions -- the only carrier at Jackson, Owensboro and Cape Girardeau, Mo. -- in March because of pilot-training problems. The airports didn't get a replacement until a few weeks ago.

Williamson County Regional Airport in Marion, Ill., lost Regions in March, but fell back on state-subsidized Mesa Airlines until Mesa withdrew in October after the state money ran out. Mesa blamed too few passengers and too little revenue, Kimmel said. Great Lakes Airlines has since replaced Regions.

All four Essential Air Service airports struggled to fill seats long before Regions was grounded.

Owensboro-Daviess County Regional Airport climbed slightly above the $200-per-seat subsidy threshold in 2004 after ridership dropped more than fivefold, threatening the loss of commercial service. Only 20 to 25 percent of Regions' seats were filled before its planes were grounded in Jackson.

Cape Girardeau Regional Airport Manager Bruce Loy said airlines generally are opting for bigger planes in more-populated hub areas, forcing smaller airports like his to settle for 19-seaters.

"The way airlines operate now, it's pretty difficult to get them to take a risk and come to a city they haven't served before," he said.

Joe Walker can be contacted at 575-8656.

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