US regional carrier SeaPort Airlines has confirmed that its contract to provide Essential Air Service (EAS) operations at McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport has been extended by the US Department of Transportation (DOT) through January 31, 2014.

The carrier has been awarded a one-year, rather than the typical two-year contract, due to the low number of passengers that used the flights operated by the previous carrier providing EAS, which had put Jackson’s continued eligibility for subsidised air service at risk.

“We are very pleased that DOT has extended our contract for another year at McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport, as it reflects on the progress we have made rebuilding the traffic in the Jackson market,” said Rob McKinney, President, SeaPort Airlines. “Nonetheless, we will continue to focus on achieving an average of ten passenger enplanements per day to help secure Jackson’s future in the EAS programme.”

“We are very pleased that DOT has extended our contract for another year at McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport, as it reflects on the progress we have made rebuilding the traffic in the Jackson market.  Nonetheless, we will continue to focus on achieving an average of ten passenger enplanements per day to help secure Jackson’s future in the EAS programme.”

Rob McKinney
President, SeaPort Airlines

This comment makes reference to changes made by Congress to the EAS programme that were part of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Modernisation and Reform Act of 2012, requiring an average of at least ten passenger enplanements per day to maintain eligibility for flights subsidised by the EAS program.

According to the DOT: “For the most recent fiscal year for which data is available, FY2012 (October 2011-September 2012), Jackson generated a total of 2,449 passengers (inbound and outbound), or an average of 3.9 enplanements per day,” adding “the community and carrier will need to attract enough passengers to meet the ten enplanements per day statutory requirement in order for Jackson to remain eligible.”

SeaPort Airlines launched service at McKeller-Sipes Regional Airport on January 22, 2012 and for the full year ending January 23, 2013 carried a total of 3,077 passengers. This was 246 per cent greater than the 890 passengers carried by fellow operator Tennessee Skies during its last full year of service at Jackson.

“While we are proud of the enplanement growth we have been able to achieve, there is still much work to be done. The recent changes to EAS eligibility requirements by Congress truly make air service at McKellar-Sipes a ‘use it or lose it’ proposition,” said McKinney. “We look forward to continuing our partnership with the airport authority and other leaders in the community as we work to secure Jackson’s air service in the future.”

Earlier this year, SeaPort set the fare on every seat and every flight departing Jackson at $35, including taxes and fees, a price that McKinney noted was less than the cost of driving to Nashville and even more compelling when the free parking at McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport is considered. Each business day, SeaPort provides two roundtrips to Nashville and two roundtrips to Memphis. Reduced frequencies are offered on weekends.