A Cessna Caravan aircraft operated by Air Choice One of St. Louis.
The Jonesboro Municipal Airport Commission this week endorsed Air Choice One of St. Louis in the airline’s bid to retain its federal Essential Air Service contract with the airport.
Air Choice One CEO Shane Storz in an interview Wednesday said the airline was pleased with the commission’s decision. Storz said the next step in the process is for local officials to submit their letter of support to the U.S. Department of Transportation, which Airport Manager George Jackson said is expected to approve a contract within the next few months. The deadline to submit the letter is Sept. 22.
The EAS is a federal program that subsidizes smaller carriers so they can profitably offer a minimal level of scheduled air service to smaller communities.
Air Choice One has been providing that service to Jonesboro since 2012. Its most recent four-year, $8 million contract ends in January. If it wins another four-year contract, the new one would be worth $9.09 million or $9.27 million, according to an airline proposal provided by Storz.
The airline originally proposed four service options, Storz said, but those have been narrowed to two: the 18 weekly St. Louis flights it currently provides or 12 weekly St. Louis flights and six weekly flights to Nashville, Tennessee.
Jackson said the airport commission found the more expensive Nashville option appealing, but he cautioned that the panel has yet to finalize which option it would like the DOT to approve.
Jackson added that Air Choice One is requesting less in subsidies than the three other bidders for the contract and that the airport has been satisfied with the service Air Choice One has provided.
Storz shared a similar sentiment.
“We felt like we have served the community very well,” he said. “So I think they’re happy. I think it proves they’re happy, getting the endorsement.”
In addition, he said passenger counts at the Jonesboro airport are continuing to recover after falling sharply there and elsewhere because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The airline is at about 75% of its pre-COVID capacity.
Storz also said that repairs to Air Choice One’s terminal in Jonesboro are going well after it was leveled by a tornado last year.
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