Congressman Bill Shuster (R-Penn.) today announced that Colgan Air, Inc. has been selected by the U.S. Department of Transportation to provide Essential Air Service (EAS) for both the Altoona/Blair County and Johnstown Airports for a period of two years.
Congressman Shuster said that he welcomed the news and looked forward to working with Colgan in the future. “I am very pleased that the Altoona/Blair County Airport will once again have frequent and dependable service. I welcome Colgan into its new home in Altoona and I look forward to working with them in the future. Through their proposal it is clear that Colgan understands that the Altoona market is a viable one and that together we can strengthen both the position of the airport and Colgan,” said Shuster.
In its order, the proposal approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation stipulates that Colgan provide either of two options for its flights from Altoona and Johnstown to Pittsburgh. The first option would have flights originating in Altoona in the morning departing to Pittsburgh. The plane then departs from Pittsburgh to Johnstown, boards new passengers and returns to Pittsburgh. Colgan completes the circle with a trip back from Pittsburgh to Altoona. This cycle is conducted three times a day. Alternatively, Colgan may also originate flights in Johnstown in the morning, go to Pittsburgh then to Altoona, back to Pittsburgh and then to Johnstown – three times a day.
Chuck Pillar, Manager of Altoona/Blair Airport praised the decision: “I’m very excited to hear that Colgan is coming to serve the Altoona area. We were very impressed with Colgan’s proposal, and one of the main things that appealed to us was their marketing plan. We’ve been looking for someone who would market the airport and also become involved in the community. In the other markets where Colgan provides carrier services, they support local businesses, local convention centers and chambers of commerce. We hope they will be able to offer customers items that we have been seeking to provide for several years, such as deals on group rates. This is great news for the community and we appreciate everything Congressman Shuster has done to see this through.”
Authority Chairman Joe Merilli also was pleased with the announcement, “I’m very excited to work with Colgan to bring much needed energy to our airport. We look forward to Colgan’s involvement with our community. I’d like to thank Congressman Shuster for helping to secure a first class air carrier.”
The EAS staff and Colgan have agreed to a combined annual subsidy rate of $847,576 for both Altoona and Johnstown airports. Colgan has a full code-share relationship with U.S. Airways and serves U.S. Airways major hub in Pittsburgh. For their routes, Colgan will operate 19-seat Beech 1900s.
