Fuel Is Hampering Our Airline Search
By JOHN GOODALL Tribune Chronicle
VIENNA - A confidential report about operations at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport, completed in 2001 but just obtained by the Tribune Chronicle, points to excessive local fuel costs as a major factor in crippling air service to the local facility.
But opinions clash over whether the problem has been fixed.
GPC International, a global public relations firm, presented its findings almost five years ago to the Western Reserve Port Authority, which had hired it to market the airport.
Winner Aviation - which was the sole fuel provider at the airport at the time - had notified Northwest Airlines that fuel costs would be increased dramatically, the firm said. GPC said in the report that Winner told the airline that it intended to charge 70 cents per gallon, far higher than the 2 to 4 cents per gallon that it said was typical then.
“It has already triggered an internal review by Northwest of its traffic and operating costs at the Youngstown airport - a very alarming development, which could result in the loss of all air service to the community,” GPC pointed out in the confidential assessment.
Northwest ended its local flights in September 2002.
Rick Hale, Winner owner, did not return repeated telephone calls seeking a response.
“That really made it difficult to market the airport,” Tom Nolan, former aviation director at Youngstown-Warren, said of Winner’s costs.”In our talks with the airlines, they’d make a call to the fuel handler. That would scare the daylights out of anyone.”
Nolan, now assistant director of airports in Wichita, Kan., said that, at one point, a Northwest official complained that Youngstown-Warren’s fuel fees were the highest in the world. The former director said he was embarrassed.
Nolan said he attempted to discuss the matter with Winner, but got nowhere.
“Winner never understood how that was a factor,” Nolan said. “It was always very alarming.”
The former director said the issue is even more important now than it was then.
At the time, fuel costs were the second or third highest expense for an airline. Today, they are the top concern, he said.
Until the situation is corrected, Youngstown-Warren won’t be able to lure an air carrier, let alone keep it, Nolan said. “It’s got to end,” the former director said.
But Steve Bowser, the current director of aviation, said no airline that marketers of the airport have been negotiating with to come here recently has expressed alarm over Youngstown-Warren’s fuel rates.
“I can tell you, in the discussions we’ve had to date, that has been a non-issue,” Bowser said of the costs. He said Youngstown-Warren’s rates are in line with those of similar airports.
Bowser said he didn’t know what Winner offered. Those rates always are subject to negotiations between the airline and fuel handler, he said.
A competing fuel provider at the airport, ReadyAir, challenges Bowser’s view. Robert Moosally, ReadyAir manager, said his company was brought in three years ago by the port authority partly because of Winner’s high charges.
“No,” he said when asked if the situation had changed. He said ReadyAir offers fuel at 60 cents less per gallon than Winner.
Because of the difference, the manager said that ReadyAir is now providing more than 50 percent of the fuel pumped at the airport.
The port authority is attempting to evict ReadyAir, which it said has fallen behind on its rent. The fuel handler in turn, is suing the port authority, contending that it is giving Winner favorable rent terms, in violation of Federal Aviation Administration regulations.
In December, the port authority approved another 10-year lease with Winner.
Port authority Chairman Joseph Maxin did not return a telephone call seeking comment.
jgoodall@tribune-chronicle.com
This is a major concern for me and I am sure it is for those who read this blog. ReadyAir is running a “joke” operation and within 6 months they should be off the airport premises; but Winner needs to lower these fuel costs. I know when Pan Am announced service they gave them 1 week free fuel; how about 6 months discount on fuel?
People wonder why we don’t get any daily scheduled service on a legacy carrier; its quite evident this is the reason why. We will try to get in touch with Winner on this situation and see what they plan on doing. We also hope to get word of that document stated above and if this or next week is the announcement of Allegiant Air like we are hearing.
FlyYNG
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February 5th, 2006 at 4:42 pm
Following the article in the Tribune by J. Goodall I have some questions maybe he can get answered.
How many airlines left YNG when Tom Nolan was the manager?
Why was Tom Nolan replaced as Airport Manager?
How many pax did Mesaba have a month out of YNG?
Did they really leave because of fuel costs?
Why did Winner Aviation’s OLD manager in charge of Line Service raise the price for Mesaba?
Have you seen PROOF that Ready Air’s Robert Moosally has $1,000,000 of his OWN money invested in Ready Air?
Have you seen proof that Ready air is charging 60 cents less a gallon for fuel and doing 50% of the business fueling at YNG?
If Ready Air is doing 50% of fueling then why can’t they pay their rent on time like Winner Aviation has before they were warned in 2005?
I believe that there are fuel discounts for more regular customers…in other words if an airline came in 2 times a week and the fuel was $1.00 a gallon for Jet A, then maybe the continuous customer would pay .80 a gallon. This is an example and not verified recently.
Has Winner Aviation gotten better treatment than Ready Air? NO, absolutely NOT, they just don’t whine about everything that the Port Authority deals out to them!
I know the answers to all the above and would be interested to see if you can come up with the truth from Tom Nolan and Robert Moosally. I would be embarrassed also if I was Nolan and all those airlines left on my watch.
February 7th, 2006 at 9:57 am
If you go to airnav.com or any other site where fuel prices are listed for YNG, you will see what each company is charging for fuel. Fuel is only one part of expenses when it comes to flying in and out of YNG. Pick any type of general aviation aircraft and call both companies and ask for prices on ramp fees, overnight hangar rent, catering, etc. If ReadyAir is such a “JOKE” operation, why have they taken so much businees from Winner? Not only have they taken away a good share of transient aircraft ( general aviation aircraft who are not based at YNG)from Winner, ReadyAir also fuels the majority of aircraft based at YNG.With the exception of Cafaro, Who built his own hangar and supplies his own fuel,All of the corporate jets based at YNG are based with ReadyAir and buy their fuel from ReadyAir. Several Corporate flight departments are obviously very pleased with having a choice at YNG for services and fuel. If that wasn’t the case, they wouldn’t have jumped at the opprotunity to deal with another service provider at YNG.Yes ReadyAir works out of a crappy Hangar in a crappy spot on the field, but if people are looking for excellent service and reasonable prices at YNG, They are willing to overlook that fact. If there wasn’t a need for competition at YNG, ReadyAir wouldn’t have lasted six months, let alone two years. If some people at ReadyAir’s competition want to say that they are just being crybabies because now the Port Authority is being asked to work within the law and work by the rules that have been established by the FAA, then I guess the people at ReadyAir are crybabies. I personally think that the crybabies are those who are upset because their monopoly of services at YNG is over and they have to compete instead of charging whatever they feel like charging because people have no choice but to purchase services from them. If there is no problem, then why would the FAA launch a full scale investigation into the practices at YNG and why ReadyAir is paying more for less desirable space than Winner is paying. The FAA won’t lie, the consultant from the study did not lie, and Winner and his people should stop lying.Welcome to America boys.
February 7th, 2006 at 10:17 am
What happens in a monopoly? Everyone gets screwed. The airlines, the passengers, the taxpayers. Competition is good. Don’t try to fight it. You would not know about Vacation Express, Pan Am, or Allegiant Airlines if you did not have competition. I am a tenant at the airport and have NEVER gotten any fair deals from Winner. At least ReadyAir gave me a decent price for gas and treated me like a human being when I need something and did not try to take me for granted. I hope they stay at the airport, but they will probably leave because they are getting screwed by the Port.
February 7th, 2006 at 10:25 am
Who is on the Airport Authority? I read a name or two in the paper, but who really is the Airport Authority and who are their bosses? Who appoints them? Who hired Steve Bowser, and who fired Nolan? Maybe that is what we should be asking! Their management approach must not be working. When I had my airplane at Warren Skeets airport, there were 40 or so airplanes there. Why are they not at YNG? Maybe the prices and the years of tyrany under Winner Aviation and the Airport. We need more hangars at YNG and we need competition. ReadyAir or not, we need competition. The use of the airport did not grow under Winner and I know for a fact that many of the recreational flying community like myself avoided it until recently. I had to be critical but, why are people driving 50 miles to get to their airplanes in Grove City, Greenville, New Castle, Salem, Columbiana, and other places when they could be coming here?
February 7th, 2006 at 10:30 am
I forgot one thing for sidelinesnomore. When I called your Winner operation for a fuel price comparison almost a year ago, it was $.80 cents more than the other guys. You know the truth. If you were not in management or something else over there getting your big check, you would probably admit it. Your service guys told a guy from the flying club that you lost a lot of the business because you were charging too much for gas. I hate to see what the difference is on jet fuel. Thank God that we dont have to buy that much fuel. We probably could not afford to fly.
February 7th, 2006 at 10:50 am
Sidelinesnomore, if you know the truth, you wouldn’t be bragging up a company that has constantly tried to kill YNG. I work for ReadyAir, but I’m not ashamed to say it. The monopoly is over, deal with it. Post your name with your answers to your comment questions. If I was you, I’d be ashamed to blatantly defend Winner. You are obviously a tennant of Winner or an employee. (Maybe a local lawyer or a Port Authority board member???)
February 7th, 2006 at 6:48 pm
line service,
I am neither an employee or tennant. I can tell you this that I have seen personally the underhandedness of Ready Air in their time at YNG. Keep crying maybe you’ll get your way but it will be at the expense of the airport which will have no customers if you keep it up
February 7th, 2006 at 6:53 pm
line service,
Here’s something for Ready Air employees to do while they wait around for customers.
Find out how many pax a month Mesaba had a month in the 6 months before they left.
Find out how screwy Tom Nolan was to deal with for the commercial airlines to deal with.
Find out if you lowered your price right around the time you started this whole thing about Winner’s price to make yourselves look good to the outsider.
Find out if your loser company will still be there in 10 years.
Again, I am NOT affiliated with Winner Aviation, the Port, the Airport, a laywer or anything else that you claim
GET THE FACTS!!!!
February 7th, 2006 at 7:15 pm
line service,
I just saw you comment about the answers. So, as a Ready Air employee with nothing to do but sit in hanger ALL NIGHT I’ll answer them.
Mesaba had approx. 300 pax a month the last 2 months they were there. That was 4 flights a day. Three cak-dtw and 1 State college. Some days they had noone getting on the 6 am flight but they overnighted their crew that came in at 12 am the night before. They not only lost money on hotel bills and wages for their crew for this but were losing money on an average of only having 10 pax a day. tHIS IS WHY THEY LEFT.
Tom Nolan was off the wall and impossible for the 4 airlines to deal with. Of course he’s going to put the Port down. They fired him!!! He knew it was coming and got hired in Kansas.
No airlines left YNG because of Winner’s fuel cost, do your homework.
Geez, I’ve heard Moosally had some help from New Castle on his investment. True?????
Get real on the 50%!! You might have taken a few of Winners customers but who does the gambling charterS, Highway patrol, all the private jets that do Children of Cherbobyl,most of the daily business at YNG and who will do any new service to the airport. WINNER!!!!!!!!!!!!
February 8th, 2006 at 7:01 am
Sidelinesnomore,
You know what? I apologize for assuming that you were afiliated with Winner or the Port Authority. Having read your reply,it is obvious that you have no connection to the airport at all. If you did you wouldn’t be as incorrect as you are.You said “Get real on the 50%!! You might have taken a few of Winners customers but who does the gambling charterS, Highway patrol, all the private jets that do Children of Cherbobyl,most of the daily business at YNG and who will do any new service to the airport. WINNER!!!!!!!!!!!!” Call Children of Chernobyl. Ask them where the children were picked up at YNG. Ask them about previous experiences at YNG. ReadyAir’s price on fuel, ramp fees, and hangar rent are considerably lower than the competition. If you had done your homework you would know this. Stay tuned to your local news, and keep an eye on the local papers. Neither one is going to report incorrect information and open themselves up to a lawsuit. “Keep crying” you said, why is it crying to expect The Port Authority and its board to obey the law? Yng has been notorious from one end of the country to the other for its outrageous prices. That is changing with ReadyAir there.
February 8th, 2006 at 8:19 am
sidelinenomore,
Obviously you are a liar either in saying that you have no connectuon to the airport or with your comments. If you have no connection to the airport then your comments are just ramblings. If you have no connection to the airport how you claim to have any knowledge of what goes on there?? very curious.
February 8th, 2006 at 8:28 am
I would be very interested in hearing from some of the tennants at the airport on this site. Everyone who deals with ReadyAir is obviously happy with them. If they weren’t, they could always go to Winner. bottom line, if there wasn’t a need for competition at YNG, the tennants,transients, and flight departments of major American corporations would not be patronizing ReadyAir. But all of the above most certainly do patronize ReadyAir with no other reason than the fact that they want to either come to YNG or base at YNG at a reasonable cost. Something that cannot happen woithout competition. Winner has already proven that.
February 8th, 2006 at 2:39 pm
Sideline and Line Service - how obvious is it that you both work for someone at the airport. Sideline must be a manager or an owner of Winner, and line service must be an employee of ReadyAir. What I can say is that I am neither. Nor do I care about politics, the airport authority, who spent what on FBOs, etc.
What I can say is this. This airport has not done anything in ten years. Winner was here for ten years. ReadyAir has been here for one. Let them see what ReadyAir can do for the next years and see what happens. At least they are stirring everything up so that tenants and taxpayers know something about it. Obviously, noeone can do any worse than the growth that happened when Winner was the only game in town. COMPETITION IS GOOD GUYS. GET IT THROUGH YOUR HEAD. IT KEEPS EVERYONE HONEST.
I was here years ago, left, and came back. I can tell you that the airport did not grow when Winner was the only FBO at YNG and would never grow if it stays the only FBO there. We need competition for the good of the airport.
Treat everyone fair, charge everyone the same, and see how it all shakes out. IF the FAA is involved, it can’t be just smoke…there has to be some real underlying problem with everything.
One more thing…how could such a respected consultant be so far off in what they said as sidelines is claiming. Seems that the only way to find out is have Winner prove what they were charging at the exact time of the study. Sidelines, you can probably get it.
Line Service, you should make sure that you truly pump half of the fuel. Maybe, someone can call the PORT and see what everyone reports to them in the form of fuel assessments. Wouldn’t they keep track of that.
February 8th, 2006 at 2:55 pm
One more thing that I forgot. Would not the fuel be reported at the Airport budget meetings. Don’t they have them quarterly or something? Why don’t you both go to a meeting one evening and see who pumps more fuel and what percentage you each make up of it. Maybe if you both got involved more, the airport could be a better place. Isn’t that eveyone’s goal here. Don’t fight about it, just make it fair and keep everyone honest.
February 8th, 2006 at 4:15 pm
ucanthandlethetruth,
Seriously, I am NOT an employee of ANYONE at the airport. You do have a point in saying that those who say they pumped X% or take care of X% of customers should prove it. My problem was hearing stories about the amounts that I know aren’t true. I also don’t like being called a liar but I guess if you work for someone that has pulled the wool over their employees eyes repeatedly, I might be as adamant as lineservice.
February 8th, 2006 at 7:33 pm
sidelinesnomore,
ucanthandlethetruth is right. It doesn’t natter who pumps more fuel, it doesn’t matter who services who’s flights. ReadyAir may pump more one month and Winner the next. Or Winner may pump more for months. What matters is that we all want to see the community benefit from the airport and the competition there. That is what matters. I AM a ReadyAir employee. I am on the field 5-6 days a week and talk to more than just our clients. The only peole I have heard say competition at YNG is a bad idea are the people who have something to lose to the competition. Whether it is ReadyAir or not, there should be a choice on the field for private pilots and corporate flight departments.GROWTH is what matters. If EVERYONE who is involved with the airport could see this and be willing to work together for the community, competition would not be so fierce. There would be plenty for all. As far as the 50% claim by ReadyAir, perhaps that refers to the aircraft baesd at YNG. on a regular basis, month after, I have no idea because I do not have access to Winner’s info,nor do I want it. I just want my job and my benefits.
March 1st, 2006 at 2:21 pm
Bob Moosally, Chad Quinn, Bill Reali, Jim Tsargaris, Richard Goldberg and I think there’s one more. What do they have in common? Readyair!!! Hey, Lets play a new game!! How many felons can be involved with one company?? They need to hire people to do the work for a felon cannot be issued a security badge!!!! YNG just keeps it’s own reputation going!!!
March 1st, 2006 at 3:27 pm
I was going to respond and say that you have a lot of balls for making such a blatantly incorrect comment and moreover a vicious lie about many people, but obviously you don’t have any because you won’t put your name on the board when you post a comment. The moderator has the responsibility to take this crap off of this board and should immediately.
March 2nd, 2006 at 9:31 am
And you say this anonymous! HHMM, The YNG corruption is well intrenched. It is laughable!