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
Airtran Ending CAK-LAS
AirTran will suspend its direct service from Akron to Las Vegas, Akron-Canton Airport said today. The flight, which began in August, will be suspended this May.
Judy Graham-Weaver, a spokeswoman for the airline, said a flight from Flint to Las Vegas also will end then. She blamed rising oil prices, which lead to higher jet fuel costs.
AirTran will continue flying out of Akron-Canton, with direct service to Orlando, Tampa, Boston, Atlanta and New York/LaGuardia.
Kristie Van Auken, Akron-Canton’s marketing director, said Frontier Airlines, another low-cost carrier that just signed with the airport in 2005, will offer connecting flights to Las Vegas, and AirTran also will have connecting flights to Vegas and 39 other destinations through its Atlanta hub.
Interesting for us here in Youngstown. This means 1 of 2 things.
- The current market to Las Vegas, NV is sufficient enough with Southwest-Am. West-Continental at Pittsburgh and Cleveland with low fares that are making flights to Las Vegas cheap and easy.
- YNG Must Jump on this loss for CAK and Airtran. Airtran and CAK are setting monthly records and predictions are expansion at CAK airline and destination wise will slow this year.. If YNG wants to establish a market it must be now. We need Hooters Air or some airline to step in and try a twice a week flight to Las Vegas and Allegiant to fly to Orlando Sanford.
Post Your Comments Please. We are interested in getting the community involved in our coalition.
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