Johnstown airport backing SkyWest's return, even with strong interest in contract

Yahoo

22-05-2025

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A line of carriers, including air giant American Airlines, made bids for the John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport's next Essential Air Service contract.
But airport officials want to stick with the United Express carrier that lifted their service to new heights over the past three years.
In a vote Tuesday, the airport authority voted to send the U.S. Department of Transportation its formal recommendation that SkyWest's United service to Chicago O'Hare International and Washington-Dulles continue through fall 2029.
'No-brainer'
Just five years ago, SkyWest was the only airline bidding to provide jet service from Johnstown – and for more than 20 years prior, the airport only attracted bidders with eight-seat propeller aircraft.
This spring's round of bids attracted offers from American, Air Wisconsin – which has historically flown under the American Eagle moniker – and SkyWest, which provides regional service under the United Express banner.
But even an offer from Texas- based American wasn't able to sway the authority from SkyWest.
American and Air Wisconsin were also proposing flights on 50-seat jets and the same number of weekly EAS flights.
'Years ago, we would have taken any one of those jet proposals,' member Mike Parrish told airport authority colleagues, reflecting on how far the airport's success has come.
'But SkyWest remains the hands-down No. 1 choice,' Parrish said. 'It was a no-brainer.'
Not only are SkyWest's Chicago and Washington destinations a major draw but the carrier also provides two extra weekly flights to Johnstown without subsidy.
The United Express carrier's reliability and reputation has won over passengers year after year, with its 2025 totals through four months setting the airport up for a third straight year of record-breaking numbers.
From Jan. 1 through April 30, a total of 11,413 people flew to or from Johnstown, figures show.
'SkyWest has been an amazing partner,' authority Chairman Tim McIlwain said, crediting the company's consistency and ongoing willingness to work with the authority. 'The community has embraced their jet service.'
In Johnstown, SkyWest has also worked with the authority to modify flight schedules to cut down on O'Hare-originated delays.
They've also been a partner in ongoing aviation-related economic development projects – including efforts that could bring additional SkyWest aircraft to Johnstown for overnight repairs, the authority wrote in its letter to the U.S. DOT.
SkyWest's average subsidy request averages $5.9 million over the four-year span, making it the lowest qualified bidder, the board wrote.
That's an important factor at a time the Trump administration has proposed reducing the Essential Air Service budget for 2026.
Future funding
Airport Manager Cory Cree said airport officials are confident it won't prevent them from receiving a new EAS contract for November.
Trump's administration, which earlier this year expressed support for the EAS program, proposed a 50% cut to the $590 million annual U.S. program in early May.
The program is funded by 'overflight fees' collected from international carriers who use U.S. air space but don't land locally. Airline officials across the U.S. are monitoring whether any EAS funds are cut – and how the program could be amended in the future.
The Essential Air Service program, founded to provide air service to rural areas, has been a target of Project 2025, but it's historically had bipartisan support among the Congress and Senate in Washington, D.C.
Among the more than 170 Essential Air Service communities across the U.S., 86% are in rural districts served by Republicans as of 2024.
The Trump budget itself is still in the early committee phase, navigating scrutiny from members of both parties.
Cree said Tuesday that Johnstown airport staff have spoken with all three of the region's federal lawmakers – U.S. Rep, John Joyce and U.S. Sens. Dave McCormick and John Fetterman – about their ongoing efforts to expand airport development and air travel in Cambria County.
All three, he said, expressed support for their development efforts and 'understand the importance of EAS to our community.'
Joyce, R-Blair, has two Essential Air Service airports in his district and has backed airport efforts in recent years.
Varied proposals
Skywest was one of several carriers who pitched continuing flights to Washington-Dulles or Chicago, proposals show.
Air Wisconsin submitted offers for either 12 Chicago O'Hare International flights per week or a combination of O'Hare and Philadelphia International – at a nearly identical average subsidy request.
Airport officials cited concerns about the carrier's limited baggage connection agreements, noting that travelers flying a combination of U.S. airlines would have to recheck bags before boarding Delta or United flights.
That's not the case with SkyWest, which has agreements with United, Delta, American and Alaska Airlines.
American Airlines offered service to Philadelphia at an average annual contract price of $6.1 million. It also proposed flights to a combination of Philadelphia and Charlotte Douglas International for a $7.2 million average annual subsidy – a cost $1.3 million a year above SkyWest's proposal, the board wrote in its recommendation letter.
A onetime Johnstown carrier, Southern Airways, also submitted a proposal to offer flights to Pittsburgh International and Dulles airports.
Commuter airline Southern Airways Express offers flights on eight-seat propeller aircraft.
The airline served Johnstown nearly a decade ago before the airport chose a different carrier, citing poor reliability and low passenger numbers.
In its letter, authority officials said they viewed the Southern proposal as 'unacceptable' because it falls short of the EAS program's demonstrated reliability requirement.