Atlanta, Orlando connections begin April 1
Special to the Journal
Silver Airways will begin weekly flights
from Middle Georgia Regional Airport to Atlanta and Orlando beginning April 1.
Silver Airways was selected as carrier by the U.S. Department of Transportation
Essential Air Service (EAS) program which subsidizes air service in rural
communities throughout the U.S. The $1,998,696 federal subsidy awarded to
Silver Airways is scheduled to last two-years; service beyond 2015 is
contingent upon Silver Airways serving a minimum of 10 passengers per day
flying through Macon. The service will offer one daily roundtrip to Atlanta six
days per week and one daily roundtrip to Orlando six days per week on a
34-passenger SAAB turbo prop aircraft. The airline estimates $44.90 one-way
fares to Atlanta and $116.67 to Orlando.
“We are
excited to welcome Silver Airways to Macon and applaud their desire to offer
Georgians, and those traveling through our state, the choice of cost-effective,
convenient travel,” said Keith Golden, Georgia DOT Commissioner. “The EAS
program is a vital tool which provides rural communities access to key hubs in
the national air transportation system while encouraging economic growth.”
The EAS program was put into place to ensure small
communities served by certificated air carriers prior to the 1978 Airline
Deregulation Act maintain a minimal level of scheduled air service. The U.S.
Department of Transportation provides EAS communities with access to the
national air transportation system by subsidizing commuter airlines to serve
approximately 163 rural communities across the country that otherwise would not
receive scheduled air service. EAS eligible communities in Georgia include
Athens and Macon.
The transition from the current subsidy holder,
Pacific Wings, to Silver Airways will begin immediately. Pacific Wings notified
federal officials in the spring of 2012 that they would discontinue service in
Macon due to increased costs and decline in use. However, Pacific Wings was
prohibited from ending service until an alternate carrier could be named by the
USDOT.
Customers currently holding reservations are instructed to work with
representatives from Pacific Wings to make alternate air transportation
arrangements or arrange to receive a refund without penalty.
Silver Airways is a U.S. airline operating 190 daily
scheduled flights between 45 gateways in Florida, The Bahamas, Georgia,
Montana, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, Alabama, Washington, DC and
West Virginia. Silver Airways was recently honored with the 2013 Regional
Airline of the Year by Air Transport World (ATW), making them the first
U.S.-based airline to win the ATW Regional Airline of the Year award since 2008.
HHJ News
