Bids for Cape air service to be opened today

The sealed bids for Cape Girardeau's next passenger air carrier will be opened today in Washington, D.C.

At least one proposal will be no surprise. Great Lakes Airlines, which lost out to Big Sky Airlines last year, has already made its interest known. The Farmington, Mo.-based Charter Air Choice One has also indicated it will bid, according to airport manager Bruce Loy.

The U.S. Department of Transportation issued an emergency request for proposals after Big Sky Airlines announced last month it was closing. Commercial air passenger service from Cape Girardeau ended Monday.

With or without commercial passenger service, the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport has daily air traffic. Loy said that in 2007, the airport's control tower recorded 28,342 "operations," a combined average of 77 daily takeoffs and landings. Planes also use the airport when the tower is closed.

The traffic generated by private pilots often gets lost in talk about finding and retaining a commercial airline, he said.

Many planes arrive for fuel at the airport's fixed-base operation, or FBO, which offers other services, such as maintenance, and rents hangar and office space. In 2001, the city took over FBO operations. The FBO produced an income of $1,183,388 during the 2006 fiscal year, which ended in June; this fiscal year, the city has projected income of $1,340,439 for a total airport operating budget of $2,123,136. Airport operations are projected to bring in $440,869. The city will use $341,828 from its general fund to help pay the airport's expenses.

The state helps fund the airport with an annual grant of $167,000, specifically for control tower operations.

Between 1998 and 2007, the airport won grants totalling $4,232,384 from the Federal Aviation Administration, funding everything from security improvements to runway repairs and upgrades. The current renovations at the airport's main terminal are mainly funded this way. In addition to floors and walls begin resurfaced, restrooms have been upgraded to meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards. Rust is being removed from the terminal's support structure, counters have been replaced and walls are being painted.

Other federal agencies support airport directly or indirectly. The Transportation Security Administration signed a contract last year to pay the city $94,681 to assign two police officers to the airport. The TSA also assigned seven civilians to Cape Girardeau's airport to make passenger security checks. The TSA employees have been reassigned to St. Louis until passenger service returns to the regional airport. The police officers have been reassigned to patrol units.

The U.S. Department of Transportation indirectly supports the airport by making Essential Air Service payments to passenger carriers. Those payments are only made for completed flights. Big Sky was paid $16,469 for flights made during November.

In 2006, Cape Girardeau had 8,196 passengers boarding. If the airport reaches 10,000 commercial passengers per year, it will receive $1 million in guaranteed federal funding. Loy said that has happened five times, in 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1998.

Whatever airline is chosen will have to work to gain the trust of passengers skittish after being burned twice -- by RegionsAir in the spring, then by Big Sky -- in less than a year.

"They have to prove to people they'll be on time and not canceling flights," Loy said.

Despite ongoing criticism that the city is intent on choosing a company willing to fly to Cincinnati, Procter & Gamble's headquarter city, Loy said, "the more options they give us, the better."

The airport advisory board will meet at 5 p.m. Tuesday at the airport to review airline proposals.

pmcnichol@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127