TWE REDUCES CAPE FLIGHTS

Faced with a reduced federal subsidy, Trans World Express of St. Louis on Monday cut back on its flight schedule.

It could have been worse. Congress had talked of eliminating subsidies to commuter airlines entirely.

That would have left Cape Girardeau without any commuter airline flights, said Bill Mishk, marketing director for TWE.

TWE is Cape Girardeau's only commuter airline, providing passenger service to and from St. Louis.

"No one hates to lose service," said Mishk. But he said it is better than no service at all.

TWE reduced its daily round trip flights on weekdays from three to one, and eliminated all three of its weekend flights.

The airline eliminated the early-morning flight to St. Louis and a return flight that arrived back in Cape Girardeau around 9 p.m. weekdays.

TWE had received an annual Essential Air Services subsidy of $254,525 for serving the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport. But Congress recently reduced the subsidy to $164,027.

Nationwide, the subsidies totaled $30.9 million to airlines serving 107 communities. The total amount for fiscal 1996 was cut to $22.6 million.

The lesser subsidy only covers two round trips daily on weekdays.

"It is sort of the Contract with America comes home," Mishk said. "The good news is that two of the three flights will be remaining."

Without the subsidy, it would be difficult for TWE to serve Cape Girardeau. "There is just not enough demand to make the flights profitable," Mishk said.

The subsidy also prevents other airlines from even considering flights to Cape Girardeau, the city's airport manager, Greg Chenoweth, has said.

The flight cuts come at a time when the city is working to increase traffic through the airport and is waiting for a decision from the Federal Aviation Administration as to whether it will get continued funding for the air traffic control tower.

As of Monday, the FAA hadn't made a long-term decision about the city-run tower. City officials had hoped for a decision last month.

The FAA earlier this year agreed to fund the tower operation through the end of December, with the city paying the cost of liability insurance.

Should annual air traffic reach 10,000 boardings, the airport will qualify for more federal money for airport improvements.

In 1994, TWE accounted for 6,330 of the approximately 8,000 boardings at Cape Girardeau Regional Airport.

City officials said they hope to convince TWE to restore some flights.

But Mishk said that isn't likely for now.

Mishk said he believes customers of TWE will continue to fly out of Cape Girardeau even with the reduced flight schedule.