Essential Air Service at Laurel/Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Order 04-06-06
OST-01-10685 - EAS at Laurel/Hattiesburg, MS

Issued June 7, 2004 | Served June 10, 2004

Order Requesting Proposals | Word

By this order, the Department is requesting proposals from carriers interested in providing essential air service at Laurel/Hattiesburg, Mississippi, for the two-year period beginning July 1, 2004.

We expect proposals consisting of service, at a minimum, with two-pilot, twin-engine, 15-seat or larger aircraft, and two or three round trips a day to Memphis. For proposals with 30-seat or larger aircraft, we would not be inclined to authorize subsidy for more than two round trips a day. Such service is generally consistent with what the community now receives, and fully satisfies Laurel/Hattiesburg's essential air service requirements.

Prior to September 11, 2001, Laurel/Hattiesburg was served without subsidy for many years to Memphis by Mesaba. Based on a review of the historical traffic using the Hattiesburg ‑Laurel Regional Airport, the number of local passengers appears to have been growing every year through 2000, reaching a peak of 12,412 annual enplanements ‑ about 40 passenger enplanements a service day. Since then, enplanements averaged 37, 33, and 36 per day for 2001, 002, and 2003, respectively.

By: Karan Bhatia