Essential Air Service at Parkersburg, Morgantown, Clarksburg and Fairmont West Virginia

Order 2005-4-19
OST-2005-20734 - EAS at Parkersburg, WV
OST-2005-20735 - EAS at Morgantown, WV
OST-2005-20736 - EAS at Clarksburg/Fairmont, WV

Issued April 19, 2005 | Served April 22, 2005

Order Prohibiting Termination of Service and Requesting Proposals

Because Air Midwest's termination of all scheduled service at Parkersburg, Morgantown and Clarkshurg/Fairmont would leave the communities without any air service, we must prohibit the carrier from terminating such service at the end of its 90‑day notice periods, and require it to maintain service at each community, for an initial 30‑day period, consisting of three round trips to Pittsburgh each weekday and over each weekend period. Furthermore, we will require Air Midwest to maintain service at these communities for successive 30‑day periods until we have completed processing the carrier replacement case and the new carrier has actually started service.

We expect proposals consisting of service, at a minimum, with two‑pilot, twin‑engine aircraft with at least 15 passenger seats, and offering three round trips each weekday and weekend period between the community and the hub city. Proposals for Parkersburg should contemplate nonstop service to Pittsburgh. Proposals for Morgantown and Clarksburg/Fairmont should contemplate nonstop or one‑stop service to either Pittsburgh or Washington, D.C. Carriers may also propose service to any other suitable hub offering convenient access to the nation's air transportation system. We encourage proposals that meet those requirements in an efficient manner. Carriers are also welcome to propose more than one service option, if they choose; they need not limit themselves to those requirements if they envision other, potentially more attractive service possibilities‑different hubs, for example‑with subsidy requirements that remain competitive. As we discussed earlier, the Department might be in a position to offer up to six commuter DCA slots for Clarksburg/Fairrnont and Morgantown, so carriers may submit DCA proposals as well.

Historical traffic for Parkersburg, Morgantown and Clarksburg/Fairmont is detailed in Appendix B. During the year ended January 31, 2004, the most recent 12‑month period for which traffic data are available for all three communities, Parkersburg averaged 52.8 enpianements a day, Morgantown averaged 33.9 enpianements a day, and Clarksburg/Fairmont averaged 26.8 enpianements a day.

By: Karan Bhatia