Essential Air Service at Macon, Georgia

Order 2007-10-20
OST-2007-28671

Issued October 16, 2007 | Served October 19, 2007

Order Requesting Proposals

On July 2, 2007, Atlantic Southeast Airlines filed a 90-day notice to suspend its subsidy-free EAS at Macon, Georgia, effective October 1, 2007. We initially requested proposals by Order 2007-6-12, July 13, 2007, and required ASA to provide two daily nonstop round trips per day to Atlanta with either regional jets or ATR-72 aircraft The order noted that Macon is a major community of 100,000 residents, 79 miles from the Atlanta airport, and had never previously needed subsidy support from the EAS program. ASA operates its service to Macon pursuant to a code-share agreement with Delta Air Lines.

Macon's service needs may be met with two round trips a day with 30-seat or larger aircraft. Because of the community's large traffic generating potential and proximity to Atlanta, we encourage proposals for more frequent service with smaller aircraft, e.g., three or four daily round trips with 19-seat aircraft. All service to Atlanta should be nonstop.

We encourage proposals that meet the community's requirements in an efficient manner. We recognize that there is convenient ground transportation between Macon and Atlanta, so service to another hub, or service with a mix of larger and smaller aircraft, may be more appropriate. Carriers are also welcome to propose more than one service option, if they choose. They need not limit themselves to the current service pattern if they envision other, potentially more attractive service possibilities with subsidy requirements that remain competitive.

By: Todd Homan