Essential Air Service at Gulkana, May Creek and McCarthy, Alaska

Order 2008-9-9
OST-1995-492 - Gulkana
OST-1996-2009 - May Creek and McCarthy

Issued and Served September 9, 2008

Order Requesting Proposals | Word

By this order, the Department is requesting proposals by September 25 from carriers interested in providing essential air service at Gulkana, May Creek, and McCarthy, Alaska, for the two-year period beginning February 1, 2009, with or without subsidy.

With specific respect to Gulkana, we expect proposals consisting of two nonstop round trips to Anchorage each week with aircraft having a capacity of four to six seats. At May Creek and McCarthy, we expect proposals consisting of two round trips each week over a Gulkana-McCarthy-May Creek-Gulkana routing with aircraft having a capacity of at least three seats during the six-month winter season, and having a capacity of four seats during the six-month summer season.

By Order 2006-11-23, November 27, 2006, the Department re-selected Ellis Air Taxi, Inc. to provide subsidized essential air service at Gulkana, May Creek, and McCarthy for the two-year period from February 1, 2007, through January 31, 2009, at a combined annual subsidy of $392,174. Gulkana’s service consists of two nonstop round trips a week between Gulkana and Anchorage with six-seat, Piper PA-31, twin-engine aircraft. May Creek and McCarthy receive two round trips a week over a Gulkana-McCarthy-May Creek-Gulkana routing with four-seat Cessna 206 aircraft during the six-month summer season, and with three-seat, Cessna 185, skiequiped aircraft during the six-month winter season. An annual subsidy rate of $224,890 was set for the Gulkana-Anchorage service, and an annual subsidy rate of $167,284 was set for the Gulkana-McCarthy-May Creek-Gulkana service. The carrier’s rate term for both services will expire January 31, 2009.

By: Todd Homan