Journal Staff Report

Three airlines have bid to provide commercial air service at Falls International Airport, the International Falls — Koochiching County Airport Commission learned this week from the United States Department of Transportation.

The three carriers submitting proposals were Sky West Airlines, Great Lakes Airlines and Sovereign Airlines.  

Bob Anderson, chairman of the Airport Commission, said commission members were very pleased to learn that the three airlines were interested in serving the Falls Airport and had been in contact with Delta, Great Lakes, SkyWest and U.S. DOT throughout the bidding process.

This is a second round of bidding for service to Falls International. The first round produced only a bid from Great Lakes. Other communities included in that round of bidding were Brainerd; Rhinelander, Wis.; and Iron Mountain, Mich.

The SkyWest bid would provide CRJ-200 jet aircraft with 50 seats, a flight attendant and bathroom.  They propose serving the Falls with two flights daily each way Monday through Friday and one flight each way on Saturday and Sunday with stops in Brainerd on weekdays to Minneapolis-St. Paul. A definite schedule has not been spelled out by SkyWest Airlines as to times and days of the week only that they would fly to International Falls 12 times per week.

SkyWest also would have code-sharing, ticketing and baggage agreements with Delta Airlines, which currently serves the Falls.

The new bid to serve the Falls by Great Lakes Airlines mirrors their its bid with service by 19-passenger aircraft, three times daily with direct flights to the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport. Based on the bid information, the 19-passenger planes do not have a flight attendant or a bathroom. It also is unclear at this time whether arrangements have been made to coordinate ticketing with other airlines or whether terminal space is available for Great Lakes at Minneapolis-St. Paul.

The U.S. DOT received information from Great Lakes in June this year that it was in the process of re-engineering their business model and suggesting the U.S. DOT should consider calling for new bids for service to these communities. Great Lakes indicated it did not want to hinder the communities from considering other alternatives in securing a replacement airline for Delta Airlines, which had given notice of leaving 24 regional airports, including the four still open that were bid on by Great Lakes.

According to communications with U.S. DOT, only the Sky West and Great Lakes bids are being considered, since Sovereign Airlines, the third bidder, has not yet received the licensures required for commercial operation.

At this time, the Airport Commission is looking favorably on the SkyWest bid, Anderson said, and the commission is drafting letters to the U.S. DOT in support of the jet service.

The SkyWest bid calls for only two flights daily and the 50 seats will be shared with Brainerd, said Anderson, but the commission believes that level of service will be more acceptable to the flying public than what is offered by the others.

Anderson also noted that the Falls Airport Commission has been in communication with the Brainerd-Crow Wing County Airport Commission and both commissions view the SkyWest bid and proposed service as most favorable for the communities jointly.   

SkyWest has been serving the Bemidji Airport with jet service this year.   

The U.S. DOT will accept community comments until Aug. 17. Meanwhile they are evaluating the bids and will make final decisions in conjunction with the communities.  

No date has been set for any changes in service and Delta Airlines will continue to serve the Falls Airport until a replacement is decided on and the chosen airline is prepared to begin service.