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ALPENA -- Alpena County and other interested parties have requested an extension to provide more time to consider deciding which of the two flight schedule proposals presented by SkyWest Airlines it intends to accept.
At a meeting Thursday, a dual-hub option with flights to and from Detroit and Minneapolis were discussed as well as another proposal that would keep the schedule the same as it is.
United States Department of Transportation has granted a one-week extension, which will allow more time for a decision to be made and for public input on the proposals.
Once a decision is made, a letter will be sent to USDOT with the selection and the final decision will rest with the federal government. Whichever proposal USDOT approves will likely lead to a new two-year contract with SkyWest.
According to Airport Manager Steve Smigelski, the proposed flight schedule that includes Minneapolis will be a touch different than the current one. He said a jet will depart Detroit Metro International Airport at 10 a.m. bound for Alpena and land at about 11 a.m. The plane will leave Alpena bound for Minneapolis and arrive there at about noon. The afternoon flight will have a jet depart Minneapolis at 3 p.m., Alpena at 5:30 p.m. and depart to Detroit at 6 p.m. and then return to Detroit at 7 p.m. There is no weekend Minneapolis flight scheduled, but one round trip flight to Detroit on Saturday and Sunday. Smigelski said a time for that flight has not yet been announced.
The current schedule has a flight that leaves Alpena at 5:15 a.m., stops in Pellston and arrives in Detroit at about 7:45 a.m. The second flight leaves Detroit at 12:10 p.m., arrives in Alpena at 1:11 p.m. and departs for Metro again at 2:50 p.m. The final flight for the current schedule leaves Detroit at 8:14 p.m., stops in Pellston and arrives in Alpena at 10:37 p.m. The jet remains in Alpena overnight.
The county hired a consultant to review both proposals and according to Smigelski, the consultant believes that the addition of a Minneapolis flight could boost enplanements. He said it was projected that an increase in paid passengers could have a positive impact on enplanements each year. Iron Mountain saw a boost when it added a Minneapolis route. Smigelski said there are differences between the two airports and their locations however, and SkyWest is projecting a smaller increase. Escanaba also saw an increase in activity at its airport and has a schedule similar to options similar to that proposed for Alpena.
"It is being somewhat conservative and expecting 5,000 more people in and out," he said.
With the choice of the new schedule, there will be some concessions that need to be made, Smigelski said. One concession is Alpena will lose its early morning flight to Detroit. Smigelski said the study showed the early flight to Metro averaged only nine passengers per day and the new Detroit flight times should fill the plane closer to capacity.
"There are trade-offs, there always are," Smigelski said. "The consultant said as long as the community understands there won't be an early morning departure flight or evening inbound flight, option two should put more passengers in the seats."
Smigelski said the new Detroit flight will still provide travelers who need to catch connecting flights a good variety of times to choose from. The addition of Minneapolis will reduce the selection destinations and connections. He said the consultant did a detailed comparison on the current schedule and the proposed one to be sure Alpena wouldn't be hurt by the change, although some business travelers who rely on early morning flights could be impacted.
"He took the proposed dates and times and overlapped them with the current schedule top get a direct comparison. He expects our numbers could increase significantly," he said.
Although the county owns the Alpena County Regional Airport, the USDOT recognizes Alpena Mayor Matt Waligora as the highest ranking public official and he is the one who sends the selection letter . Waligora said he is pleased USDOT has granted the extension, which pushes the date for a decision to May 4, and allows for more time for members of the community to voice their opinions on the proposals.
"Getting public support is one of the main points DOT looks at when considering the proposals," Waligora said. "The input is very important and we welcome it."
Waligora said anyone wishing to comment on the proposals can contact any county commissioner, the Alpena Area Chamber of Commerce or himself at 766-3557. People can also leave comment on Alpena County Regional Airport's Facebook page.
Steve Schulwitz can be reached via email at sschulwitz@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5689. Follow Steve on Twitter ss_alpenanews.
SkyWest Flight Schedule Proposals
Proposal 1 (Current)
Morning Flight
Depart Alpena at 5:15 a.m.
Arrive in Detroit (via Pellston) at 7:45 a.m.
Afternoon Flight
Depart Detroit at 12:10 p.m.
Arrive in Alpena at 1:11 p.m.
Depart for Detroit at 1:45 p.m.
Arrive in Detroit at 2:49 p.m.
Evening Flight
Depart Detroit at 8:14 p.m.
Arrive in Alpena (via Pellston) at 10:37 p.m.
Proposal 2
Morning Flight
Depart Detroit at 10 a.m.
Arrive in Alpena at 11 a.m.
Depart Alpena at 11:30 a.m.
Arrive in Minneapolis at noon
Afternoon Flight
Depart Minneapolis at 3 p.m.
Arrive in Alpena at 5:30 p.m.
Depart Alpena at 6 p.m.
Arrive in Detroit at 7 p.m.
* The times of one round-trip weekend flight has yet to be announced