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# Massen aTow n Counci l endorse s Cap e Ai r proposa l ESSENTIA L AI R SERVICE : Massachusett s carrie roffer s t o continu e flight s fro m NN Yt o Albany , ad d connectin g flight s t o Bosto n B yLAUR ABOMYE A JOHNSO N NEWSPAPER S FRIDAY , JUL

Y23 , 201 0 ARTICL E OPTION S A A AS E 3 O SHAR E ^

•..'•.. . MASSEN A —Th e Tow n Counci l has , i n aceremonia l vote , backe dCap e Air' s proposa l t o continu e servin g Massen aInternationa l Airport . Cap e Ai r i s on e o f thre e airline s hopin g t o secur e a federa l Essentia l Ai r

Servic e contrac t

t o serv e Massena , Watertow n an dOgdensbur g airports . I t no w provide s servic e t o Albany , an di t submitte dabi dt o ad dconnectin g flight s t o Boston . Tow nSuperviso r

Josep hD . Gra y abstaine dfro m Wednesday' s vote , sayin g h e fel t i t wa s no t necessar y fo r th e tow n t o tak e apositio n o n th e issue . A n ai r carrie r wil l b e selecte db y th e U.S . Departmen t of Transportation . Richar dB . Corbett , wh o manage s Cap e Air' s operation s i n Ogdensburg , attende dWednesday' s meetin g t o answe r

question s fro mboar dmember s abou t th e bi dsubmitte db y th e Hyannis , Mass.-base d airline . Cap e Ai r gav e th e governmen t

thre e options : • Maintainin g th e statu s qu o o f thre e dail y direc t flight s fro meac hof

th e thre e airport s t o Albany , wit h a nannua l subsid y o f

$4,562,619 ; • Offerin g thre e dail y direc t flight s fro mMassen a an dOgdensbur g t o Albany , i n th e even t Watertow n opte dt o g o wit halarge r carrier , fo r

asubsid y of $3,134,907 ; • Addin g servic e thre e time s dail y t o Bosto n vi a Alban y fro mtw o o r

thre e o f

th e nort hcountr y communities , fo r

acombine dannua l subsid y of NVsCraathreConi s R«al . Smar t Easy . www.cn»tiw«cor«ny.c(M n 

### CraravtCov c Yo u ma yus e thi s cop yfo ryou r personal , non-commercja l us e only . Redistributio n o rrepurposin g withou t expres s writte n permissio n o f th e Watertow n Dail yTime s i s strictl y prohibited . Copyright . Watertow n Dail yTimes , Inc . Watertown , NY . Al l right s reserved .$4,880,040 . Busines s Developmen t

Corp . Directo r

Jaso n A . Clark sai darecen t

ai r senic e sun'e y brough t bac k nearl y 6 0 responses . Of those , 6 8 percen t

preferre d Alban y a s th e destinatio n for plane s leavin g Massena , whil e 8 5 percen t

selecte deithe r

Alban y o r

Bosto na s th e preferre ddestination . "Peopl e ar e intereste di nbein g abl e t o fl y ou t ver y earl y i n th e mornin g an dretur n lat e a t night, " Mr . Clark tol dth e board . "The y wan t t o b e abl e t o g o d o thei r busines s an dretur nlate r tha t sam e day . Positiv e response s fo r

Alban y an dBosto n far exceede dan y othe r city. " Mr . Corbet t

sai dman y o f

thos e associate dwit h on e o f th e region' s fou r

universitie s tha t

hav e bee n usin g th e servic e hav e com e t o th e Massen aairport , wher e boarding s consistentl y hav e outpace dthos e i n Watertow n an dOgdensburg . Accordin g t o Cap e Air' s proposal , 10,57 2 passenger s hav e use dth e servic e fro mth e Massen aairpor t sinc e servic e bega n ther e i n Septembe r

2008 , compare dwit h6,73 8 i n Ogdensbur g an d7,99 7 i nWatertown . Unde r th e proposa l t o ad daBosto n leg , Cap e Ai r woul dcontinu e t o offe

r thre e flight s eac hda y betwee n a t leas t tw o of th e thre e communitie s an dAlbany , an d woul dgiv e passenger s th e optio n o f catchin g a connectin g fligh t

i nAlban y t o ho p ove r

t o Boston . " I thin k tha t Bosto nconnectio n i s agrea t idea, " Councilma nCharle s A . Rait i said . " I woul dlik e t o g o o nth e recor dsupportin g th e Cap e Ai r bid . I thin k

the y deserv e ou r

busines s becaus e the y helpe du s ou t whe n nobod y els e would , an dit' s agrea t service. " Als o i n th e mi x ar e proposal s fro mtw o othe r airline s —Gulfstrea man dCharte r Ai r —tha t submitte dbid s las t

wee k fo r servic e t o th e thre e airports . Gulfstrea mi s lookin g t o fl y nonsto p round-tri p flight s fro meac ho f

th e nort hcountr y communitie s t o Bosto no n19-passenge r Beec h1900 D turbopro p plane s fo r

a n annua l subsid y o f $7,583,211 . Th e company' s proposa l say s i t i s offerin g a n "al l o r nothing " contract , indicatin g i t woul dserv e al l thre e airport s o r

non e a t all . Tw o flight s woul db e offere d eac hweekda y an don e eac ho n Saturday s an d Sundays . Charte r Ai r ha s mad e tw o separat e proposals : • Nonsto p an done-sto p flight s fro mtw o o f th e thre e airport s t o Joh n F . Kenned y Internationa l Airpor t i nQueen s o n 30-sea t BA E320 0 Jetstrea m plane s fo r

annua l subsidie s betwee n $2,759,17 1 an d $2,985,816 .• Nonsto p an done-sto p flight s fro mal l thre e 'airport s t o JF K

fo r a n annua l subsid y o f

$4,568,040 . Official s sai dthe y wer e no t seriousl y considerin g th e Charte r

Ai r proposa l a t

thi s poin t

becaus e th e airlin e reportedl y ha s no t bee n certifie dt o fly Essentia l Ai r

Servic e routes . Whicheve r

proposa l th e tow n prefers , Mr . Corbet t encourage dth e boar dt o mak e it s preference s know n t o ensur e th e communit y receive s th e servic e i t wants . "I nth e proces s w e hav e jus t bee n throug hwit h Plattsburg han dSarana c Lake , communit y inpu t wa s ver y influential, " Mr . Corbet t said . "Your recommendatio n wil l carr y alo t o f weigh t wit hDOT. " Th e boar dagree dt o writ e alette r o f suppor t for th e Cap e Ai r

proposa l fo r

aBosto n connection , an d aske dMr . Clark

t o includ e th e result s o f th e communit y surve y t o strengthe n th e endorsement . Mr . Gra y sai dh e remaine dunconvince dtha t th e tow nshoul db e weighin g i n o n th e issue , an d abstaine dfro mvoting . " I appreciat e wha t

Cap e Ai r

ha s done, " h e said . " I wen t t o Hyanni s t o se e th e operatio n an dwa s ver y impressed . Bu t

i t i s wha t i t i s —it' s anine-passenger , no t pressurized , on e pilot , can't-fly-above-the-weathe r plane . I'v e hear dn o complaint s abou t i t excep t th e siz e o f th e plane. " SH0W_CO_MMENT S (0 )