Two airlines to pitch services today

Southern Express Airways and Air Choice One vying for essential air service provision

The terminal for the South Arkansas Regional Airport at Goodwin Field. (News-Times file)
The terminal for the South Arkansas Regional Airport at Goodwin Field. (News-Times file)

The El Dorado Airport Commission will meet today with two airlines who are vying for a federal contract to serve as the area’s next Essential Air Service provider.

Representatives from Southern Airways Express, the area’s current EAS provider, and Air Choice One are scheduled to visit with commissioners at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., respectively, at South Arkansas Regional Airport at Goodwin Field.

SARA manager Johnathan Estes said both airlines will display planes from their fleet, telling airport commissioners that Southern will fly in one its newly remodeled Cessna 208 Caravans and a Pilatus PC-12, both of which seat nine, for comparison and Air Choice will bring a 19-passenger Beechcraft 1900.

Southern Express and Air Choice One are two of five airlines who turned in proposals for a subsidized contract with the United States Department of Transportation to provide scheduled air service for three EAS communities in Arkansas — El Dorado, Hot Springs and Harrison.

Southern Express has served as the area’s EAS provider for the past few years, having been awarded the USDOT contract in 2016 after former EAS provider, SeaPort Airlines, filed for bankruptcy and was forced to pull out of El Dorado, per court order, before fulfilling its EAS contract in Arkansas.

Southern began flying out of SARA in the spring of 2017 and was awarded a second EAS contract in 2019. The current contract expires May 1, 2021.

Boutique Air, Denver Air and SkyWest were three other commercial airline carriers who submitted buds to the USDOT.

Airport commissioners met Sept. 14 to sift through the proposals and agreed to follow-up meetings with Southern and Air Choice for presentations.

Stan Little, chairman and chief executive officer of Southern Airways, attended the meeting and made a pitch for commissioners to continue with Southern, which now offers daily flights to Dallas and Memphis.

Options that were presented in Southern’s 2020 bid proposal include flights on Cessna Caravans for:

• 18 round trips per week to Dallas, $2.5 million.

• 14 round trips per week to Dallas and four round trips to Memphis, $2.6 million.

• 12 round trips per week to Dallas and six round trips to Memphis, $2.6 million.

• 12 weekly round trips to Dallas and six round trips to Houston, $2.7 million.

Estes explained that the Pilatus options list the same proposed routes and frequencies as the Cessna Caravans options.

“The PC-12, being a faster aircraft and having the capability to climb higher, contributes to an increase in the required subsidy amount,” Estes said.

Air Choice proposed three options, including:

• 18 round trips per week to Dallas, $2.6 million.

• 12 weekly round trips to Dallas and six round trips to Memphis, $2.6 million

• 12 round trips per week to Dallas and six round trips to Atlanta $2.8 million.

Estes noted that Air Choice also submitted a bid to serve Jonesboro, another EAS community in Arkansas.

After meeting with Southern and Air Choice, airport commissioners will review the proposals and make their recommendation to the USDOT, who will then make the final decision.

Upcoming Events