Durbin Calls for Better Air Service for Quincy, Marion, Decatur and Springfield Areas
DURBIN CALLS FOR BETTER AIR SERVICE FOR QUINCY, MARION, DECATUR AND SPRINGFIELD AREAS
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sent letters to the U.S. Transportation Secretary, Mary Peters and the President of American Eagle, Peter Bowler, urging them to strongly consider other airlines' applications when the contracts with the current regional airline serving Quincy, Marion and Decatur -- Regions Air -- expire in July. The Illinois lawmaker sent a third letter to the Mayors of the affected communities, informing them of his actions and future commitment to replacing Regions Air with a carrier that can provide the areas with reliable air service to St. Louis.
"The residents and businesses in central Illinois rely on and are entitled to dependable air service," said Durbin. "Regions Air has an unacceptable record: late 15 times more often than the average domestic carrier. When their contracts expire this summer, we need a new carrier that will provide our communities with the reliable air service they deserve."
Regions Air, operating as American Connection to St. Louis Lambert International Airport, currently receives over $3.5 million per year federal subsidy to operate Essential Air Service (EAS) to Quincy, Marion, and Decatur as part of two-year contracts with the Department of Transportation. The airline also provides service to Springfield's Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport. The EAS program is vital to these cities that are far from a medium or large hub airport and would otherwise be without air service. Regions' Illinois EAS contracts are set to expire in July.
"I have worked hard with community leaders to bring air service to our Downstate cities. But we cannot build a strong passenger base with an airline that is unreliable," Durbin added.
[Text of letters below]
February 27, 2007
The Honorable Mary Peters
Secretary
U.S. Department of Transportation
400 Seventh Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20590
Dear Secretary Peters:
I am writing to you regarding the Department's Essential Air Service (EAS) Program and Regions Air service in Illinois. Quincy, Marion, and Decatur are three EAS communities in Illinois that are currently served by Regions Air flights to St. Louis. The EAS program is vital to these cities that are far from a medium or large hub airport and would otherwise be without air service.
Regions has a code-share relationship with American Airlines, which allows passengers to seamlessly book travel on flights to and through American's regional hub at Lambert International Airport in St. Louis through American Connection. Regions receives over $3.5 million per year in EAS subsidies as part of the two-year contracts with the U.S. DOT.
In the last three months, Regions has failed to adequately fulfill its contracts to operate these flights. Flight cancellation figures for November, December, and January were 15.6 percent, 27 percent, and 15.5 percent, respectively. In contrast, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the average percentage of flights canceled in the domestic passenger market was 1.71 for all of 2006.
Regions' poor service record and large number of cancellations deter travelers from flying into or out of Quincy, Marion, Decatur, and Springfield which has a detrimental effect on the local economies. In addition, this deficient service is the primary factor for Quincy's inability to meet the important 10,000 passenger threshold, which qualifies Quincy Regional Airport for a $1 million Federal Aviation Administration grant.
Regions' Illinois EAS contracts in Marion and Quincy are set to expire in May and July, respectively. While Regions has the opportunity to re-apply for these contracts, I respectfully request that you give strong consideration to other airlines' applications. The people in the Quincy, Marion, Decatur, and Springfield (a non-EAS community) areas rely on and are entitled to efficient and dependable air service, which, unfortunately, Regions has failed to provide.
Thank you for your consideration of this request. I look forward to working with you to improve air service to underserved areas in Illinois and around the nation.
Sincerely,
Richard J. Durbin
Mr. Peter M. Bowler
President
American Eagle Airlines
4333 Amon Carter Boulevard
Fort Worth, TX 76155
Dear Mr. Bowler:
I enjoyed meeting with you and other American Airlines/American Eagle executives last week in Dallas about Illinois air service. I am writing to follow up on our discussion about Regions Air service in Illinois.
I was pleased to hear you speak about American Eagle's commitment to providing quality, dependable service to downstate Illinois as well as your desire to find a carrier to replace Regions Air, as warranted. As you know, Regions Air currently operates service from St. Louis to four cities in Illinois: Quincy, Marion, Decatur, and Springfield. Of those four cities, Quincy, Marion, and Decatur are all Essential Air Service (EAS) communities. The EAS program is vital to these cities that are far from a medium or large hub airport and would otherwise be without air service.
Regions receives over $3.5 million per year in EAS subsidies as part of two-year contracts with the U.S. Department of Transportation. In the past four months, Regions has failed to adequately fulfill its contract to operate these flights. Flight cancellation figures for November, December, and January were 15.6 percent, 27 percent, and 15.5 percent, respectively. Regions' poor service record and large number of cancellations deter travelers from flying into or out of Quincy, Marion, Decatur, and Springfield which has a detrimental effect on the local economies.
Regions' Illinois EAS contracts in Marion and Quincy are set to expire in May and July, respectively. While Regions has the opportunity to re-apply for these contracts, I encourage you to identify another carrier that can provide better American Connection service to downstate Illinois airports. The people in these communities rely on and are entitled to efficient and dependable air service, which, unfortunately, Regions has failed to provide.
I look forward to working with you to improve air service to underserved areas in Illinois.
Sincerely,
Richard J. Durbin
February 27, 2007
Mayor Paul Osborne, City of Decatur
One Gary K. Anderson Plaza
Decatur, IL 62523
Mayor Robert Butler, City of Marion
1102 Tower Square
Marion, IL 62959
Mayor Timothy Davlin, City of Springfield
800 E. Monroe, Rm. 300
Springfield, IL 62701
Mayor John A. Spring, City of Quincy
730 Maine Street
Quincy, IL 62301
Dear Mayors:
I am writing to you regarding problems with Regions Air service to your cities.
As you may know, Regions Air currently receives over $3.5 million per year in federal subsidies to operate Essential Air Service (EAS) to Quincy, Marion, and Decatur as part of a two-year contracts with the Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT). Regions also provides service to Springfield's Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport. In the past few months, Regions has failed to adequately fulfill these EAS contracts by establishing a record of poor service and a large number of cancellations, which deter travelers from flying into or out of your local airports.
Regions' Illinois EAS contracts in Marion and Quincy are set to expire in May and July, respectively. While Regions has the opportunity to re-apply for these contracts, I have requested that U.S. DOT seriously consider applications from other carriers. I have also met with American Airlines, which has a code-share relationship with Regions through American Connection, and asked them to work with other interested airlines to provide quality, dependable service from your communities to St. Louis.
I am including copies of my letters to U.S. DOT Secretary Mary Peters and American Eagle President Peter Bowler that detail these requests.
Unfortunately, Regions has failed to provide efficient and dependable service to downstate Illinois. I am committed to working with U.S. DOT and American Airlines/American Eagle to find a carrier that can provide the reliable air service your communities deserve.
Sincerely,
Richard J. Durbin
http://durbin.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=269769