DOT picks RegionsAir for BRA
Changes are coming to Bradford Regional Airport.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced that RegionsAir of Tennessee will be servicing the airport under the auspices of Continental Airlines, and will change hub cities from Pittsburgh to Cleveland.
Local airport officials said they will make the changes work despite an original desire to have Washington as a hub city and to retain current carrier Colgan Air Inc. While no date has been set for the changeover, officials said they expect the transition will be seamless.
"Obviously, we would have liked to have Dulles (Washington), but we can understand the Department of Transportation's decision," Airport Advisory Committee Chairman Mike Glesk told The Era during a meeting with Airport Director Tom Frungillo and Rob Huber, a member of the Airport Advisory Committee. "Getting out of Pittsburgh isn't a bad thing. We got great service from Colgan, but we will now work with RegionsAir."
While not their first choice, the trio said the change does accomplish two primary goals - changing from Pittsburgh and US Airways.
"This could be a breath of fresh air to have a new carrier to work with," Huber said. "We believe there is potential with Cleveland, which has competitive fares."
The final decision by DOT eventually came down to money; the federal government would have had to pay a higher subsidy to Colgan to fly into Washington's Dulles International Airport under the federal Essential Air Service program.
In a report on its decision, the DOT indicated RegionsAir will operate the same 34-passenger aircraft, complete with steward and lavatory, that currently service Bradford Regional.
Numerous federal, state and local officials from both sides of the border - Bradford shares flights with nearby Jamestown, N.Y. - sent correspondence to the DOT over the past few months in an attempt to solidify their stance of changing hub cities to Washington and retaining Colgan as the airline servicing both facilities.
Officials said they preferred Washington due to its larger selection of international flights for business and leisure travelers.
"We would've preferred a different ruling from the Department of Transportation, but we view this decision as an opportunity to forge a new and mutually beneficial relationship with a carrier we hope can serve the short and long-term needs of the area," U.S. Rep. John Peterson's, R-Pa., Communications Director Chris Tucker said. "Cleveland offers travelers in the region another option for air travel, which should help all of our airports in the long run.
"We're hopeful that RegionsAir can become an important facilitator for, and central partner in, the community's ongoing economic expansion."
The Bradford Era
