fort dodge airport to mason city iowa airport

“We’re concerned that SkyWest Charter’s application has been allowed to languish at the D-O-T for over a year. Sims says there’s no regulatory reason why SkyWest Charter’s authorization should be withheld.

“We know that a highly qualified operator like SkyWest Charter will be able to provide our community with exceptional air service,” Sims says. However they are now being limited due to the pilot shortage,” he says. For the last several years, SkyWest has come in and been providing safe and quality airline service to communities. “The number of quality providers for E-A-S service continues to drop just due to the pressures from the pilot shortage. Mason City Municipal Airport manager David Sims says north-central Iowa relies on having commercial air service out of the airport, but that’s getting tougher under the Essential Air Service program. “We are simply seeking fairness in approving a clearly fit operator so S-W-C can provide safe, reliable services as the industry works through the ongoing captain shortage.” “There is nothing new in this application, and others are regularly exercising this authority with lesser standards and without opposition,” Steel says.

Speaking at a news conference today (Wednesday) Steel says SkyWest Charter has waited for over a year for the U-S D-O-T to approve their application for commuter authority and says it’s time for the agency to act and not leave smaller commercial airports in limbo for future air service. This is a commitment that no other Part 135 carrier has made.” “We plan to launch operations with dual captains on our flight deck and are committed to using pilots with an ATP license, and yes, that means those with 15-hundred hours in both seats. Skywest Charter’s chief commercial officer Wade Steel says his company’s safety programs far exceed the requirements of the FAA’s Part 135 charter authority rules. The Air Line Pilots Association International union has opposed the plan, saying it jeopardizes aviation safety standards. SkyWest launched the SkyWest Charter subsidiary in April as the charter authority only requires pilots to have 500 hours of flight experience, compared to the 15-hundred hours for a traditional airline pilot or first officer. (Radio Iowa) – Managers from Mason City, Fort Dodge, and four Kansas airports are asking the U-S Department of Transportation to approve an application for SkyWest Airlines to provide charter jet service under the Essential Air Service program.

Fort dodge airport to mason city iowa airport