Trending
Passengers flying out of the Williamsport Regional Airport for business will be able to fly out earlier beginning Jan. 1, announced a representative of Southern Airways at the Lycoming County commissioners meeting.
"After much tug of war and trying to loosen resources, we will be improving and expanding our schedule here from 10 to 12 round trips per week," said Mark Cestari, chief commercial officer at Southern Airways Corp.
"We are also going to be overnighting aircraft here which is going to allow us to dramatically improve our schedule," he added.
The new schedule, as outlined by Cestari, will have a flight departing weekdays at 5:50 a.m., which will arrive at Washington's Dulles Airport at 7:20 a.m. An afternoon flight will leave at 2:45 p.m. and arrive at Dulles at 4:50 p.m.
"Pretty much optimal times," Cestari pointed out.
Flights will leave Dulles at 12:50 p.m. and arrive at Williamsport at 2:24 p.m. The cleanup flight from Dulles will be at 5:25 with an arrival time of 6:59 p.m. at Williamsport.
"It's just about a perfect schedule," he said.
One of the benefits for business travelers is better connectivity.
"If you're going to some place like Raleigh, Durhan or Atlanta or Jacksonville, this 5:50 trip will let you get to those destinations or a place like Boston, before 10 in the morning which is really what the business traveler needs," Cestari said.
"The other thing that's going to be great is that this schedule will allow for your local travelers, out and back the same day in D.C. You leave at 5:50 a.m., do a day's worth of business, come back at 5:25 and be home for dinner at 7 p.m. -- that was not possible before and I cannot tell you how many local travelers have been asking for that," he said.
The changes in the schedule are expected to generate a 25 percent increase in ridership and revenue, Cestari told the commissioners, adding that it was "very significant."
That increase should get the ridership up to around 70 percent.
"The higher our ridership, the higher our revenue the less of the revenue guarantee," he said.
The commissioners had agreed and approved a resolution stating that the county would commit $500,000 for the Small Community Air Service Development (SCASD) program as part of a local match of funds to be utilized as the revenue guarantee for operating the airport.
Other entities contributing to the program are the airport, Williamsport-Lycoming Chamber of Commerce and local businesses.
"This is a as needed draw down if they need it," Commissioner Scott Metzger said.
As ridership increases, the utilization of these funds decreases, it was noted.
Cestaro also shared that the southern is adding 90 new caravan aircraft to their fleet over the next five years.
"The flower will be updated, upgraded ad then we're going to get back in expansion mode," he said.
The first two of the new planes are expected to arrive shortly and will offer much improved passenger comfort, he said.
"Like a new car. Much better reliability and lower repair costs," he said.
Other actions taken by the commissioners during the meeting included extending the deadline allowing for property owners affected by flooding from Tropical Storm Debbie in August to obtain permits at no-cost until Dec. 23. The original cut-off had been Nov. 7.
According to Shannon Rossman, director of the planning and community development, this will allow property owners more time "to get their permits in and work with the zoning administrator to make sure everything is handled according to the zoning and floodplain ordinance."
The commissioner approved the following action items: a change order with H&P Construction in the amount of $20,757 for work done at the Northway Community Church polling site as part of the county's work at making polling sites American with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant; approved the grant contract with Commonwealth Financing Authority to be used to purchase equipment associated with the Central Forensics Facility Equipment Project in the amount of $346,511; submitting a funding request to the Spirit of Blue Foundation to acquire safety and tactical equipment for the Narcotics Enforcement Unit; the 2023-24 PHARE (Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement) subrecipient agreement with the American Rescue Workers in the amount of $150,000; the purchase of a snow plow and salt spreader from Ground Shaker Motorsports in the amount of $12,975; and the reappointment of Commissioner Scott Metzger to the Conservation District for one year.
Under personnel, the commissioners approved filling the following positions at the rates of pay listed: Rachel Fox, Licensed Practical Nurse at the Prison, $30 per hour; Jay Rice and Joshua Clancy, correctional officers, union positions, at the prison, $20 per hour each.
The next commissioners meeting will be at 10 a.m. Nov. 21 in the Commissioners' Board Room, 3rd floor Third Street Plaza, 33 W. Third St.