OGDENSBURG -- Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority is recommending Breeze Air for the federal Essential Air Service subsidy, but not without some concerns.

Following public comment Thursday, OBPA board members voted 4-1 in favor of Breeze's proposal. Voting against the measure was Nicole Terminelli, who shared concerns about the late evening flight schedule in the proposal and the lack of interline connectivity.

Board members Diane Para and Toni Kennedy were not present.

"The lack of an interline agreement makes me very nervous," she said. Terminelli said for traveling families, a 9:30 p.m. arrival time in Washington D.C. was not a realistic option.

Airport Manager Charlie Garrelts said that the arrival time is something that has been discussed with Breeze and that it can be adjusted. He said that based on the most recent conversations an afternoon flight would be more likely if the subsidy is awarded to Breeze.

Board Chairman Vernon 'Sam' Burns also spoke to the interline flight concerns. He said that while it is potentially a major issue, Breeze is working to secure connections and he remains hopeful they will be able to do so prior to providing flights.

Despite those statements Terminelli maintained her reservations.

Two members of the public spoke in favor of Contour Air. That airline currently provides flights out of Ogdensburg to Philadelphia twice daily. Although both speakers raised concerns about past experiences of being stranded due to flight cancellations by Contour, they agreed that the new partnership with Skywest was likely to alleviate those concerns.

One of the attendees said she spoke at length about her concerns with Contours CEO and believed they had genuine solutions to past problems.

Also speaking during public comment was former OBPA Chairman Sam LaMacchia who voiced strong support for Breeze Air. He pointed to the success of Allegiant Air, a company that provided flights from Ogdensburg to Florida prior to the pandemic without subsidies. He noted that some members of the management team from Allegiant are now with Breeze. He said they are a fast growing airline that knows the city and has expressed interest in providing flights outside of the subsidy program.

LaMacchia also said that Breeze's 137 passenger jets are more in line with OBPA's vision of making Ogdensburg a regional hub and will be more attractive to Canadian travelers.

Although he did not downplay the potential problems associated with a lack of connecting flights, he seemed assured that Breeze would be able to secure connections and or provide additional flights from D.C. to other locations.

Although Boutique Air also submitted a proposal, there was little discussion about it at the meeting.

That seems largely due to the limitations of an 8-passenger aircraft.

Chairman Burns said that OBPA was grateful to all three airlines and that they were fortunate to have so much interest from providers.

OBPA's recommendation falls in line with Ogdensburg City Council's recent endorsement of Breeze Air.

The recommendation will now be passed on to the Department of Transportation which will make the final determination.

Details on the proposals can be found at https://northcountrynow.com/stories/airlines-share-strengths-and-weaknesses-at-they-vie-for-ogensburgs-essential-air-service,244883?

What is Essential Air Service?

The Essential Air Service (EAS) Program is a federal subsidy for airlines to provide commercial air service to rural communities that would otherwise lack such connectivity due to market conditions.

Although the final decision rests with the Department of Transportation, Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority and the community have the ability to influence that decision.

Those who would like to review the above proposals and submit comments can do so by visiting www.regulations.gov/document/DOT-OST-1997-2842-0456/comment

Input can also be sent to Michael Martin at the Department of Transportation  at Michael.F.Martin@dot.gov before June 19.