I often hear people complain that they don’t have a voice, or their vote doesn’t count. While there is sometimes merit to those comments based on a variety of factors, other times it becomes its own self-fulfilling prophecy.

St. Lawrence County residents have a chance to shape the future of travel in the North Country by weighing in on which airline they'd like to see awarded a federal subsidy known as Essential Air Service.

It’s an opportunity for you to have a say in the future of the county and I’m told that public sentiment is a major factor in the decision process.

Known as EAS, the funding subsidizes air travel in rural communities that otherwise would not have the traffic to justify the cost.

Small airports like Ogdensburg and Massena are able to secure air service providers through the program.

Following a runway expansion in recent years, the Ogdensburg airport was able to provide commercial flights to Chicago and Washington D.C., as well as Florida.

Although the pandemic took a heavy toll on many industries, few were hit as hard as the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority, which saw the international bridge travel greatly restricted and air travel nearly shut down.

The economic downturn led Skywest to end service. Fortunately the OBPA was able to find another service provider through the Alternative Essential Air Service program. For the past few years Contour Air has been providing flights to Philadelphia. And while many have complained about canceled flights, especially in the winter months, the service has allowed St. Lawrence County residents to fly out of Ogdensburg to major travel hubs.

With that contract nearly up, Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority recently requested proposals to help the Department of Transportation determine which airline should receive the EAS subsidy and a part of that decision, which is weighed heavily in the process is public comment.

The airlines vying for the award are Contour Air, Breeze Air and Boutique Air.

Contour Air is offering 30-passenger flights to Philadelphia.

Breeze Airways would provide 137-passenger flights to either Washington D.C.

Boutique Air's proposal is lengthier than the other two with a total of seven options. Boutique flights would offer an 8-passenger plane with a pressurized cabin. They offer six options with destinations ranging from Newark, Chicago, Westchester, Washington D.C. and Pittsburgh.

The complete proposals can be found in an earlier story posted on NorthCountryNow.com.

Although I realize many St. Lawrence County residents may not use the service, that doesn’t mean it can’t benefit the community. Flights to and from major hubs allow access to our community which can be a bit daunting to reach due to our lack of  major highways. 

So I would strongly encourage all St. Lawrence County residents to consider sharing their thoughts and opinions on what destinations they think would be most beneficial for the area. This is one of the times your comments really do matter, don’t miss the opportunity.

You have until June 19 to submit public comment which can be done  https://www.regulations.gov/document/DOT-OST-1997-2842-0456/comment