By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post
U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., was at the Hays Regional Airport Thursday afternoon to talk with city and airport officials about issues currently affecting the airport.
Moran servers on the commerce committee in the senate which oversees the Federal Aviation Administration and currently the committee is holding hearings regarding the reauthorization of the FAA.
Moran said he believes this is an opportunity to “try and advocate in support of midsize, small town airports.”
He also said it was a good opportunity to get a perspective on an airport that “he knows reasonably well.” He said he flew out of the Hays Airport at 5:05 a.m. every Monday morning from 1997 to September 2011 on his way to Washington.
According to estimates by Airport Manager Nathan Marcucci, the airport will serve about 8,200 passengers this year as the airport tries to recover from a lengthy gap in service and the less than adequate service provided by Great Lakes Airlines.
Moran said, “Great Lakes did us a great disservice.” He said once people chose a new way of doing things it will take a while to get them back.
SkyWest Airlines was selected last spring as the new air service provider for the Hays Regional Airport.
City Commissioner Shaun Musil said he has not heard any complaints since the city switched essential air service from Great Lakes to SkyWest but they believe the later departure and arrival time is hurting passenger numbers.
Due to changes in the way the company handled their fleet, SkyWest dropped the 5:50 a.m. departure time at the Hays Regional Airport and the earliest flight out was about 2 p.m. The change was supposed to be temporary but so far Hays still does not have an early flight.
Musil said the change affects people trying to connect to other cities.
“I you’re going to the east coast you almost have to stay overnight in Denver,” he said.
Public Works Director I.D. Creech, who served as the interim Airport Manager for a period of time said last month’s passenger load was “dismal” compared to normal months, about 520 according to Marcucci.
But Creech said he believes there are opportunities for the earlier flight times to return if “we can put people on the plane.”
In the past, the commission and the airport advisory board have expressed frustration with the change in schedule because that was part of the reason SkyWest was selected for air service in Hays.
But Moran said a subsidy creates problems and when you have a subsidy, “it’s about collecting the subsidy (for the airlines) as compared to how do I attract flyers, how do I attract passengers?”
“So while you all will tell me how important the essential air service subsidy is, it creates another set of problems just because it takes some of the market pressures away from an airline,” said Moran.
Currently, airport staff and the Hays Area Chamber of Commerce are working together to try and get more affordable and family friendly trips out of Hays.
The airport is also hosting the PECAN Weather Open House this Saturday from 2 to 5 p.m and Great Planes on the Great Plains Fly in June 13 in an effort to draw more people to the airport.