SeaPort Airlines (Portland International) is set to be awarded an Essential Air Services contract (EAS) for the Californian town of Visalia, located north of Los Angeles. Local media reports state the decision to select the Oregonian operator over bids from Wine Country Express (Visalia), Mokulele Airlines (MHO, Kona), Boutique Air (4B, San Francisco), and incumbent Great Lakes Airlines (Cheyenne), stemmed from its proposal to operate smaller aircraft to the airports in the face of tighter US Department of Transportation regulations governing towns' eligibility for EAS services.
Visalia's municipality had been confronted with the choice of either a reduced EAS service or quitting the program altogether and qualifying for USD2.9million in federal funding for charter ground transit services.
DoT filings show SeaPort's proposal, which also included the nearby town of Merced Regional, is valued at USD1,990,563, and will see 12x weekly flights to Oakland International and Burbank operated on-board a Cessna (single turboprop) 208B Caravan. Currently, Visalia is connected to Los Angeles International by Great Lakes using a Beech 1900D.
The DoT will rule on the municipality's recommendation later this month.
