Wine Country Express (Visalia) along with four other operators - Great Lakes Airlines (Cheyenne), SeaPort Airlines (Portland International), Mokulele Airlines (MHO, Kona), and Boutique Air (4B, San Francisco) - have submitted proposals to the US Department of Transportation for an Essential Air Service contract for the Californian town of Visalia, located 190 miles (310 km) north of Los Angeles.
The Makani Kai Air (Honolulu) subsidiary plans to operate twenty six weekly flights between Visalia and Los Angeles utilizing a nine passenger Cessna (single turboprop) Grand Caravan. If successful, it would operate the California flights under the new Wine Country Express brand.
"A second option offers Cessna Caravan service in years one and two and Beech 1900D service in years three and four," its application reads.
Incumbent operator Great Lakes' contract for daily Los Angeles International flights is set to expire at the end of September.
