ADI Aerodynamics (Pontiac Oakland County International) has terminated its Youngstown/Warren-Chicago O'Hare scheduled service after the Western Reserve Port Authority (WRPA) announced it had ceased funding for it.
The route, ADI's first scheduled service, launched last month under its Great Lakes Jet Express (Youngstown/Warren) brand.
In a statement issued to the Tribune Chronicle newspaper, the WRPA said its decision to defund the service stemmed from several unresolved issues with ADI among which were the carrier's alleged misrepresentation of its interline agreement with United Airlines (UA, Chicago O'Hare).
"Board members determined the flights would not be successful as operated by Great Lakes JetExpress/ADI after losing one of the two connecting flight agreements that were established prior to launch, despite being assured otherwise," it said.
The paper says the WRPA discovered only after the sale of tickets began, that the agreement did not extend to its Youngstown-Chicago service. This severely impacted the marketability of the route given the lack of onward connectivity from Chicago.
United reportedly removed the route from its retail portal after it discovered that it only had an interline agreement with Great Lakes Airlines (Cheyenne), the route's marketing carrier, as opposed to ADI, its actual operator.
"ADI had hoped to negotiate an orderly discontinuation of service, but unfortunately have been unable to come to terms with the Western Reserve Port Authority Board," the airline said in its own statement. "The reluctance of the WRPA Board to come to a reasonable ceasing of operations and service leaves ADI with no option other than to discontinue air service immediately."
Despite the route's termination, ADI continues to offer scheduled service. At present, it is offering Watertown, SD-Pierre-Denver International return flights, again under its Great Lakes Jet Express banner.
