The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) has selected Boutique Air (4B, San Francisco) to provide Essential Air Services (EAS) to Massena, New York for two years until March 31, 2019. Boutique will replace Cape Air (9K, Hyannis), which has operated the contract since 2008 using Cessna (twin piston) 402 aircraft.
In making its decision, the DOT took into consideration the community's concerns that all flights be operated with two pilots. Cape Air is currently not in a position to guarantee that it can meet this requirement due to a pilot shortage. The town of Massena, represented by Town Supervisor Joseph Gray, requested that their EAS be exempted from the two-engine requirement, allowing Boutique Air to run services using its Pilatus PC-12 aircraft, which are also more comfortable.
Boutique will provide a 1x daily service to Baltimore International and 2x daily to Albany, NY for a total annual subsidy of USD2,870,608.
