Boutique Air (4B, San Francisco) has submitted a joint proposal with the Chautauqua County to the US Department of Transportation (DOT) to restore the Essential Air Service (EAS) availability at Jamestown Chautauqua County.

According to the proposal, Boutique Air would connect Jamestown with Pittsburgh International using its PC-12 aircraft.

The DOT terminated the EAS availability at Jamestown in mid-January 2018 due to the airport significantly exceeding the USD200 per passenger subsidy cap. The airport had been served by Southern Airways Express (9X, Memphis International) until then.

Boutique Air believes that by achieving a much higher completion rate and offering a better schedule with earlier departures and later returns to Jamestown, it could achieve a higher number of passengers and subsequently bring the subsidy per passenger under the USD200 threshold.

"During the calendar year 2017, Southern Airways Express completed 1483 inbound and outbound flights of a scheduled 2717 under the EAS contract for a completion rate of 54.6%," the proposal pointed out.

Boutique Air would also offer passengers wider connecting options due to its interline agreement with United Airlines. Southern Airways Express had no interline agreements in place.

Jamestown currently sees no scheduled traffic.