Great Lakes moves forward on EAS flights in Montana

November 6, 2008

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Great Lakes Aviation has taken a step toward restoring Essential Air Service flights to Glendive by purchasing new aircraft, though airline representatives still are unable to commit to a specific start date.

Glendive and six other eastern Montana communities lost air service in March when Big Sky Airlines stopped running flights.

By Melissa Smith Ranger-Review Staff Writer

Great Lakes took over the EAS contract, but so far has been able to resume flights in only three communities: Sidney, Lewistown, and, just last week, Miles City.

Monica Taylor, marketing and sales director for Great Lakes, said Monday that the company is getting closer to bringing the remaining communities online. Great Lakes has purchased seven aircraft, all Beechcraft 1900Ds, the same type formerly used by Big Sky.

She said it will take between three and four weeks for aircraft inspections at Great Lakes’ base in Cheyenne, Wyo., and the hope is to get Glendive, Glasgow, Wolf Point and Havre fights up and running all at the same time.

However, Taylor noted, that does not mean that the company will stall service to one community just for the sake of waiting for the others.

“We’ll stagger if we need to,”she said. “We’re not going to hold off on one just for the sake of waiting.”

Part of the reason that the three communities with restored service are operating already, Taylor said, is that Great Lakes was able to use existing resources to get them going and to establish Denver as a destination point, rather than Billings.

Great Lakes has operations in other states that currently fly into Denver, as well.

Glendive and the other remaining eastern Montana cities, she said, likely will offer flights to Billings, and the airline has not yet become operational in that city.

“It makes sense for them to go to Billings,”?she said. “That’s our number one priority is to get up in Billings, but at the same time we have to have cities that serve Billings, so they’re all a priority.”

Dawson Community Airport Manager Leon Baker said as soon as Great Lakes is ready to go online in Glendive, he is ready.

“We’re ready right now,”he said. “We’re ready in 30 minutes.”

Baker and Dawson County Commissioner Adam Gartner said they are pleased that Great Lakes will keep Billings as a hub for Glendive’s flights, rather than using Denver.

“It’s got to be an option to go to Billings,”Gartner said. “That’s what people here need. Just going from Glendive to Denver is not going to work.”

Despite Great Lakes’ assurances of commitment to restoring Glendive’s air service, Gartner said he remains skeptical.

“When they get here and I see them land, that’s when I’ll believe it,”he said.

The company had initially promised a seamless transition, in which no air service would be disrupted.

However, Taylor said previously that Great Lakes was unable to secure the necessary equipment to fulfill the contract right away.

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