Johnstown Airport Update

Because services at the airport are federally subsidized and contracts are awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation, nothing is official yet.  But members of the airport authority say they want Colgan Air to continue flying out of Johnstown.

At a special meeting held Wednesday afternoon, the Airport Authority looked for public input before deciding which proposal to recommend.   

The two offers on the table are from Gulfstream International Airlines and Colgan air.

Colgan has been providing service in Johnstown and Altoona for the last six years.   

Of the two, Gulfstream's bid was lower.  They would provide only two flights per day, routing travelers through Cleveland.

Colgan Air currently provides four flights daily to Dulles International Airport near Washington D.C.   

Raymond Porsh, chairman of the Airport Authority, says the two main factors in making their decision were rates and reliability.  After considering both options and listening to the public's input, they decided to recommend Federal authorities accept the proposal submitted by Colgan Air.

"We got some assurances from Colgan that things were going to change.  They're going to take a close look at the fares and make sure that they have competitive fares out of here.  They're also going to share in the marketing of the airport," Porsh said. 

Another corner the Airport Authority would like to turn when it comes to providing service to the region is upgrades to the runways.  Repairs have been underway all month but have been plagued by delays because of rain.  Those repairs are now expected to be completed no later than June 20th.