Cedar City laments loss of S.L. flights

ST. GEORGE — A 30-year relationship between SkyWest Airlines and the Cedar City flying community is grounded due to a decision rendered this week by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

"This is not good," Cedar City Mayor Gerald Sherratt said Thursday, a day after learning the city's essential air service contract had been awarded to Phoenix-based Mesa Air Group. "This is of concern to us. Clearly somebody sitting back in an office in Washington, D.C., doesn't understand what this does to our community."

SkyWest Airlines responded Thursday by issuing a brief statement.

"Presently, we are working with the Department of Transportation to evaluate our options," said Alison Gemmell, director of marketing and communications.

SkyWest's federally subsidized two-year contract to provide air service between Cedar City and Salt Lake City expired at the end of 2005. SkyWest proposed continuing its current schedule of flying 18 weekly round-trip flights with a 30-seat aircraft from Cedar City to Salt Lake City for an annual subsidy of $1.6 million.

Mesa Air Group submitted four proposals that varied in service levels and cost. None of the options included flights to Salt Lake City. Under the option selected, Mesa Air Group said it would provide 16 departures a week (12 to Las Vegas and four to Phoenix) with a 19-seat aircraft at an annual subsidy of $897,537.

Several messages left for Peter Murnane, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Mesa Air Group, were not immediately returned.

Michael Reynolds, acting assistant secretary for aviation and international affairs in the Department of Transportation, said Mesa Air Group, through Air Midwest, would be Cedar City's new service provider.

"Given the wide disparity in the amount of subsidy required to support these proposed services, we find that the overall objectives of the Essential Air Service Program are best served by the selection of Air Midwest," Reynolds wrote in DOT's selection notice. "Its proposal could benefit Cedar City Airport users by providing additional options in connecting to the national air transportation system."

More than half of those who fly out of Cedar City, said Sherratt, go to Salt Lake City and then return. The other half, he said, connect with other flights.

"Clearly if they (DOT) had listened to the desires of Cedar City, they wouldn't have made the choice they did," Sherratt said. "We are very disappointed."