The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded Great Lakes Aviation Ltd. an approximately $2.3 million contract for essential air service between Decatur and St. Louis.

Flights can begin as soon as the airline can work out the logistics, but an airline spokeswoman remained unsure Wednesday exactly when that will be.

“We’re hoping in early May we’ll have something off the ground,” said Monica Taylor, Great Lakes’ director of sales and marketing.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Springfield, on Wednesday sent a letter to Chuck Howell, CEO of Great Lakes, asking the Wyoming-based airline to begin providing scheduled passenger service from Decatur, Marion/Herrin, Quincy and Springfield to St. Louis as soon as possible.

Of those cities, only Springfield does not have an “essential air service agreement,” a federal program that subsidizes carriers to fly to cities that would not otherwise have air service.

“Without the air service that these downstate communities have come to rely on, basic travel, tourism and economic development has been disrupted,” said Durbin, who had urged the Department of Transportation to consider alternatives to Tennessee-based RegionsAir following increased service disruptions and delays in flights this winter between St. Louis and the four Illinois airports.

Bill Clevenger, executive director of the Decatur Park District, which operates the airport, said he appreciate Durbin’s efforts.

“It’s one of those situations where he has been with this issue all along, and I think it always has a positive effect when he’s working on it so regularly,” Clevenger said.

Great Lakes was awarded the two-year essential air service contract after the Department of Transportation asked for emergency proposals to provide the service after RegionsAir was shut down.

RegionsAir was grounded twice in one week in March because of violations of Federal Aviation Administration pilot training regulation. RegionsAir hasn’t flown since March 8.

Great Lakes, the only airline to submit a proposal, will receive subsidies of about $1.3 million in the first year and just greater than $1 million in the second year of its contract.

Its agreement in Decatur runs from when the airline starts service through May 31, 2009.

“It will be nice to offer the airport services again and reliable service to St. Louis and points beyond,” Clevenger said.

The agreement calls for Great Lakes to operate 24 nonstop, round-trip flights each week using 19-seat Beech 1900 aircraft, a twin-engine turboprop.

Decatur Mayor Paul Osborne and Park District President Jack Kenny wrote a letter asking the airline to consider using 30-seat airplanes.

TransState Airlines, which operated flights at Decatur Airport prior to RegionsAir taking over last year, used 30-seaters, Clevenger said.

“We’d like to see us get back to 30-seaters, if we can at some point in time,” Clevenger said.

Under the DOT order, Great Lakes will coordinate with RegionsAir to get planes back in flight. Great Lakes will work in conjunction with American Airlines once service resumes.

RegionsAir, whose essential air contract expires June 30, 2008, will lose its eligibility for subsidies once Great Lakes begins full service.

Clevenger admits it will take some work to restore passenger confidence in using the airport.

“Prior to the issues with Regions, we had good ridership,” Clevenger said. “… Just over 60 percent of the seats were filled out of Decatur. We know that Decatur fliers were using the airport and supporting that service.”

The DOT asked RegionsAir to contact all travelers holding reservations for flights that have been suspended to inform them of the suspension and of Great Lakes’ replacement service. RegionsAir is to secure alternate air transportation for such travelers or to provide a refund if one is requested.

“Given the reliability and good, safe transportation to points beyond St. Louis, which we had prior to the demise of Regions,” Clevenger said, “we hope the local travelers will come back and give the airport and airline a try again.”

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