search
July 27, 2010

Keep the airport service at the status quo

Once again, it is time for the state to choose which airline will serve Augusta. Once again US Airways is bidding to continue service while Cape Air is bidding to take over. I am writing to express my support for US Airways.

Service? You can't get there from here. Not easily anyway. As an experiment, I tried booking a trip through Cape Air. I discovered that you have to buy two tickets, a ticket to Boston from Cape Air and a ticket elsewhere on another airline and visit two websites.

US Airways is pretty much one-stop shopping regardless of how it is done. US Airways: 230 destination airports without leaving the US Airways system. Jet Blue: 50. Cape Air: a handful in New England.

Safety and convenience are service issues that go to the aircraft and crew employed. US Airways' SAAB with 34 seats, two pilots, and a flight attendant is certainly the winner over Cape Air's Cessna with nine seats and one pilot. That's three crew members looking after the safety of passengers versus one; and what if that one pilot is incapacitated (as has occurred)?

Message? With US Airways in the past year, the Augusta airport has gone from service by a smaller plane to a bigger plane. The airport terminal has been improved, as have its emergency response capabilities. A brand-name airline, US Airways, shows up on tourist and economic development websites. This message is that Augusta and Central Maine are worth a visit or a new business.

On the other hand, downsizing to a no-name service with the reduced levels of safety and convenience is a terrible message. Are Maine's capital and Central Maine unworthy of a real airline connection to the rest of the world?

Kevin McGinnis

Hallowell

Were you interviewed for this story? If so, please fill out our accuracy form

Send Question/Comment to the Publisher




Further Discussion

Here at PressHerald.com we value our readers and are committed to growing our community by encouraging you to add to the discussion. To ensure conscientious dialogue we have implemented a strict no-bullying policy. To participate, you must follow our Terms of Use.

Questions about the article? Add them below and we’ll try to answer them or do a follow-up post as soon as we can. Technical problems? Email them to us with an exact description of the problem. Make sure to include:
  • Type of computer or mobile device your are using
  • Exact operating system and browser you are viewing the site on (TIP: You can easily determine your operating system here.)


Most...