Editor’s note: After the following story went to press, the federal government sent a letter to affected airports, announcing that the Department of Transportation had secured more funding to extend EAS and AEAS through Nov. 2. Operations would continue as usual and airports — including the Altoona-Blair County Airport — would be reimbursed on schedule through the new deadline. All the information in the following article was accurate at the time of publication.
MARTINSBURG — Although there will not be any funding for the Essential Air Service program after Sunday amid the government shutdown, Contour Airlines plans to continue its service at the Altoona-Blair County Airport, officials said.
According to airport manager Tracy Plessinger, officials received a notification from the federal Department of Transportation stating the airport will not receive funding for future flights after Sunday while the shutdown is in place.
Plessinger said the Altoona-Blair County Airport is part of the Alternate Essential Air Service program, which is similar to the EAS program. But they differ in terms of how airline services get paid, he said.
Under the AEAS program, Plessinger said the federal Department of Transportation provides grant funding to the Altoona-Blair County Airport and airport officials pay Contour Airlines for each flight to the Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
The government pays airlines directly under the EAS program, Plessinger said.
Plessinger said he contacted Contour Airlines Chief Executive Officer Matt Chaifetz to notify him that the AEAS payments will be delayed after Sunday.
Chaifetz reportedly said Contour intends to continue flying out of the airport with uninterrupted service, according to Plessinger.
“They’re going to keep flying the flights as normal,” Plessinger said.
Plessinger said federal Transportation Security Administration employees are still working — unpaid — at both the Altoona and Charlotte airports.
He said some airports are experiencing delays due to a shortage of available air traffic control staff during the shutdown. Plessinger said he hasn’t heard of any significant delays at the Charlotte airport.
Board member Herb Bolger pointed out that the Philadelphia International Airport, Contour’s former service destination, is one of the airports experiencing delays.
“But luckily … we no longer go there,” Bolger said.
The airport authority canceled its meeting Wednesday due to a lack of quorum, but officials continued to celebrate the successful transition of the Charlotte route.
According to Plessinger’s written report, Contour’s overall completion rate for September was 100%.
Officials don’t have the final passenger numbers for September yet, but they know — based on TSA screenings — that they’ve enplaned over 10,000 passengers from Oct. 1, 2024, to Sept. 30, Plessinger said.
La Fiesta’s sales for September were down 13% from August and down 2% year over year, according to Plessinger’s report.
Although officials don’t have sales totals for the airport’s Avis/Budget location for September, Avis/Budget manager Nick Bechtel noted September was the fourth consecutive month the rental car business has sold over 200 units.
Year over year, Avis/Budget is up 71 units, Bechtel said.
Plessinger noted in his report that Contour now has a full-time mechanic based at the airport.
“This should make its service even more reliable as the on-site mechanic will be able to handle regular maintenance items and any other issues that arise,” Plessinger said in his report.
Mirror Staff Writer Matt Churella is at 814-946-7520.