In Monday's City Commission Meeting, Commissioners deliberated on granting authorization to the Mayor to sign a letter conveying the City of Salina's favored airline choice under the Essential Air Service program to the United States Department of Transportation.
BACKGROUND:
Salina relies on the federal Essential Air Service Program (EAS) for its commercial air service, a program sanctioned by the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT). The Salina Airport Authority (SAA) oversees the administration of this process locally and collaborates with the designated airline. This year witnessed a reevaluation of this service, culminating in the submission of bids on November 14th.
After the submission deadline, Tim Rogers, Executive Director of SAA, conducted a comprehensive review of the proposals, presenting a memo outlining SAA's evaluation and their subsequent recommendation.
The USDOT extends the opportunity for communities and stakeholders to submit letters of support or recommendation as part of the selection process. On behalf of the Salina Airport Authority, Mr. Rogers requested that the City of Salina endorse the Skywest Airlines proposal by submitting a letter of support.