OBSERVER Photo by Gregory Bacon
Members of the Chautauqua County Planning Board are pictured outside the Jamestown airport. The planning board toured the airport during its monthly meeting.
A study that will be used regarding the possibility of bringing commercial air service back to Jamestown has been completed and could be released to the public soon.
On Tuesday, the Chautauqua County Planning Board met at the Jamestown airport with Manager Shannon Barnhart, where she presented the five-year plan for both the Jamestown and Dunkirk airports. The plans focus on maintaining and improving runaways, terminals, and signage.
After the presentation, The Post-Journal/OBSERVER asked Barnhart about the market study.
“We presented it to the airport commission last month. It wasn’t open to the public,” she said.
Barnhart said she expects to make a presentation to county lawmakers next, but doesn’t have a timeline. She said it could happen as early as this month.
Barnhart added that County Executive PJ Wendel was not at the airport commission meeting, but has been briefed about the information.
In the spring, the county authorized spending $75,000 on the market study. Of that amount, $50,000 came from the county’s American Rescue Plan Act funds and $25,000 came from the county Industrial Development Agency.
Jamestown lost commercial service when the federal Transportation Department terminated Essential Air Service eligibility for Jamestown on Jan. 16, 2018. That decision was made because the local airport wasn’t meeting the federal standard of 10 passengers a day nor the federal government’s $200 per rider subsidy cap.
The market study is required if the county chooses to apply to get a commercial airline back in Jamestown. “It’s data to support us in our application for essential air service,” Barnhart said.