VISALIA, Calif. (KFSN) — Residents in Visalia may soon be able to fly without traveling to Fresno first.<\/p>\n
City officials there are working to determine whether to bring commercial flights back through the Essential Air Service program.<\/p>\n
“We’re looking at flights from maybe $100, $150, to maybe $200 to go down to LAX,” said Liz Wynn, Visalia’s Vice Mayor.<\/p>\n
Before that can happen, city leaders say they’ll need to decide whether providing service through EAS will be worth it this time.<\/p>\n
The federal initiative was established in 1978 and subsidizes flights to rural communities like Visalia.<\/p>\n
The city used EAS services in the past but exited that agreement in May of 2017.<\/p>\n
“At that juncture of time, it wasn’t providing the kind of service that we felt our constituents were expecting,” said Steve Nelson, the city council member who represents District 5.<\/p>\n
Back then, Visalia was at risk of being booted from the subsidy program due to low ridership and rising costs.<\/p>\n
So, city leaders accepted a separate federal grant for $3.7 million, on the condition that it would not host EAS for 10 years.<\/p>\n
Over the last decade, that money has been spent improving the airport.<\/p>\n
But this May, it will once again be eligible for EAS services.<\/p>\n
Currently, a committee of several council members is considering entering a five-year contract with one of a handful of potential operators.<\/p>\n
Their decision will be based on several factors, including the likelihood that the one they choose, can meet at least 18 round-trip flights a week.<\/p>\n
But bringing commercial flights back will come at a cost.<\/p>\n
“You would probably have an engine parked at the airport. That is a cost. Training’s a cost. If you have to get a new apparatus, that’s an additional cost,” said Nelson.<\/p>\n
Leaders say they’ll need to weigh those costs and their options before putting out feelers to residents.<\/p>\n
“Then we’ll hear from the community… what do they want in an essential air service here in Visalia,” said Wynn.<\/p>\n
Visalia’s city council will discuss next steps during its regular meeting Monday night.<\/p>\n
In the coming months, the committee will decide whether they’d like to move forward with any of the potential operators and make their recommendation to the council.<\/p>\n
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