After many months of consideration and debate, a new Essential Air Service or 'EAS' contract has been selected for the Manistee/Ludington airport in northwestern Michigan. The carrier chosen is Cape Air, despite controversy and letters from both community members and the CEO of San Francisco-based Boutique Air. At the beginning of July 2020, AirlineGeeks reported on a letter submitted by Boutique Air CEO Shawn Simpson accusing American Airlines of interference with the bidding process, citing unfair competition due to American…
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, routes provided by Essential Air Service (EAS) — a Department of Transporation (DOT) program that subsidizes flights to airports that might not otherwise receive service — have become, as the name suggests, essential. That's true not only for the communities and travelers that rely on the…
