Kenmore Air will fly passengers between Jefferson County and Lake Union during the Hood Canal Bridge closure, the firm announced, and has planned stops in Port Hadlock and Port Ludlow.
The company wants to fly float planes into Port Townsend as well during the six-week closure that will begin on May 1 — but that’s going to require some work, city officials said.
From May 1 to June 15, while the eastern half of the bridge is being replaced, the Seattle-based airline plans to fly float planes into the waterfront communities three times a day and then return to Seattle.
However, the city of Port Townsend does not have a location where a float plane can land.
“The time line to do the permitting is incredibly tight, to say the least,” said City Manager David Timmons.
“To be getting through the permitting process in time for the closure is going to be nearly impossible, in my estimate.
“We might have better luck aligning the planets — but we’re going to try.”
Timmons said the city would make the attempt to fulfill all permitting requirements necessary to attach a floating-airplane-accessible dock on one of the city’s docks.
He added that it will take perfect coordination to get all the federal and state permitting done by May 1.
Harris optimistic
Kevin Harris, a Port Townsend developer who owns the lease to the Quincy Street dock, believes he can get repairs done and permits approved by May 1.
“A lot has to happen in the next six weeks,” Harris said. “But it is doable.”
Harris was one of the catalysts for encouraging Kenmore to fly into Jefferson County during the bridge closure.
“There is no more perfect time than right now to get this to happen permanently,” Harris said.
“After this first period, hopefully they will see there is a market here and continue to fly in.”
Harris said he knew the dock would need repairs as well as permits for planes to dock but was optimistic.
“I give credit to Kenmore for saying they want to come in despite not having a location quite yet.”
Craig O’Neill, director of marketing for Kenmore Air, said that regardless of the fate of the Port Townsend location, the company still plans flights in and out of Port Hadlock and Port Ludlow.
“We’re sure hoping Port Townsend works out,” O’Neill said. “These are strictly seaplanes, so we have to have a dock.
“We are working on it with [Harris], and we’re still hopeful that this will happen.
“If not, we will still serve Port Ludlow and Port Hadlock.”
O’Neill called Harris “the spark plug in the whole thing. Without him, none of this would have happened.
“He is the one who convinced us to look at this.”
Flight details
Prices have been set at $79 for one-way tickets and $158 for a round-trip.
Flight times will be between 20 and 35 minutes each way, O’Neill said.
Flights will operate from Lake Union in downtown Seattle, the Inn at Port Hadlock and the Resort at Port Ludlow.
If Port Townsend can establish a location, it will be added to the flight plan.
O’Neill said that Kenmore’s planes could fly either six or up to 10 passengers, depending on the demand.
“We would match the equipment to the load,” he said.
O’Neill said he wouldn’t make any promises but that the service would be a test for a possible long-term flight set-up between Seattle and Jefferson County.
“I think there may be some longer-term potential,” O’Neill said.
Harris said he approached Kenmore after becoming concerned about having quick transportation to Port Townsend.
Shoreline permits with the city of Port Townsend and the Port of Port Townsend will have to be secured, he said.
The state has offered one of its Kingston-Edmonds ferries to handle large commercial truck traffic on the North Olympic Peninsula during the closure.
That ferry also would hold cars and walk-on passengers but would only make one round trip between Edmonds from Port Townsend late at night before returning to Kingston.
As is planned now, Port Angeles-based Victoria Express will provide passenger transportation across Hood Canal between South Point in Jefferson County and Lofall in Kitsap County during the bridge closure.
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Reporter Erik Hidle can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at erik.hidle@peninsuladailynews.com.
