PORT ANGELES — Clallam County officials who want to entice Kenmore Air to resume passenger service to William R. Fairchild International Airport still have their hopes up in the air.
Kenmore Air was the only commercial passenger air service on the North Olympic Peninsula, flying passengers on Cessna Grand Caravans, which seated eight to nine people.
A meeting Thursday reached no agreement besides a consensus that representatives of the county’s public and private agencies “need to get back together,” said Jennifer States, director of business development for the Port of Port Angeles, who attended the meeting.
No new meeting has been scheduled.
Positive session
Kenmore President Todd Banks said Saturday that last week’s session had been positive, if inconclusive.
“The ball’s in their court,” he said. “I think we had a very good meeting.
“We just need some more clarity.”
Kenmore Air ceased serving Port Angeles on Nov. 14, citing low profits due to sagging ridership and climbing fuel costs, despite repeated campaigns to lure passengers to the service between Fairchild and Seattle’s Boeing Field. A bus shuttle carried passengers to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
The bottom line, according to States, is attracting more riders to the carrier. Raising fares, she said, simply decrease ridership.
“They have not gotten the number of passengers that they need,” she said.
Even a marketing campaign funded through a $400,000 federal Small Community Air Services grant to market the service didn’t raise enough ridership.
‘Ticketing bank’
One idea community officials have considered is a “ticketing bank” of guaranteed fares to be shared among local agencies, but those costs must be competitive with other means of transportation if public employees are to pay them, States said.
Besides States and Banks, Thursday’s meeting included Judith Morris, representing 6th District U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer; Clallam County Administrator Jim Jones; Nathan West, city planning director; Dan McKeen, city manager of Port Angeles; Bill Greenwood of the Clallam County Economic Development Council; Commissioner John Calhoun; airport manager Jerry Ludke; and Executive Director Ken O’Hollaren of the Port of Port Angeles.
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Reporter James Casey can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5074, or at jcasey@peninsuladailynews.com
