Joplin officials seek extension of flights, but no word yet

Debby Woodin, The Joplin Globe, Mo.
·2 min read

Dec. 2—City officials are still in hopes the lone commercial airline serving Joplin will be able to extend flights beyond Dec. 31, but there's no guarantee yet.

Bart Starkey, manager of the Joplin Regional Airport, said in an email response to Globe questions about the status of SkyWest flights to Chicago and Denver: "We are in regular communication with the airline and are dealing with this on a month-to-month basis. Hopefully, we can weather this storm and come out better in the end."

Flights remained unchanged in November when SkyWest provided 12 round-trip flights a week, seven to Chicago and five to Denver. There is one change in the Chicago route for December.

"The Chicago flight will include a stop-over at Decatur, Illinois," Starkey wrote in the email response. "It's my understanding that Joplin passengers will not deplane, they will just board Decatur passengers to Chicago. Same with the return flight. Beyond December we have no official word" that an extension of the service will happen.

SkyWest Airlines notified the U.S. Department of Transportation in March that the airline intended to terminate United Express service at Joplin and 28 other United Express communities last summer. The airline said the reason was a national pilot shortage that has affected many U.S. airlines and led to flight cancellations, the airline said at the time.

Joplin and 28 other cities receive the service from a DOT program that provides subsidies to the airline. The department issued an order in response to SkyWest's notification that required SkyWest to continue service temporarily while bids were sought. Only one bid from a small airline with limited service, Boutique Air, offered service to some cities.

Joplin and its airport management worked with the city's airline consultant, Mike Mooney, from Volaire Aviation Consulting, and with SkyWest officials to find a way to continue the SkyWest service.

On June 13, the city submitted a letter from its airport board director rejecting the Boutique Air proposal and asking that the SkyWest service be continued with fewer flights.

Joplin's passenger counts have been adequate, according to both Starkey and Steven Stockam, retired airport manager.

"What is driving these issues with SkyWest does not involve economics," Starkey said in the email. "Joplin is an economically viable airport and we fill airplanes when we can get them. It is purely the lack of air crews to pilot the airplanes. This is a nationwide issue hitting regional air carriers and regional airports hard. We are in regular communication with the airline and are dealing with this on a month-to-month basis. Hopefully, we can weather this storm and come out better in the end."

SkyWest has not yet responded to an email from the Globe asking the airline's intent in regard to the future of Joplin service.