Westward hopes grounded
Skipped over by Delta, Minot keeps working for westbound flightBy JILL SCHRAMM, Staff Writer, jschramm@minotdailynews.com
Article Photos
Delta Air Lines' announcement Thursday that it will add routes from Bismarck and Fargo to its Salt Lake City hub next June left Minot frustrated but still determined to land its own westbound flight.
"I am disappointed," Minot Mayor Curt Zimbelman said Thursday following a statewide meeting in Bismarck with Delta/Northwest airlines president Ed Bastian.
"We are going to keep working," Zimbelman said. "Our citizens deserve it. Our base folks deserve it."
U.S. Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., set up the Bismarck meeting, which included Congressman Earl Pomeroy, D.-N.D., Gov. John Hoeven and representatives of Minot, Bismarck, Fargo, Grand Forks, Devils Lake and Jamestown.
Bastian received applause in announcing the new Bismarck and Fargo flights at the meeting.
However, Zimbelman said, "I don't think it really helps Minot out at all. People who want to go west are already coming down (to Bismarck). My biggest concern is you have two lower-tier cities southern cities getting all the westerly routes."
Both Fargo and Bismarck already have westbound service through other airlines. The new, daily direct flights would give one-stop access on SkyWest Airlines, a Delta connection partner, to the Salt Lake City hub that connects with 27 western destinations.
"We are very optimistic it will be very successful and, hopefully, it will be the start of looking for further expansion," Bastian said.
He discussed the company's desire to weather the economic downturn by growing revenue rather than cutting costs. He noted the financial strength of Delta coming into the merger but said it is the merger that has put the company in the position of being able to expand service. He described the new airline as "by far the healthiest" of any major airline.
"You are going to have a partner that will stay here. It's going to be committed here and it's actually going to look to grow opportunistically and take advantage of that financial strength," he said. "This is a strong company and it's a strong relationship that we have, and we are going to grow it and nurture it for many, many years to come."
Minot officials urged Delta to consider Minot in the future, presenting the airline with a service proposal that includes $816,200 in incentives for establishing a westbound flight. The city has a federal grant that enables it to offer a $500,000 revenue guarantee, $100,000 in marketing support and $120,000 in facility remodeling. An additional $50,000 will be spent on a "Fly Minot" program to benefit all carriers.
Zimbelman told Bastian about the need for a westbound flight because of the growth projected for Minot Air Force Base and for the developing oil industry.
"It's really important for us, for the economy of our city," he said.
Patrick Dame, airport manager, mentioned the city's concern over the merged airline's plans for a ground crew. Northwest out-sources that service but keeps an airline representative at the airport.
Bastian responded that no changes are planned that would diminish service or eliminate an airline representative.
MLT Vacations will benefit from the potential for increased business, according to airline officials. Working primarily with Northwest travel packages, MLT employs about 300 people in Minot.
"The Delta merger is good news for MLT," said Jim Cron, senior vice president of of sales with Delta/Northwest. "MLT is quite frankly in a better position now then they were pre-merger,"
In the short term, MLT stands to lose some jobs. MLT announced in November that its Northwest customer care division, which accounts for about 15 percent of its employees, would be closing. Despite the closure, the business is growing and anticipates additional hiring in the future.
Bastian sought to encourage his North Dakota audience by stressing Delta's interest in keeping flights to small communities.
Bastian said the airline will be reducing its flights 6 to 8 percent worldwide, but North Dakota should see no change in service level. Expect flight schedules to change, though. Delta's strategy has been to adjust schedules to meet passenger flying needs, which might mean fewer flights on certain days and more flights on others, he said.
North Dakota airports could see smaller aircraft offering more frequent flights. The regional jets used by Delta provide the same seat space for passengers and offer a flying experience similar to the bigger jets, Bastian said. Only the cargo capability is limited.
Asked about air fares, Bastian simply said the airline is committed to staying competitive.
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concerned
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12-06-08 9:31 PM
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You'd be suprised how much can be accomplish with a fresh perspective and getting more people involved making it feel like it's also their community!
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concerned
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12-06-08 9:30 PM
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Because I feel we have the same people over and over presenting and maybe seeing/hearing a fresh perspective might go in another direction one day. Look at Downtown how much has change with new DBPA officers and events! Not total change but reinforcing what the heart of Minot is all about as it was in the past with the music and lights like they did back in the day!
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concerned
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12-06-08 9:28 PM
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Again, I agree with Guzman Minot AFB is essential and getting a second airline would help! Furthermore, I feel the public should be notified of what is being presented because somebody out there might have a better idea/plan of how to present this to the officals at Delta
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Guzman
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12-05-08 5:27 PM
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In addition, the present Northwest flight schedule really suck. Who else has a flight that departs at the ungodly hour at 445 am? The next departure from MOT is 1100 and the last one departs at approximately 445 pm. I sincerely hope that Delta Airlines would overhaul the flight schedules into/outof MOT(Minot). If you think about it, the flights are very vital to our national defense, because of Minot AFB. Hector Guzman NYC USA
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concerned
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12-05-08 5:16 PM
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I agree with Guzman, with the oil and base activity, we should be stepping up and putting together a better package to sell to Delta! Maybe it's who we have in representation and how we communicate things that should be looked at!
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Guzman
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12-05-08 12:15 PM
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For some reason or another, Minot always seems to be at the short end of the stick, Why does Northwest only offers three daily flights from Minot to Minneapolis, while Bismarck offers five daily flights. It's totally unbalanced. Personally, I should know. I travel every three months to either Bismarck or Minot. Minot should have increased service in all directions because of the importance of Minot AFB and the additional B-52 wing. For your information, I'm a New Yorker who work for a major airline which does't fly to the Dakotas. Many thanks for your very kind attention in this matter. Sincerely, Hector Guzman NYC USA
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