Three airlines compete to replace PenAir in Del Norte

DEL NORTE – Del Norte is weighing their options to decide what airline will replace PenAir at the county airport.

The county and the Border Coast Regional Airport Authority is in talks with three potential airlines to replace the Essential Air Service contract that PenAir is giving up.

One is Contour Airlines, offering a plane that can hold up to 30 passengers that would fly in and out of Oakland, said to be flexible.

They would offer twelve flights a week – two on week days and one a day on the weekends.

There is also Great Lake Airlines, similarly offering flights with a 30 passenger capacities and similar scheduling, however they would fly between Del Norte and Sacramento.

Another choice, Boutique Air, is offering nine passenger flights to and from Portland.

A committee made up of two supervisors, two city council members and one member of the public are hearing presentations from each airline and scheduled to make a recommendation to the Del Norte County Board of Supervisors on Thursday.

Come the end of October, supervisors plan on approving or denying that recommendation.

Their goal is to have the selected airline start service close to the beginning of next year.

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