Huelskamp Pressures Department of Transportation to Continue Great Bend Air Service
WASHINGTON – Congressman Huelskamp sent a letter to the Department of Transportation (DOT) expressing support for continued air service at the Great Bend Airport.
In early February, the DOT issued an order proposing termination of service at the airport.
In the letter, Huelskamp and Senators Roberts and Moran detail how inconsistent service at the airport over the past two years has resulted in Kansans unable to utilize fully the service. Over fifty percent of scheduled flights by SeaPort Airlines, the most recent provider in Great Bend, were cancelled in 2015. SeaPort abandoned their Great Bend contract prematurely in January 2016. SeaPort and the DOT both claim a shortage in pilots to fly those flights is the cause for cancellations and inconsistent service.
Huelskamp gave the following statement on the need to resume air service:
“Rural communities in Barton County and the surrounding region need reliable air service to thrive. Kansans deserve another try at this service, with a consistent carrier. If a pilot shortage is the true cause of problems facing Great Bend and other rural airports across the United States, DOT should work with FAA to assess what barriers are suppressing the supply of qualified pilots the market demands.”
