Five airlines and one ground transportation service have applied for the Essential Air Service contract at McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport in Jackson.
The five are –
Air Charter – Rome, N.Y.
Air Choice One – St. Louis
Boutique Air – San Francisco, Calif.
Cape Air – Boston
Southern Airways Express – Memphis
TransportAzumah proposes a two year contract for the Essential Air Service at Jackson TN for a subsidy of $1,168,000 per year.
TransportAzumah proposes a direct airport bus service between Jackson TN and Memphis TN (MEM) four times per day, seven days per week with a motorcoach.
The minimum motorcoach size would be 36 passengers. There would be no charge for the service from Jackson to Memphis as long as the passengers are already ticketed for a flight out of the Memphis airport. The service would require an advance booking at our website to guarantee a seat on the bus.
The Essential Air Contract was up for bid after Steve Smith, Executive Director of the Jackson-Madison County Airport Authority, said Boutique Air’s missteps over the Thanksgiving holidays left him no alternative but to request their withdrawal from the Jackson market.
Dozens of travelers were left stranded by delays and cancellations.
They were recommended by the Jackson-Madison County Airport Authority committee, and the Department of Transportation selected Boutique Air for a two-year period from June 1, 2021, through May 31, 2023.
After contacting Boutique Air, Inc. and the Department of Transportation, the following actions could occur; (a) the DOT may order Boutique Air to cease operations at McKellar-Sipes, (b) the DOT may force Boutique Air to continue operations until a new carrier is chosen, or (c) the DOT may require Boutique Air to fulfill their contractual obligations regardless of circumstances.
