Airport halfway to goal

By Gerard O’Brien of the Montana Standard - 08/19/2008

The Bert Mooney Airport has raised about $30,000 in pledges to be used as matching funds for a federal grant to subsidize a third Delta Airlines flight to Butte, airport officials said.

The airport is trying to raise $150,000 in matching funds for a $455,000 Department of Transportation grant that would pay for a year’s worth of fuel for the third Delta flight to Salt Lake City. In addition to the pledges, the airport has contributed about $35,000 of its own funds, Airport Manager Rick Griffith said.

Officials mailed letters to about 80 businesses last Friday; they will approach larger corporations for help in the coming days, Griffith said.

“If we have the commitment from businesses, the pledge, not necessarily the money, we may hit the deadline,” Griffith said.

Residents are helping out, too, with some mailing in $100 checks. In addition to cash, the airport has about 200 letters of support to accompany the grant application.

The fundraising campaign was prompted by flight cuts that have stressed the airport; Horizon Airlines — which provides a Seattle connection n announced earlier this year it would pull out of Butte.

Currently, there are two Delta flights, one that leaves at 6:35 a.m. and the other at 2:15 p.m., both for the Salt Lake hub. Come Sept. 1, the afternoon flight will leave at 12:55 p.m. If a third flight materializes, it would leave Butte about 4 p.m.

Meanwhile, Horizon’s last flight out of Butte is Sunday at 2 p.m.

“It’s a pretty somber day here,” Griffith said Monday, after meeting with the Horizon employees. “The pull-out affects about 10 to 12 jobs. A couple of people have 19 years each with the company and have opted to retire and seek work elsewhere. They are in their early 40s. Others are not transferring, but looking for work in Butte,” he said.

In an attempt to fill the gaps left by Horizon, the Butte Chamber of Commerce transportation committee began soliciting funds from businesses at an Aug. 5 luncheon.

At that meeting, an airlines consultant said Butte’s best option to increase boarding numbers was to encourage local businesses to use the current Delta flights from Butte, and to add a third flight.

The grant is an incentive to secure a third flight for one year while the community rallies for increased usage of flights. The aim is to get the majority of seats on existing flights filled, so Delta will remain in Butte long term.

The flights aren’t the only things injured by Horizon’s departure, though. The airport’s annual $1 million operating budget is taking a hit. About $500,000 is used for heating and electricity. The rest is for payroll.

“We cut five people, but we’re still upside down by about $150,000,” Griffith said. “I’m hoping our congressional delegation can change a federal rule that would allow us to use about 15 percent of our federal allocation for salaries for about a two-year period.” If the situation doesn’t improve by March, the airport may have to reduce services drastically or even close.

“We have some land that we’re trying to rent out to subsidize our payroll,” Griffith said.

The airport has about 150 acres adjacent to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints off Mount Highland Drive; about 8 acres that fronts Harrison Avenue at the airport entrance and another 10 to 12 acres north of that site.

“We’re really no different from Gallatin Field near Bozeman when it comes to staffing,” Griffith said. “We need on fireman on staff, a security officer, two snowplow drivers in the winter and maintenance people.” The airport’s situation is not unique. Across the nation airlines have cut back drastically at similar airports. For instance North Bend, Ore., just lost some flights; Klamath Falls built a $20 million new terminal only to have Horizon pull out; San Luis Obispo lost 38 percent of its flights, Griffith said.

“The one leverage we have going for us is the upcoming merger of Northwest Airlines and Delta. They’ve promised not to cut flights as part of that merger,” he said. “So we’re a bit protected by that.” Want to contribute?

Send checks payable to: Butte-Silver Bow Chamber of Commerce Transportation Fund/MERDI 1000 George St.

Butte, MT 59701 (MERDI is the agent for allowing contributors to take a tax deduction on their check).