HELENA – Helena Regional Airport managers are confident that they have taken an important step towards launching a new airline. It’s good news for the airport in the middle of a hectic summer. This week, Sens. Jon Tester and Steve Daines announced that the airport has received a grant of just over $ 1 million from the Federal Aviation Administration’s Small Community Air Service Development Program. This money will be used as part of an incentive package designed to convince American Airlines to start direct flights between Helena and Phoenix. “It was quite a process we went through to make this application and we kept our fingers crossed for a number.” Months in the hope that we would be successful so we’re excited about that, “said airport manager Jeff Wadekamper. In addition to the grants, the incentive package will include approximately $ 207,000 in pledges from local businesses and community members and $ 120,000 in airport fee waivers. This decision alone does not guarantee that a new flight will begin. The airport has yet to negotiate a contractual agreement with American. Wadekamper said they will be starting the airline in the next few weeks. There are still many variables in the aviation industry that are still adapting to the consequences of COVID-19. According to national reports (https://apnews.com/article/health-coronavirus-pandemic-lifestyle-travel-airlines-cf73d5ee0215632dd7d7a6e0cf8100cc), American Airlines actually suspended several hundred flights in the past month to avoid congestion. The total number of passengers on Helena has recovered somewhat from the peak of the pandemic, but it is still around 30% lower than before. Nonetheless, Wadekamper remains confident that the Americans see value in expanding after Helena. “I think Montana was a point of interest when you consider the entire nation,” he said. “Montana is a place that people really go to for recreational travel – there are a lot of people moving to Montana for both business and pleasure.” The airport has up to three years to come to an agreement on how to use the grant meet. Wadekamper said the earliest new flight could likely begin in late fall or winter. Helena Regional Airport last received a Small Community Air Service grant in 2008 that enabled them to begin United Airlines flights to Denver. Since then, they have applied two more times without success. While the airport is looking at the future of passenger flights, they are also focusing on responding to forest fires. On Monday, Wadekamper announced that nine air tankers, four contract helicopters and a large number of other fire-fighting aircraft were using the airport. Most responded to the Harris Mountain fire that burned near Cascade. Wadekamper said they had crews cleared several former National Guard helipads that had not been used for several years in case they needed more space for fire resources to make room where we can – just in anticipation of not knowing if we would will or not see more fire fighters, ”he said. The airport has a single fuel supplier that serves all aircraft. Wadekamper said they’ve been using a lot of their fuel on heavy traffic for several days recently – but haven’t run out yet. Wadekamper also praised air traffic control, which minimizes flights in narrow windows and delays for commercial aircraft. So far, according to Wadekamper, there have been no flight delays due to smoke at Helena Airport. He said planes would only be disturbed when smoke drops below a mile or so visibility.
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