Committee plans on air carrier surveys

Area businesses to be polled

COLUMBIA BASIN - Regional businesses can expect to hear about the latest effort to bring in commercial air service at the Grant County International Airport pretty quickly.

Those leading the charge hope to hear back from the businesses even faster.

Members of the Grant County Economic Development Council commercial air service committee met Thursday morning in the airport conference room. The committee included representatives of the council, the Port of Moses Lake and the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce.

"I think we're moving ahead at a good pace," committee chair Larry Godden said. "The purpose of the committee is to establish commercial air service here, in a bigger and better way than we've ever had it before. We feel, from the responses we've gotten from service providers, that there is a definite interest."

The committee meeting doubled as a Port of Moses Lake special meeting because both commissioners Delone Krueger and Mike Conley were present, port Executive Manager Craig Baldwin explained.

"When I have two commissioners together, I have to do that," he said.

The meeting was about getting the word out about air service to the greater surrounding area.

Columbia Basin Herald Publisher Harlan Beagley is working on an informational sheet, including a survey, explaining the need for commitments to a travel bank for area businesses and what is still needed.

The travel bank takes the form of a prepaid travel card, on which businesses deposit a certain amount of their travel budgets.

The sheet will be inserted in newspapers and will also be mailed and e-mailed to area businesses, Beagley said.

The port is in negotiations with an air carrier, Baldwin said, but declined to name the carrier due to the sensitive nature of the negotiations.

"It's serious in nature that things are moving positively and we need these back," he said of the surveys. "We're moving forward to try to get (air service)."

The next committee meeting is Tuesday at 11 a.m. in the airport conference room. The meeting is open to the public.

Following the meeting, the port district moved into executive session for a telephone call with their attorney regarding rail issues. Further information will be available at the port's regular board of commissioners meeting, also in the conference room, Monday at 2 p.m.

Each meeting is open to the public.