BY JIMMY LAWTON
North Country This Week

OGDENSBURG — Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority officials praised U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer for his quick response to SkyWest’s announcement that they will stop providing air service in the city.

“I must give Sen. Schumer and his staff credit for responding as fast as they did,” OBPA Chair Vernon “Sam” Burns said at a recent meeting. “He’s certainly been supportive of the Ogdensburg Airport and the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority.”

Just after the announcement was made Jan. 12, Schumer issued a letter to U.S. DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg asking him to issue a Hold-In Order prohibiting SkyWest from terminating service in Ogdensburg and Plattsburgh until a new air carrier begins service.

“Ogdensburg and Plattsburgh airports remain vital to connecting the north country region of New York State to the nation, and both airports have shown promising growth throughout the years,” Schumer wrote. “In fact, the Federal Aviation Administration estimates over 300,000 passengers will travel though PLB by 2030, and OGS saw a record 22,000 passengers through its airport in 2019.”

Schumer said the airports are “indispensable assets” to the economic growth of their respective communities.

Schumer said the nation is plagued by the COVID-19 pandemic and that the airline industry has struggled to cope with the various economic and workforce challenges associated with the crisis.

He noted that labor shortages in particular have taxed the industry.

“For these reasons, I call on the DOT to immediately work to find a new carrier for the Ogdensburg and Plattsburgh International Airports, and to issue a Hold-In Order to prevent any service disruptions until a new carrier is found,” he said.

SkyWest began providing air service to Ogdensburg in 2019 after being named the region's Essential Air Service provider.

They offered flights to Chicago and Washington D.C., but later transitioned to D.C. flights only.

Attempts to contact SkyWest for comment on the decision to end service were unsuccessful, but the transportation industry as a whole has taken a hit from the pandemic.

OBPA Executive Director Steve Lawrence said that “you can see other cities with airlines that have pulled out” and that “if anyone knows about the impact COVID has had on travel, we do.”

Lawrence referred to the Ogdensburg International Bridge which was closed for 22 months due to COVID-19 regulations.

Lawrence noted that the past two years have been difficult for the Authority, but he remains hopeful a new provider will be selected before SkyWest leaves.

“OGS and the OBPA will continue to seek out a new air service provider for the North Country,” he said. “We are committed to working with all parties involved to provide our community continued air service for upcoming travel to and from Ogdensburg.”