BY ANDY GARDNER
North Country This Week

MASSENA -- The Town Council will recommend that Boutique Air continue to provide Essential Air Service out of Massena International Airport.

The board voted unanimously in a Tuesday, Dec. 1 special meeting streamed online via Facebook Live.

"I was very pleased not only with their presentation, pleased people did reach out to me ... emails I got, etc. expressing their viewpoints on the airplanes," Councilor Sue Bellor said. "The majority of them said they're very happy with Boutique."

"If people are content with that, why change it?" Bellor added.

Councilor Sam Carbone said he likes that Boutique is planning to continue their daily flights to Boston.

"I think it's important we get there, rather than Albany, which is a small hub," Carbone said.

Carbone also said he thinks Boutique will make a push to increase Massena's enplanements, possibly opening the door for federal airport aid.

"Possibly we could get up to 8,000 [enplanements], and that would get us $600,000 for airport repairs," he said. "To me, we have to go with that."

Councilor Al Nicola said he heard from members of the public who like that Boutique has pressurized cabins and two pilots.

"People are still very very uncomfortable with one pilot," Nicola said.

Councilor Bob Elsner said he thinks going with another airline would reverse progress in the quality of service at Massena International.

"You have for the cost difference between the proposals, you have a modern, pressurized, more comfortable flight. You have two pilots and a bathroom," Elsner said. "Why would you want to offer that and have that for two years and take a step backward?"

"I think the others need to step up their game a little bit ... things that make our constituents comfortable," he added.

Cape Air and Southern Airlines had also made pitches for Massena's EAS contract. They were proposing to use Pilatus PC12 airplanes, which are unpressurized and have one pilot. Boutique Air is planning to use new Piaggio airplanes to fly out of Massena that can fly above bad weather, and arrive in Boston in 65 minutes.

Carbone said the U.S. Department of Transportation gets the final say on who gets the Massena EAS contract, and they will take comments from the public prior to making their decision.