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San Angelo board considers $34,000 air‑service data purchase as step toward restoring a 2 p.m. flight
Summary
Airport Director Justin Fletcher asked the board to consider funding a $34,000 catchment/leakage data subscription to build a business case and apply for an FAA/DOT small-community grant; he also recommended delaying a full airport master‑plan rewrite and noted runway bids are now within FAA funding.
Airport Director Justin Fletcher told the San Angelo Development Corporation on May 13 that restoring midday connectivity and cultivating the airport’s existing service are top priorities and that staff recommends purchasing detailed catchment and leakage data to build a business case for an additional flight.
Fletcher described a proposed 12‑month data subscription from Informa that he said would show where San Angelo passengers currently travel to board flights, which nearby airports capture local demand and whether an additional 2 p.m. flight could be viable. ‘‘This estimate is from a company called Informa,’’ he said. He confirmed the cost of the data product at $34,000 and said the information would be used to support an application for the DOT Small Community Air Service Development (SCASD) grant and to help structure any minimum revenue guarantee (MRG) the city might need to offer to an airline.
Fletcher emphasized practical constraints carriers consider: aircraft size and passenger load factor. He said recent fleet changes mean the community is now served by a 70‑seat CRJ‑700 and that the airport’s passenger load factor is about 75%, with roughly 60% often cited as a carrier break‑even point. Adding a fourth flight would increase available seats and could lower load factors, he cautioned.
Master plan status: Fletcher also presented an update on the airport master plan. He reported progress on capital projects (completion of the south taxi lane and new bids for runway 9/27 that came in near $11 million, with FAA AIP funding of $12 million available). But he recommended postponing a full master‑plan rewrite for a year or two because local construction pace and fleet‑mix stability do not yet justify a $743,000 full rewrite. ‘‘I would just recommend waiting another year or two,’’ he said, noting that portions of an update could be supported with FAA AIP dollars.
Board consideration: Fletcher offered to return with a formal project on the next agenda to request board support for the data subscription and any local participation in an SCASD application. Several board members expressed support for pursuing detailed data and for bringing a project back for a formal funding vote.
What remains: staff will refine the scope of the Informa subscription and present a formal funding request and project resolution at a future meeting. No funding decision was taken on May 13.
