DeFazio discusses plans to help restore Horizon service on the coast

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Story Published: Jul 2, 2008 at 3:48 PM PDT

By Kristina Nelson

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NORTH BEND - While Congressman Peter DeFazio was the keynote speaker at Tuesday's grand opening dedication of the new Southwest Oregon Regional Airport Terminal, KCBY got a chance to ask him about his thoughts and plans to help restore Horizon flight service to the South Coast.

DeFazio has played a key role in the building of the new terminal as well as securing funding for a new control tower.

He says Horizon's announcement regarding the termination of air service to the coast in October is something that had been brought up once before a couple years ago.

"Alaska proposed three years ago to do something similar, that presents a number of problems for several communities, not just North Bend, Coos Bay. I questioned the model back then, they backed down," says DeFazio.

That's why he, along with the rest of the Oregon Congressional Delegation, headed up by Senator Gordon Smith, sent a letter on Tuesday to Alaska-Horizon CEO Bill Ayers, requesting a meeting with him to discuss the service cuts in not only North Bend but Klamath Falls as well.

"They suggested some changes to the Essential Air Service program, which they were getting a subsidy through. I met with the CEO just last year and he said, 'look, if you can make that into a five year contract and still be competitive, we'd bid on a five year program, then we could acquire aircraft to send to that market.' That was a conversation I had with him a year ago February, I'm calling him personally to revisit that conversation," says DeFazio.

DeFazio says he will be work as long as it takes to restore Horizon service to the area.

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