Even as reporters continue to call Essential Airline Service a gold mine for those who serve under this troubled DOT policy, Island Air said it is quitting the Midwest Essential Air Services contract in favor of adding additional inter-island service in the wake of the Aloha liquidation. The routes it is abandoning as a US Airways Express include Kansas City International airport to Joplin, Mo.; Grand Island, Neb.; and Harrison, Ark., connecting to Hot Springs, Ark. The award for the EAS routes is less than a month old. The carrier added Honolulu-Lihue and Honolulu-Maui as well as Maui-Kona and Maui-Lihue to its 444-weekly flight roster.
"After careful analysis, we have concluded that a Midwest startup date of mid-September is unrealistic." Chief Operating Officer Les Murashige told the Pacific Business Journal. "Since time is of the essence for the Midwest communities, it is with a heavy heart that Island Air relinquishes the awarded EAS contract so that it may be redirected and awarded to an airline that can commence service within their desired time frame. Island Air hopes to have other opportunities to bid for an EAS contract but for now, we will focus on our local market."