Mokulele Airlines (MHO, Kona) is one of four operators that have submitted proposals to the US Department of Transportation (DoT) for the Silver City/Hurley/Deming, New Mexico, Essential Air Service contract.
In its bid, Mokulele plans to offer a double-daily weekday and a single weekend roundtrip between Silver City and Albuquerque International on-board Cessna (single turboprop) Caravan 208Bs for a total subsidy of USD1,499,877.74. Pacific Wings (Kahului) has also offered multiple daily (twice-daily on weekdays, daily on weekends) services to Albuquerque also on-board Cessna Caravan 208Bs for a total subsidy of USD1,641,869.
For its part, Boutique Air (4B, San Francisco) is planning to offer 24 weekly return flights to Albuquerque on-board PC-12s for a total subsidy requirement of USD3,377,495. The carrier has said it may also use Phoenix Sky Harbor instead of Albuquerque for up to 12 frequencies at its discretion.
Incumbent Great Lakes Airlines (Cheyenne) has pitched a twice-daily returntrip to Phoenix Sky Harbor on-board Beech 1900Ds for a total subsidy requirement of USD2,092,055.
