Dash Air Shuttle (Port Angeles) anticipates starting a limited service in Summer 2023 from Port Angeles, Washington State, with nine-passenger Cessna (twin turboprop) 402Cs aircraft chartered from its operating partner Backcountry Aviation (SQH, Salem, OR), an Oregon-based Part-135 carrier, the company announced.
In a statement on June 27, the virtual carrier said it has been working closely with the US Department of Transportation (DOT) to ensure its plans meet DOT requirements and to resolve any issues related to a complaint by commuter carrier Kenmore Air (M5, Kenmore) in September 2022, which delayed its original debut. "This process is taking a bit longer than anticipated, and we are now anticipating a summer start. In the meantime, the aircraft is nearly ready for revenue service after delays related to supply chain issues. We anticipate beginning limited charter service once the aircraft is ready."
Airline President Clint Ostler was not immediately available for comment.
He told the Peninsula Daily News charter flights would begin July 17 and run until August 10, barring additional setbacks. He hopes to start with scheduled flights in mid-August, limited to four flights per week between any two city pairs. "Because we haven't received any official word from [the] DOT on whether or not we can run as an intrastate[sic] airline, we have to operate under the restrictions that were part of our original authorization," Ostler explained.
Dash Air Shuttle initially planned to debut on August 11, 2022, with 4x daily between Port Angeles and Seattle Tacoma International. This was postponed after Kenmore Air's complaint, which claimed Dash Air Shuttle was engaging in "unfair and deceptive business practices" by openly proposing to operate interstate scheduled air service without being found fit by the Department. It claimed the company was misleading the public by advertising flights and accepting flight reservations, while Backcountry Aviation did not meet the requirements to operate public charters.
Ostler told Peninsula Daily News the DOT responded to Dash Air Shuttle in May [2023] and had a meeting with them to discuss the complaint and its operation, providing additional information. "We had a follow-up call with them, and they still had some concerns. We responded to those concerns, and now we are waiting again. We can't just wait indefinitely," he said. "We have to start generating revenue, or we are not going to succeed as a business. So we are just going to follow the DOT's requirements for our type of airline."
He said the Cessna 402C was getting a new coat of paint after needing two brackets replaced following an FAA inspection. "We had a couple of supply chain issues and parts challenges which we just got resolved," Ostler said the aircraft would be ready in a couple of weeks. "Then we just need the FAA to sign off on it. The plan at that point is to operate charters and be available for charter service for the bulk of July and the first part of August," Ostler said. Air Shuttle intends to lease a second aircraft for regularly scheduled services.
