Video: SeaPort Airlines Makes Pitch to Tupelo Airport Authority

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TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – An Oregon based airline says its commitment to customer satisfaction, and its use of a cutting edge reservation platform make it a good fit for the Tupelo market. Officials with SeaPort Airlines brought in one of their Cessna Grand Caravan planes, and made their presentation to officials and board members with the Tupelo Regional Airport and other interested parties.

SeaPort is based out of Portland and serves 23 cities in 9 states. The company has a fleet of 19 aircraft and averages 145 daily departures. Also, SeaPort is the first North American airlines to use a new, state of the art reservation platform known as Amadeus Altea.

Company officials say they are no stranger to the southeast.

“We have a lot of experience in this region, we have been down here since October of 2009,. was our first entry, we have a maintenance crew based at Memphis International Airport, it is the largest portion of our airline, what we call the mid south region, and we’re hoping to grow, with three cities, Tupelo being among them.”

“What we’re trying to do is provide an opportunity for airlines that submitted bids, under Essential Air Service, to come meet the community and actually present what was not in the bid, kind of give that personal touch.”

SeaPort would operate three daily flights to Nashville and two to Memphis out of Tupelo. The Department of Transportation must examine all the bids, it could be 90 to 120 days before a new airline is operating from Tupelo Regional Airport.