Video: Tupelo Airport Authority Board Gives Nod To CFM

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TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) –  Tupelo is one step closer to having commercial air service, once again. As WCBI’s Allie Martin reports, the selection of a Tennessee based airline comes after the pullout in late October of SeaPort Airlines, after a dismal record that has made for a skeptical flying public.

After more than 90 minutes of discussion, the Tupelo Airport Authority voted unanimously to recommend Corporate Flight Management as the new airline for
the regional airport.

“We’re very excited about the opportunity to serve Tupelo.” said Allen Howell, who is making his  second trip to Tupelo in a week.

The president of Corporate Flight Management was at the airport last Monday, when hiscompany made its pitch to the airport authority.

CFM will fly only twin engine planes . The airline is offering 30, 18 or 12 weekly round trip flights to Nashville. Also, the airline will buy its fuel
from the Tupelo Regional Airport.

The only other airline that had a chance was San Francisco based Boutique Air, which offered flights to Atlanta, but in a single engine, Pilatus PC-12
aircraft.

Airport Authority Board Member Larry Decker favored Boutique because it would fly into Atlanta , but voted with his colleagues. Decker says it came
down to the aircraft.

“I believe the citizens around this area are going to prefer twin engine aircraft over single engine, even though the other single engine under
consideration is very safe, and probably just as safe.”

Airport Authority President Fred Cook says he is hopeful CFM will look at an Atlanta route in the future.

“Atlanta is one of those connecting hubs, and a lot of our business sector goes to Atlanta,” Cook said.

CFM says the initial bid doesn’t include Atlanta, but they will consider it if there is a demand. In the meantime, the airline president says Corporate Flight Management will regain the public trust.

“We have a history, 32 years of operational excellence, we are on the schedule, flying, running at 99 percent reliability plus, and I think the best way to get the confidence of the public back is to show up and fly and be reliable,” Howell said.

The Department of Transportation must sign off on the agreement, then it will take 60 to 90 days before CFM is flying out of Tupelo.

Howell says it could take several weeks for the DOT to approve the agreement between the airport and CFM