Imperial, California - The Imperial County Board of Supervisors has announced a special meeting on Tuesday, February 23, 2016 at 9:30 am to select a new Essential Air Services (EAS) provider for flight services for Imperial County.  The RFP process produced 3 proposals to fill the void left when SeaPort Airlines ceased operations in the county in early January.

January 15, 2016 Imperial County was notified that SeaPort Airlines was ceasing operations as the county’s Essential Air Services (EAS) provider. Shortly after the cancellation of these air services, County of Imperial staff began to work with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to find a solution. The DOT released an Emergency Request for Proposals (RFP) on January 20 for replacement EAS in Imperial County, among other locations, with or without subsidy requests.

“I am very pleased with the quick efforts by our County staff and the U.S. Department of Transportation to secure 3 competitive bids to provide air service for our county. In a short period of time we will see a new carrier offering services for the people who need flight services,” stated Jack Terrazas, Chairman of the Imperial County Board of Supervisors.

The EAS program is a federal program which provides small communities with air service by certificated air carriers. DOT’s mandate is to provide the EAS communities with access to the national air transportation system.

Each of the 3 proposals is being reviewed internally to determine how well it meets the community's air transportation needs. A recommendation of which proposal best meets local flight needs is expected at this meeting and will be forwarded immediately to the DOT. The County of Imperial welcomes and encourages the attendance of the applicants and all interested parties at this special Board of Supervisors meeting.

For questions or additional information, please contact Ralph Cordova at 442-265-1001.