Passengers wait to board Advanced Air's inaugural flight from Crescent City to Hawthorne in this March 17 file photo. | Jessica C. Andrews

The regional airport authority and U.S. Department of Transportation have entered into a new agreement that will allow Advanced Air to fly out of Del Norte County beyond Sept. 30.

The Border Coast Regional Airport Authority received more than $19.3 million in Alternate Essential Air Service grant dollars, a $4.6 million increase from its previous grant. This will allow the Southern California-based carrier to continue offering flights between Crescent City, Oakland and Hawthorne with increased frequency in about a year, BCRAA representatives said in a news release Thursday.

“This is to help reassure everybody,” Airport Authority Director Ryan Cooley told the Wild Rivers Outpost.

Advanced Air has yet to update its schedule beyond the end of September, according to its website.

The BCRAA sent out its news release after someone raised concerns on Facebook about being unable to fly to Southern California from Crescent City via Advanced Air after the end of September when the airport authority’s current AEAS grant expires.

The U.S. Department of Transportation had provided about $14.7 million in AEAS moneys to the Border Coast Regional Airport Authority, which had contracted with Tennessee-based Contour Airlines in 2018.

In January 2024, the Airport Authority announced that it was terminating its contract with Contour and that Advanced Air would serve the region through the end of September when the previous AEAS grant was set to expire.

Advanced Air began offering daily flights from Crescent City to Oakland and twice weekly flights from Del Norte County to Hawthorne since March 17.

According to the Airport Authority’s news release, the JPA has been meeting with DOT officials and Advanced Air representatives as well as Michael Mooney, of Volaire Aviation Consulting.

“The primary objective has been to enhance air service, ensuring safety, reliability and expanding destination options to boost ridership, stimulate business growth and promote tourism,” the BCRAA stated.

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