Bibb County asking feds for $18 million to continue Contour flights

MACON, Ga. — Bibb County is asking the federal government for more than $18 million to help Contour Airlines continue their flights to Baltimore-Washington for the next four years.

Middle Georgia Regional Airport manager Erick D'Leon filed a request with the FAA to continue subsidizing the service.

During 2018, Contour flew more than 25,000 passengers to Thurgood Marshall International Airport, between Washington and Baltimore, according to D'Leon's request.

That filled more than two-thirds of the seats on their 30-seat jets.

The federal government has given Contour $4.6 million a year since those flights started in August 2017.

That pays about two-thirds of Contour's costs, according to D'Leon. Passenger fares pay about a third of the cost.

Those fares average about $98 per passenger, according to D'Leon.

He's asking the FAA to continue the same subsidy -- about $4.6 million  a year for four years. Macon’s airport qualifies for the subsidies under the federal Essential Air Service program.

Last year, Contour said their Baltimore-Washington were a success, and they launched flights to Tampa, Florida, which do not receive federal subsidies.

Contour's goal is to carry 30,000 passengers a year. That's how many passengers Delta flew out of Macon in 2007, the last year they provided flights to Atlanta.

There were no regular flights out of Macon's regional airport for nearly three years until Contour came to town. If the federal government agrees to D'Leon's proposal, they would fund flights out of Macon through September 2023.