By Pepper Fisher
PORT ANGELES – The ongoing effort to get an airport shuttle business going between Port Angeles and SeaTac is proving to be a much bigger challenge than the entrepreneurs at Dash Air originally planned for.
A year ago, company President Clint Ostler announced they had sealed the deal with the Port of Port Angeles to move in and begin providing 30-minute flights to SeaTac by the fall of 2021.
Since that time, they’ve taken possession of 3 Cessna 402c, 9-passenger aircraft, there appear to have been some delays in getting them off the ground.
The company announced Tuesday that they have hired a new full-time Director of Maintenance to support ongoing preparation work in conforming the aircraft for entry into service.
To that end, they’ve added a second repair and overhaul facility in Aurora, Oregon to begin work on the second and third aircraft, which they hope will help speed the process.
Finally, there’s the issue of the name, Dash Air. That’s going away. Ostler says another airline applied for the same name and the US Trademark Office decided to turn both companies down because a separate company has the name trademarked for their air cargo operation. Now, the company formerly known as Dash Air is awaiting approval for their new name before they announce what that is.
They intend to launch a limited schedule and on-demand charter operations in early summer.
(Dash Air Cessnas arrive at Fairchild Airport in 2021)