That's the good news.

The bad news is that the 19-passenger Fairchild Metroliner airplanes are flying less than half-full, meaning Big Sky is losing money on the Olympia-to-Spokane flights.

"We're six months into the service, and we'd hoped by now to break even," said Craig Denney, vice president of Big Sky. "We cannot absorb the losses forever."

History of service termination

If South Sound residents want to keep Big Sky as a regional air carrier, they are going to have to increase the number of boardings.

Big Sky serves 22 cities in six states. The carrier terminated service to Idaho Falls for lack of passengers. The same thing could happen in South Sound, though company officials have not made any threats to pull out.

Termination of service would be a setback for the entire community, given the tax dollars spent to attract and accommodate a regional airliner. When Big Sky made its maiden flight to Spokane last Nov. 13, South Sound had been without airline service since 1995. In fact, this community has seen a series of commuter service startups, quickly followed by termination of service.

When Big Sky added Olympia to its flight schedule, Kim Champney, president and chief executive officer, said the Montana-based airline needed to average 10.5 passengers per flight to break even. Company officials today say the Olympia to Spokane run is short by about 300 tickets per month.

More riders needed

The obvious answer is to increase ridership on the Olympia-Spokane run so Big Sky has an incentive to stay.

But how?

State government -- South Sound's largest employer -- provides a solid passenger base. But state employees cannot be ordered to fly out of Olympia. The governor has made personal phone calls to Big Sky executives and has encouraged his cabinet and state workers to use Big Sky. It's a message worth repeating -- frequently -- throughout state and local government offices.

Earlier this week, Port of Olympia and Big Sky executives met in Spokane to map out a marketing campaign.

Nick Handy, the port's executive director, makes a good case for port participation in that effort. "The cold reality is, the airlines are broke. They've been crushed by 9-11, the war in Iraq and SARS," Handy said. "If the big guys are struggling, imagine how bad these small carriers are suffering."

Handy said the port's mission to promote economic development relies on a sound infrastructure -- from water at the port docks to rail service and Interstate 5.

Air service is an important economic development tool, and that's why tax dollars should support the marketing campaign to grow Big Sky's business, Handy said.

Advantages for travelers

We agree, up to a point. The port should continue to underwrite the marketing effort until December -- a full year into the operation. Once the Olympia-Spokane route is profitable, promotion should fall entirely on the airline. The port might be able to cover marketing costs through federal grants to small airports.

The marketing campaign for the remainder of this year should focus on the attributes of local air service.

-Traveler convenience is a huge advantage the Olympia Regional Airport has over Sea-Tac or Portland. Travelers don't have to work their way through Interstate 5 traffic gridlock or show up two hours early for their flights. Travelers can get to Olympia Regional Airport easily, park for free just a few steps from the terminal and move through security checkpoints quickly.

-Cost is a significant issue, too. A port survey found that when time, mileage, parking and ticket costs are factored in, people flying out of Olympia vs. SeaTac save $71 on a two-day trip to Spokane.

-Many travelers see Spokane only as a final destination. But Spokane isn't an end point, because it has airline service to airports throughout the nation -- many with more convenient flights than SeaTac.

A strong marketing campaign aimed at a broad South Sound audience can help push Big Sky from red to black and ensure continued airline service out of the Olympia airport.