Remember the collective angst when Carlos Quintanilla, from Dallas, came to town trying to interest the city and the Powers That Be in a regional airline that would capitalize on the insecurity of traveling in northern Mexico with direct flights from Brownsville to Mexico City and Monterrey?
The critics came out en mass decrying the incentives that would be offered to Fly Frontera for the low-cost charter flights that would be available to business and recreational travelers from the Rio Grande Valley.
A disbarred lawyer, a convicted felon and other "leaders" of the community pulled out all the stops. Behind the scenes a city commissioner and other airport officials had been enticing AeroMexico with generous promotional incentives ($150,000) and a subsidy for unfilled seats was offered by the Brownsville Development Council ($500,000).
Quintanilla was called a "convicted felon" by the other convicted felon, hounded by the misanthrope disbarred lawyer who even intervened in the purchase of his children's home in Dallas, and demonized by would-be accountants for even suggesting that Brownsville needed the service to Mexico.
Fly Frontera owned no planes, the office was operating out of Quintanilla's home address, they had no corporate record, etc..., they bellowed. The torch-and-pitchfork crowd won.
Quintanilla and Fly Frontera were defeated and AeroMexico and city officials, with much pomp and circumstance, announced the beginning of flights from here to Mexico and Monterrey, just as Fly Frontera had offered in the lower-cost on-demand flights.
Local reputations were made by these fine folks as the saviors of the community, the paladins of the masses, etc., It was just a matter of time before they were all fighting over who should get credit for defeating Fly Frontera and vanquishing the evil Q.
They all claimed credit for their "victory."
Well, as soon as the subsidies ran out, the public relations cash was spent, and everyone made their buck off the public coffers, AeroMexico too flight and we were back to square one. Now, if you want to fly to either city in Mexico, you have to plunk down your cash to AeroMar in McAllen and let that city harvest your travel bucks.
It was, in every sense, a Pyrrhic victory for Wightman, Castro, the then-Zamora, and the Cheezmosos.
Well, guess who's back in business?
Would you believe Quintanilla and his associates at Public Charters?
Starting on November 2, the group stated providing service between Victoria, Austin, and Dallas under the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Alternate Essential Air Service Program. The first flight scheduled at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on November 5.
The new airline charter service goes by the name Texas Sky, and, in partnership with Public Charters, announced inaugural nonstop service between Victoria, Austin, and Dallas.
Introductory one-way fares began at less than $60 from Victoria to Austin and less than $105 from Austin to Dallas-Ft. Worth, all taxes included.
Texas Sky will operate on a BAE Jetstream 19-passenger twin turboprop airliner operated by Corporate Flight Management (CFM) under contract to Public Charters (PC). PC will provide all ticket distribution, ticket counter, and check-in services, as well as coordination of ground handling and fueling services in VCT, AUS, and DFW. Alternate Essential Air Service is a program of the USDOT to support commuter airlines in communities that may not otherwise receive any scheduled air service.
If Fly Frontera had been allowed to operate in Brownsville, it would have joined three other regional airlines provided by Public Charters. They are 1-MBL, out of Manistee, Mich., Appalachian Air, out of Pikesville, Penn., and now Texas Sky.
Public Charters, Inc. is headquartered in Northeastern Pennsylvania, we have been offering charter flights since 1999. Public Charters focuses on markets that are under served by major airlines’ scheduled services with prices competitive with the major airlines.
The company leases the planes from Corporate Flight Management and schedules as the markets demand. That is something no one here wanted to understand.
Fly Frontera was in very sense, an offer of pearls before swine. Good luck to you Carlos.
10 comments:
Why was he called a convicted felon? Could it be because, well, you know, he is a convicted felon?
You are not sore still.....are you?
That's why we are known as the NACO city of the world led by a Moronic city council. Oops, I forgot to include Da Mayor. He arrived at the city meeting disguised as an Amoeba; it was the Enda-Amoeba Histólica species.
Just wondering .......have those other cities been suckered into subsidizing the flights, like what Fly Frontera was contractually demanding from the City of Brownsville.
I seem to recall they not only wanted to capitalize on the American dream, but also on the democrap dream where everyone gets rich off the government teats. They were contractually demanding up to $2 million in COB tax dollars.......what swell businessman they were!!
VAQUEROS. They were the precursors in developing ranching as part of New Spain , Téjas, Southwest U.S. as an economic way of life beginning in the 16 Century by the Spanish. The cattle industry and the Horse was an integral part as a way of life. When the so called "pioneers" arrived, la cama ya estaba tendida. They are part of our of culture and heritage.
So someone else fell for the con. So what?
Ha ha ha!
The flights out of Brownsville would not have qualified for the federal subsidies because they are international. Your analogy is baseless. Never would have worked. People with money to fly out of Monterrey go to San Antonio, Houston or McAllen, period.
How is Carlos Quintanilla do? Heard he was fight cancer. Praying he is doing well and that his cancer be in remission.
Carlos Quintanilla is well and yes Cancer free the flight from Dallas, Austin, Victoria is not subsidized and we still look forward to coming to Brownsville to finish what we started....Hope all is well Mr. Montoya
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