Show A cheer but weakly weakly we We cheer announcement by Frontier Airlines that plans plane arc are now under way to start service to Moab about July 1 1 Our cheers however are arc somewhat weakened and lacking the ring of complete enthusiasm In the knowledge knowledge know- know i ledge the service to be given is below that which was rv v doped for and certainly an inadequate service for the able to make their n needs needs' of many who anticipated being trips to Grand Junction more quickly and more conveniently convenient convenient- ly through air travel and also for the talked about business business bus bus- iness mess trips to Salt Lake City which could be be- accomplished in one day The change in service pattern authority for which Frontier is now applying with the Civil Aeronautics Board provides only one trip to Moab This trip is to be bethe the last leg of a regular Denver to Grand Junction flight As announced the plane will arrive at Moab at abo about t 1 15 p. p m m. each day and return CAB in authorizing Frontier to provide air service to Moab stipulated that the service be included on their Grand Cortez Junction flight with at least one round roundtrip roundtrip trip stop daily This could have given Moab before noon service direct to Salt Lake with good connections at Grand Junction for Denver and an afternoon return Frontiers Frontier's arguments for the service pattern change to CAB concern the company's plans to replace the DC 3 with on the runs runs- which would have included Mo Moab Moab b. b Their contention being that tha the Grand County airport does not safely permit the landing and take-off take of the airplane The runway is not adequate in length or width and surrounding f Train terrain increases the hazard lor for the larger ship Frontier maintains I Certainly no one ono is going to argue against safety factors factors' in to order to obtain a more adequate service of any kind Nor without factual knowledge to substantiate substantiate substantiate such a claim can one dispute the airline company's company's com com- pany's contention that the Grand County airport Is unsafe unsafe un- un safe eafe for service With the these e things in mind it becomes more or less necessary to accept the fact that Frontier probably has legitimate grounds for requesting the change j There is the one point in Frontiers Frontier's application to C CAB however that can hardly be accepted and that is statement that he one flight service will adequately service the needs of this this' area arro It will of course provide a better and possibly adequate ado ado- quate air mail service This will in general also likely likey likely like like- ly y be true for air freight and mid air express Long distance passenger service will also be fairly well served in ability However Grand Junction and Salt Lake City are the I two cities to which people of this area travel to most moat heavily and the proposed service will wUl hardly be any more convenient than by automobile or train except for the comfort and for Cor shortening actual travel time Arriving in Salt Lake City after 4 p p. p m. m will not permit much business bus bus- In moss iness 38 transaction on that day Since the conne connecting flight to Moab at Grand Junction leaves Salt Lake at 7 a a. a m m. a return flight would be Impossible on the following day A night lay layover over in Grand Junction on a shopping or short business trip in order to make r return turn connections by air would hardly be feasible Herein of course lies our disappointment It had been hoped that when air service came to Moab it would be one which would in actuality relieve the remoteness of this area a and d do this adequately Instead we cheer but somewhat weakly |