County legislator Bob Scudder asks a good question – what is the county’s plan for the Chautauqua County Airports.

“What frustrates me personally is we do these studies and then we put the studies away and we move on,” Scudder said during a recent legislature committee meeting. “It seems like we’re good at just doing the business, what we do day-to-day. … What I’d like to see more is ‘what’s the plan? I’ve never really gotten the plan.'”

The plan, every five years or so, is to reapply for an Essential Air Service designation from the federal government. The county did so again earlier this year, though the federal government appears to be in no rush to make a decision. Frankly, given the tone set in President Donald Trump’s recent budget and policy bill, it would be a surprise if the federal government chose to invest money in passenger air service in Chautauqua County.

That’s what makes Scudder’s question interesting.

Through May, which were the most recent figures available, James Machemer, the county’s new airport director, said in Jamestown, $2,115 worth of fuel has been purchased, which is nearly double what was purchased by May in 2024. In Dunkirk, $1,498 worth of fuel had been purchased as of May, up from $1,392 by May 2024.

As of June, there were 1,200 arrivals/departures in Jamestown and 398 in Dunkirk. In addition there have been 74 jet operations in Jamestown and 30 in Dunkirk.

“Being at the airport, it’s been busy. A lot of corporate traffic, primarily Fridays, Mondays, things like that. People coming to the area for tourism and the lake and things like that,” he said.

The story for the airport hasn’t changed in recent years. There’s a pretty good amount of private activity at the airport – particularly in Jamestown, which sees 6.7 flights in or out each day. If there’s no Essential Air Service, is the airport worth continued investment? That’s really the question before county lawmakers – and they have time to answer it. The county has a hefty surplus that makes concerns about county spending on the airport a future concern, not a pressing problem that has to be solved immediately as was the case with the Chautauqua County Home.

We struggle to see a future where the county generates enough air traffic to satisfy federal requirements for commercial air service subsidies. But we can see a future based on private air traffic. That’s where the county should be spending its planning time, in our opinion.