(Courtesy: The Lincoln Municipal Airport)
Lincoln Airport flyers, disgruntled by the abrupt August shut down and radio-silence of Red Way airlines, may be a step closer to receiving long overdue refunds for unfulfilled flights.
Announced today by the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners, the final payment to the Lincoln Airport Authority will be sent on Thursday, November 9th, pursuant to the Interlocal Agreement between Lancaster County, the City of Lincoln, and the Airport Authority.
Earlier this week, the Lancaster County Budget and Fiscal Office (“Budget and Fiscal Office”) received the final invoice from the Airport Authority pursuant to the Agreement. Prior to receiving the invoice, the Budget and Fiscal Office has reviewed documentation provided by the Airport Authority including Red Way invoices, fuel costs, block hours, and passenger numbers, as well as reviewing the Airport Authority’s Independent Accountant’s Report of its Red Way activities.
Upon receipt of the invoice, the Budget and Fiscal Office additionally reviewed the documentation supporting the invoice, including the certification from the Airport Authority indicating that the demand from Red Way is in conformance with all the requirements of the Minimum Revenue Guarantees contract. Based on this review, the County has determined that payment will be issued to the Airport Authority to satisfy the County’s obligation under the Agreement.
An official statement from the Lancaster County Board indicates they remain concerned that an unacceptable number of Red Way customers are still waiting for refunds for tickets they purchased from Red Way.
“Unfortunately, the County has no ability to provide refunds directly to these affected Red Way customers. Now that the final payment is being issued to the Airport Authority, the County encourages the Airport Authority and Red Way to agree on the next steps necessary to make Red Way customers whole,” read the statement.
Red Way customers still seeking a refund are being encouraged to contact the U.S. Department of Transportation/Office of Aviation Consumer Protection at (202) 366-2220 or to file a formal complaint.