The countdown continues. CEC Airport director Ryan Cooley addressed supervisors at last Tuesday’s Board meeting, touting new carrier Advanced Air jet service from Del Norte County Regional Airport (CEC) to Oakland ( OAK) and Los Angeles Hawthorne airport (HHR). The inaugural flight out of CEC is Sunday, March 17.Cooley said flights to the Bay area start at $99. Flights to Los Angeles start at $159. The Border Coast Regional Airport Authority (BCRAA) commissioned Volaire Aviation Consulting to conduct an economic study. Airport Director Cooley shared the bullet points of the study:#placement_573654_0_i{width:100%;max-width:550px;margin:0 auto;}var rnd = window.rnd || Math.floor(Math.random()*10e6);var pid573654 = window.pid573654 || rnd;var plc573654 = window.plc573654 || 0;var abkw = window.abkw || '';var absrc = 'https://ads.empowerlocal.co/adserve/;ID=181918;size=0x0;setID=573654;type=js;sw='+screen.width+';sh='+screen.height+';spr='+window.devicePixelRatio+';kw='+abkw+';pid='+pid573654+';place='+(plc573654++)+';rnd='+rnd+';click=CLICK_MACRO_PLACEHOLDER';var _absrc = absrc.split("type=js"); absrc = _absrc[0] + 'type=js;referrer=' + encodeURIComponent(document.location.href) + _absrc[1];document.write('');• Total estimated annual CEC Airport economic output is $22.6 million.• The Airport and its operations support 119 full-time employment jobs which produce $7.5 million in annual labor income. 15.5 FTE jobs with an annual payroll of almost $711,000 are directly associated with CEC• If CEC was a single factory or institution, it would be one the largest employers in the region.• CEC is a major economic driver for both Curry and Del Norte counties. Southern California is the top destination for CEC passengers. Cooley shared data reporting Medford (MFD) holds 64 percent of passengers heading south. Advanced Air will fly twice weekly non-stop from CEC to Southern California. The flight takes an hour and 45 minutes.Service will continue to OAK and more flights to Los Angeles are planned as the peak summer season approaches. Cooley underscored the vital role CEC plays in facilitating economic growth.The inaugural flight commences on St. Patrick’s Day.The countdown continues. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('ad-1515727'); });