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The current airline serving Baldwin Field is back in the air.  RegionsAir was forced to temporarily ground all flights Saturday and Sunday morning following a Federal Aviation Administration audit on Friday.

We talked with the RegionsAir Marketing Director today.  Nathan Vallier told us the halt was caused by a minor procedural issue in the company's pilot training manual.  The issue was over RegionsAir's "check airmen."  Those are the employees who train pilots.

Vallier says since the administrative issue was small, flights were back up and running in a day.

Vallier said, "This was strictly an administrative issue regarding a part of the manual which covers how a Line-check airman does his job. Line-check airmen have to check out pilots every year. It was a very minor procedural issue and again we are in full compliance and at no time did this compromise the integrity of aircrafts carrying passengers at any time."

RegionsAir emphasizes this documentation issue never compromised the safety of aircrafts.

For Quincy, this halt over the weekend was just one of many problems with RegionsAir that started late last year.  Those problems include many delayed or canceled flights...which left passengers stranded and looking for alternative travel at the last minute.

 "We're disappointed in this,'' said Quincy Mayor John Spring of the latest Regions Air setback.  "This is going to be difficult for our business travelers, for our pleasure travelers who do have reservations particularly out Quincy or coming back through the St. Louis hub. What we're trying to do along with Regions Air is to alert those people of this difficulty, try to provide alternate transportation of we can for them."

On Saturday, Senator Dick Durbin released a statement saying he was disappointed in the service record of Regions Air and that he recommended to the Department of Transportation that the company should not have their contract with the state of Illinois renewed.

That is a sentiment that Mayor Spring shares as well.

"I support Senator Durbin's wishes to find a different carrier. We don't want to be in a situation where even if Regions does improve it's service, unfortunately what we've seen here in the last six months or better doesn't lend itself to maybe another long term relationship with them," Spring said.

Reporter asked, "Point blank, does Quincy plan to search for a new carrier?"

"I think so," said Mayor Spring.  "After a certain period of time you realize that they're just not able to make corrections...I am willing to sit down and talk to them."

That process might not be too far away. On March 8, the US Department of Transportation will close bidding for the Essential Air Service Agreement for the Quincy to St. Louis service. When that happens, customers may only have to wait a few more months for a new carrier to replace RegionsAir.

Mayor Spring said, "I think we lost some customers but I hope once we get this corrected permanently that those customers will come back and use our air service after all that's why we have an airport."

Regions worked with several other carriers to help stranded customers with their travel plans.