Pierre’s ad hoc Air Service Committee met yesterday (Mon.) and decided SkyWest is the best choice to fulfill Pierre’s Essential Air Service (EAS) Contract.
SkyWest is offering six direct round-trip flights from Pierre to Denver each week, as well as six round-trip flights to Denver each week that are shared with Watertown. That means, six flights weekly will originate in Pierre. The other weekly flights will originate in Watertown and stop in Pierre to pick up passengers on the way to Denver. It also means, on returns flights from Denver, the plane will stop in Pierre to drop off passengers before continuing on to Watertown.
The ad hoc committee, consisting of City Staff, as well as Clint Peitz, Operations Manager for Mustang Aviation and John Hight, Crooked Creek Outfitters Owner, reviewed the three proposals the City received from airlines interested in serving the Pierre market.
Because of SkyWest’s ability to meet peak capacity demands, its established interline and codeshare agreements, as well as its proven track record, the committee determined it is the most qualified airline to serve Pierre.
The Pierre City Commission will consider the Committee’s recommendation tonight during its regularly scheduled City Commission Meeting.
This recommendation is part of the Essential Air Service (EAS) contracting process. The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) leads the process by calling for proposals from airlines interested in serving the Pierre market and ultimately choosing the winning proposal. The USDOT gives EAS communities, like Pierre, the opportunity to review the proposals and make a recommendation.
