The Pierre Regional Airport is a busier place these days than it was about six months ago.
Yesterday (Wed.), SkyWest began commercial air service to central South Dakota with flights from Pierre to Denver and Watertown. In November, a new PC-12 fixed-wing Avera Careflight plane and crew became based in Pierre.
President and Chief Medical Officer of Avera St. Mary’s Hospital Dr. Mikel Holland says a fast response time is critical for many medical situations.
Dr. Holland says the Avera Careflight team in Pierre is getting more calls than initially expected.
A staff of three is stationed at the hanger around the clock, including a nurse, a paramedic and a pilot. They can lift off within 15 minutes. Prior to Avera Careflight adding a station in Pierre, there was an hour and a half wait until a fixed-wing aircraft could fly to town.