UPDATE JANUARY 5, 2022:
During 2021, Pierre Regional Airport more than doubles 2020 passenger load
The Pierre Regional Airport had over 1900 (1927) enplanements in December and finished 2021 with over 17,500 (17,514) people having taken commercial flights out of Pierre.
City commissioner and airport liaison Jamie Huizenga says that’s more than double the passenger load in 2020.
Airports that don’t meet passenger number qualifications receive less money from the federal Department of Transportation. In Pierre’s case, the annual stipend would drop to $200,000 rather than $1 million received because there were over 10,000 enplanements during the year.
As of yesterday (Jan. 4, 2022), SkyWest (flying as United Express) has discontinued its flights from Pierre to Denver, leaving DAC as the only commercial air carrier flying out of Pierre.
The Pierre Regional Airport currently offers 12 weekly round trip flights to Denver. Tickets can be booked at DenverAirConnection.com or any major travel site.
Infographic credit City of Pierre.
JANUARY 4, 2022:
More than 17,500 people took commercial flights out of Pierre in 2021. That’s more than double the passenger load the Pierre Regional Airport experienced in 2020.
“Last January, I had my fingers crossed that we’d experience an air traffic rebound in 2021, and we sure did,” said Airport Comm. Jamie Huizenga. “That 10,000 enplanement threshold is huge for our community, and we smashed it!”
Commercial airports are granted entitlement dollars from the federal government; the dollar amount is based on passenger numbers.
“If we have 10,000 or more enplanements in a year, we receive $1 million,” said Cameron Howard, Airport Manager. “It’s those dollars that have allowed us to do large capital improvements at the airport like taxiway upgrades and runway rehabilitation projects.”
Airports that don’t meet passenger number qualifications receive diminished entitlement dollars. In Pierre’s case, the annual stipend would drop to $200,000.
“To put this in perspective, in 2020, we did a major taxiway realignment that was necessary to meet new federal regulations; that project cost about $4 million,” said Pierre Mayor Steve Harding. “Those mandated changes are a lot more achievable when we’re receiving a $1 million shot in the arm versus a $200,000 boost.”
To Huizenga, the good news extends beyond the federal financial benefits.
“What’s really exciting to me is that our airport is providing a much needed service to all of central South Dakota. Thanks to the reliable, safe, and affordable air service we have been able to build, people no longer need to drive hours to access the international travel network.”
The Pierre Regional Airport currently offers 12 weekly round trip flights to Denver. Those flights are operated by Denver Air Connection. Tickets can booked at DenverAirConnection.com or any major travel site.
In the past 18 months or so the airport has improved significantly. Appreciate the outstanding work.