July 1, 2021, is the date Denver Air Connection is supposed take over the Essential Air Service contract for the Pierre Regional Airport, but, as the date draws closer, there’s still no word from the US Department of Transportation as to whether or not it will rebid Pierre’s commercial air service contact, as requested by South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and current EAS provider SkyWest.
Pierre city administrator Kristi Honeywell says at this point, what they do know is Denver Air and SkyWest, flying as United Express, will both be providing commercial air service for Pierre starting July 1.
Honeywell says both Denver Air Connection and SkyWest book their flights through United.
In April (April 13, 2021), the USDOT notified Pierre and Watertown it had selected Denver Air Connection (and its subsidiary Key Lime Airlines) to get the EAS contracts that had been scheduled to begin June 1, 2021. Denver Air requested to delay the start of providing service until July 1, 2021. Denver Air’s EAS contract bid was $7.7 million less than SkyWest’s bid.
Starting July 1, 2021, Denver Air will provide service from Pierre to Denver– and from Watertown to Denver and Watertown to Chicago– on 50-seat regional jets.
If SkyWest continues to serve the Pierre and Watertown airports, it would be considered “at risk”– meaning it would not receive a federal subsidy.
City officials in both Pierre and Watertown recommended giving SkyWest the new EAS contract, but as the actual contract holder, USDOT makes the final decision.
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