The US Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded SkyWest Airlines (OO, St. George Municipal) Essential Air Service (EAS) contracts covering Cody, Wyoming as well as the Michiganian towns of Pellston and Sault Ste. Marie International.
Concerning the former, SkyWest will operate fourteen return flights per week between Cody and Salt Lake City using a CRJ200 from March 1, 2016, through to February 28, 2018, for an annual subsidy of USD938,050. The DOT noted however, that between June and September of each year, the service would operate on a full commercial basis without any subsidization.
Concerning the latter two towns, SkyWest will operate a 12x weekly return service between Pellston and Detroit Metropolitan during the off-peak season (October–March), and 14x weekly return flight during the peak season (April–September) on a two-year contract running from February 1, 2016, through to January 31, 2018, for an annual subsidy of USD1,245,071.
In contrast, at Sault Ste. Marie, SkyWest will provide a 13x weekly year-round return service to Detroit Metropolitan on a one-year contract running from February 1, 2016, through to January 31, 2017, for an annual subsidy of USD1,926,968.
Both Michiganian services operate on-board CRJ-200 equipment.
Boutique Air (4B, San Francisco) has meanwhile won EAS contracts for Moab and Vernal in Utah where it will replace SkyWest using its fleet of PC-12s. The two communities had been without service after Great Lakes Airlines (Cheyenne) failed to launch operations at both airports even though it had won an earlier EAS tender. Boutique Air will serve both Denver International and Salt Lake City.
