The start of Contour Airlines' four-year Alternative Essential Air Services (AEAS) contract at El Dorado South Arkansas Regional, AR, due on December 1, 2025, will be delayed by three months until airport renovations are completed to meet Transport Security Administration (TSA) requirements for regional jet operations.

The US Department of Transportation awarded Contour the grant after a bidding process that included Boutique Air and Southern Airways Express, the latter having served the airport’s previous EAS contract since 2017. Once terminal retrofits are complete, the airline will fly 12x weekly to Dallas/Fort Worth using 30-seat E135 and E145 aircraft, marking the debut of commercial jet operations at South Arkansas Regional. Contour will receive a first-year subsidy of USD6,598,335 increasing to USD7,315,692 by the fourth year.