Order : 2012

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- 32 Served: January 31, 2012 

### UNITED STATES OF AMERICA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY WASHINGTON, D.C. Issued by the Department of Transportation on the 31 st day of January , 201 2 Essential Air Service at Muscle Shoals/Florence/Sheffield/

Tuscumbia, Alabama Fort Dodge, Iowa Mason City, Iowa Sioux City, Iowa Waterloo, Iowa Alpena, Michigan Escanaba, Michigan Iron Mountain/Kingsford, Michigan Pellston, Michigan Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan Bemidji, Minnesota Brainerd, Minnesota Chisholm/Hibbing, Minnesota International Falls, Minnesota Thief River Falls, Minnesota Greenville, Mississippi Laurel/Hattiesburg, Mississippi Tupelo, Mississippi Butte, Montana Jamestown, North Dakota Aberd een, South Dakota, and Watertown, South Dakota under 49 U.S.C. 41731 et seq . Docket DOT - OST - 2000 - 7856 Docket DOT - OST - 2001 - 10682 Docket DOT - OST - 2001 - 10684 Docket DOT - OST - 2011 - 0131 Docket DOT - OST - 2011 - 0132 Docket DOT - OST - 2009 - 0300 Docket DOT - OST - 2003 - 15128 Docket DOT - OST - 1999 - 5175 Docket DOT - OST - 2011 - 0133 Docket DOT - OST - 2009 - 0303 Docket DOT - OST - 2011 - 0134 Docket DOT - OST - 2011 - 0135 Docket DOT - OST - 2003 - 15796 Docket DOT - OST - 2009 - 0304 Docket DOT - OST - 2001 - 10642 Docket DOT - OST - 2008 - 0209 Docket DOT - OST - 2001 - 10685 Docket DOT - OST - 2009 - 0305 Docket DOT - OST - 2011 - 0136 Docket DOT - OST - 1997 - 2785 Docket DOT - OST - 2011 - 0137 Docket DOT - OST - 2001 - 10644ORDER EXTENDING SERVICE OBLIGATION Summary By this O rder, the Department extends the essential air service (“EAS”) obligation of SkyWest Airlines, Inc., d/b/a Delta Connection, ( “ SkyWest ” ) at Butte, Montana , for an additional 30 days, through March 11 , 2012

. Additionally by this O rder, w e extend the EAS obligation of the two wholly owned subsidiaries of Pinnac le Airlines Corporation

-- Mesaba Aviation, Inc. (“Mesaba”) and Pinnacle Airlines (“Pinnacle”), d/b/a Delta Connection at the 21 r emaining communities for 30 days, through , March 11 , 201 2

. Communities 3-Ltr. State Communities 3-Ltr. State 1 Aberdeen ABR South Dakota 12 Iron Mountain IMT Michigan 2 Alpena APN Michigan 13 Jamestown JMS North Dakota 3 Bemidji BJI Minnesota 14 Mason City MCW Iowa 4 Brainerd BRD Minnesota 15 Muscle Shoals MSL Alabama 5 Butte BTM Montana 16 Pellston PLN Michigan 6 Escanaba ESC Michigan 17 Sault St. Marie CIU Michigan 7 Fort Dodge FOD Iowa 18 Sioux City SUX Iowa 8 Greenville GLH Mississippi 19 Thief River Falls TVF Minnesota 9 Hattiesburg PIB Mississippi 20 Tupelo TUP Mississippi 10 Hibbing HIB Minnesota 21 Waterloo ALO Iowa 11 International Falls INL Minnesota 22 Watertown ATY South Dakota Background On July 1 5 , 20 11 , SkyWest filed notice of its intent to terminate its service at Butte, Montana, effective October 13, 2011. Likewise, on July 15, 2011, Mesaba and Pinnacle filed notice s to terminate their service at 23 communities. By Order 2011

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- 5, issued on September 13, 2011 , we prohibited the air carriers from suspending service at the communities. The notices at all of these communities except Butte were triggered by Mesaba/Pinnacle’s retirement of its fleet of 34

- seat Saab 340 aircraft. All of the service is now provid ed with 50

- seat regional jets. As a result of the larger jet aircraft replacing the smaller Saab 340 aircraft, we will require the statutory frequency requirement of two round trips a day, six days a week, i.e., twelve round trips a week. We have receiv ed proposals and comments regarding service at the above

- captioned communities . However, replacement service will not commence before February 10, 2012, the end of the current hold

- in period. In accordance with 49 U.S.C. 41734 (c ), we must extend the serv ice obligations of SkyWest, Mesaba and Pinnacle for an additional 30 days, or until replacement service actually begins, whichever occurs first. This Order is issued under the authority assigned in 14 CFR 385.12(k)(5).ACCORDINGLY, 1. We require SkyWest Airlines, Inc., d/b/a Delta Connection and Mesaba Aviation, Inc. and Pinnacle Airlines, d/b/a Delta Connection , to provide 12 round trips a week to a medium or large hub airport at the above

- captioned communities for an additional 30 da ys, through March 11, 2012, or until replacement service actually begins, whichever occurs first ; 1 2. We direct SkyWest Airlines, Inc., Mesaba Aviation, Inc. and Pinnacle Airlines to retain all book s , records, and other source and summary documentatio n to support subsidy claims for payment, and to preserve and maintain such documentation in a manner that readily permits its audit and examination by representatives of the Department. Such documentation shall be retained for seven years or until the Dep artment indicates that the records may be destroyed, whichever comes first. Copies of flight logs for aircraft sold or disposed of must be retained. The carrier may forfeit its compensation for any claim that is not supported under the terms of this O rde r. 3

. These Dockets will remain open until further order of the Department; and 4. The Department will serve a copy of this order on the mayors and airport managers of Muscle Shoals/Florence/Sheffield/Tuscumbia, Alabama; Sioux City, and Waterloo , Iowa; Alpena, Escanaba, Pellston, and Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan; Bemidji, Chisholm/Hibbing, and International Falls, Minnesota; Greenville, Laurel/Hattiesburg, and Tupelo, Mississippi; Butte, Montana; Jamestown, North Dakota; and Aberdeen, South Dakota ; and on the carriers in our service list. Persons entitled to petition the Department for review of this O rder under the Department’s Aviation Economic Regulations, 14 CFR 385.50, must file such petitions within ten (10) days after the date of service of this O rder. This O rder will be effective immediately, and the filing of a petition for review shall not pr eclude its effectiveness. By: TODD M. HOMAN Director Office of Aviation Analysis (SEAL) An electronic version of this document is available on the World Wide Web at http://www.regulations.gov

1 In a ccordance with 49 U.S.C. 41734(c), we will extend Delta Connection’s service obligation for successive 30

- day periods as necessary until replacement service actually begins.