Order 2012

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- 15 Served: March 23, 2012 

### UNITED STATES OF AMERICA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY WASHINGTON, D.C. Issued by the Department of Transportation on the 23rd of March , 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 Aberdeen, 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 - 0137 Docket DOT - OST - 2001 - 10644

ORDER EXTENDING SERVICE OBLIGATION Summary B y this O rder, w e extend the EAS obligation of the two wholly owned subsidiaries of Pinnacle Airlines Corporation

-- Mesaba Aviation, Inc. (“Mesaba”) and Pinnacle Airlines (“Pinnacle”), d/b/a Delta Connection at the 2 0 r emaining communities for 30 days, through , May 10 , 201 2

.Communities 3-Ltr. State Communities 3-Ltr. State 1 Aberdeen ABR South Dakota 11 Iron Mountain IMT Michigan 2 Alpena APN Michigan 12 Mason City MCW Iowa 3 Bemidji BJI Minnesota 13 Muscle Shoals MSL Alabama 4 Brainerd BRD Minnesota 14 Pellston PLN Michigan 5 Escanaba ESC Michigan 15 Sault St. Marie CIU Michigan 6 Fort Dodge FOD Iowa 16 Sioux City SUX Iowa 7 Greenville GLH Mississippi 17 Thief River Falls TVF Minnesota 8 Hattiesburg PIB Mississippi 18 Tupelo TUP Mississippi 9 Hibbing HIB Minnesota 19 Waterloo ALO Iowa 10 International Falls INL Minnesota 20 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 Ord er 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 were triggered by Mesaba/Pinnacle’s retirement of its fleet of 34

- seat Saab 340 aircraft. All of the service is now provided 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 tr ips a week. We have received proposals and comments regarding service at the above

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

- in period. In accordance with 49 U.S.C. 41734 (c ), we must extend the service obligations of 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 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 days, through May 10 , 2012, or until replacement s ervice actually begins, whichever occurs first ; 1 2. We direct Mesaba Aviation, Inc. and Pinnacle Airlines to retain all book s , records, and other source and summary documentation 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

1 In accordance 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 be gins.the Department indicates that the records may be destroyed, whichever comes first . Copies of flight logs for aircraft sold or disposed of must be retained. The air carrier may forfeit its compensation for any claim that is not supported under the terms of this O rder. 3

. These Dockets will remain open until further O rder of th e Department; and 4. The Department will serve a copy of this O rder on the mayors and airport managers of Muscle Shoals/Florence/Sheffield/Tuscumbia, Alabama; Fort Dodge, Mason city, Sioux City, and Waterloo, Iowa; Alpena, Escanaba, Iron Mountain/Kingsford, Pellston, and Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan; Bemidji, Brainerd, Chisholm/Hibbing, and International Falls, Thief River Falls, Minnesota; Greenville, Laurel/Hattiesburg, and Tupelo, Mississippi; Butte, Montana; Jamestown, North Dakota; and Aberdeen, and Watertown, South Dakota ; and on the carriers in our service list. By:

SUSAN L. KURLAND Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs (SEAL) An electronic version of this document is available on the World Wide Web at http://www.regulations.gov