Order : 2011

- 11

- 33 Served: November 30, 2011 

### UNITED STATES OF AMERICA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY WASHINGTON, D.C. Issued by the Department of Transportation on the 30 th day of November , 2011 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 Devils Lake, North Dakota Jam estown, North Dakota 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 DO T - 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 - 1997 - 2785 Docket DOT - OST - 2011 - 0137 Docket DOT - OST - 2001 - 10644ORDER EXTENDING SERVICE OBLIGATION Summary By this order, 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 December 12, 2011. Additionally by this order, w e exten d 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 22 r emaining communities for 30 days, through , January 11 , 201 2

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

- free service at Butte, Montana, effective October 13, 2011. Likewise, on July 15, 2011, Mesaba and Pinnacle filed notice s to terminate their subsidy

- free service at eight communities: Aberdeen and Pierre, South Dakota ; 1 Bemidji and Brainerd, Minnesota; Sioux City and Waterloo, Iowa; and Pellston, Michigan. Mesaba and Pinnacle also filed notice to suspend their currently subsidized service at sixteen communities: Muscle Shoals/Florence/Sheffield/Tuscumbia (Muscle Shoals), Alabama; Fort Dodge and Mason City, Iowa; Alpena, Escanaba, Iron Mountain/Kingsford (Iron Mountain), and Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan; Chisholm/ Hibbing (Hibbing), International Falls, and Thief River Falls, Minnesota; Greenville, Laurel/Hattiesburg (Hattiesburg), and Tupelo, Mississippi; Devils Lake and Jamestown, North Dakota; and Watertown, South Dakota. We have received proposals and comment s regarding service at the above

- captioned communities , and have selected Great Lakes Aviation, Ltd., to provide servic e at Fort Dodge and Mason City, Iowa, Iron Mountain , Michigan, Brainerd and Thief River Falls, Minnesota, and Watertown, South Dakota; ho wever , service will not commence before the end of the current hold

- in period. Additionally, w e will not have completed the carrier

- selection case for the remaining communities by December 12, 2011, the end of the current hold

- in period. In accordance wi th 49 U.S.C. 41734(c), we must extend SkyWest, Mesaba and Pinnacle’s service

1 We are addressing Pierre’s EAS in a separate order.obligation for an additional 30 days, or until replacement service actually begins, whichever occurs first. ACCORDINGLY, 1. We require SkyWest Airlines, Inc., d/b/a Delta Con nection and Mesaba Aviation, Inc. and Pinnacle Airlines, d/b/a Delta Connection , to maintain its current level of service at the 23 above

- captioned communities, as prescribed in Order 2011

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- 5, issued September 13, 2011. 2 2. We direct SkyWest Airlines, Inc., 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 the Department indicates that the records may be destroyed, whichever comes first. Copies of flight logs for ai rcraft 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 order. 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; Fort Dodge, Mason City, Sioux City, and Waterloo, Iowa; Alpena, Escanaba, Iron Mountain/Kingsford, Pellston, and Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan; Bemidji, Brainerd, Chisholm/Hibbing, International Falls, and Thief River Falls, Minnesota; Greenville, Laurel/Hattiesburg, and Tupelo, Mississippi; Butte, Montana; Devils Lake and Jamestown, North Dakota; Aberdeen, Pierre, and Water town, South Dakota ; and on the carriers in our service list. Persons entitled to petition the Department for review of this order 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 order. This order will be effective immediately, and the filing of a petition for review shall not preclude 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

2 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 begins.