Order 2012-8-31

Served: August 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 day of August, 2012

Essential Air Service at

Muscle Shoals/Florence/Sheffield/

 Tuscumbia, Alabama

Alpena, Michigan

Iron Mountain/Kingsford, Michigan

Brainerd, Minnesota

International Falls, Minnesota

Greenville, Mississippi

Laurel/Hattiesburg, Mississippi and

Tupelo, Mississippi, 

under 49 U.S.C. 41731 et seq. 

Docket DOT-OST-2000-7856 

Docket DOT-OST-2009-0300

Docket DOT-OST-1999-5175

Docket DOT-OST-2011-0135

Docket DOT-OST-2009-0304

Docket DOT-OST-2008-0209

Docket DOT-OST-2001-10685

Docket DOT-OST-2009-0305

ORDER EXTENDING SERVICE OBLIGATION

Summary

By this Order, we extend the Essential Air Service (“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 eight communities listed below for 30 days, 

through, October 7, 2012. 

Communities 3-Ltr. State Communities 3-Ltr.

1 Alpena APN Michigan 5 International FallsINL

2 Brainerd BRD Minnesota 6 Iron Mountain IMT

3 Greenville GLH Mississippi 7 Muscle Shoals MSL

4 Hattiesburg PIB Mississippi 8 Tupelo TUP

Background

On July 15, 2011, Mesaba and Pinnacle filed notices to terminate their service at the above eight

communities. By Order 2011-9-5, issued on September 13, 2011, we prohibited the air carriers 

from suspending service at the communities in accordance with 49 U.S.C. § 41734(b). 
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 trips 

a week. 

We have received proposals and comments regarding service at the above-captioned 

communities.1 However, replacement service may not commence before September 7, 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. However, the Department will continue to 

provide compensation to Mesaba and Pinnacle pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 41734(d). 

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 October 7, 2012, or until replacement service actually begins, 

whichever occurs first;2

2. We direct Mesaba Aviation, Inc. and Pinnacle Airlines to retain all books, 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 from 

the date of service of this Order, or until 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 Order. 

3. These Dockets will remain open until further order of the Department; and 

 1 The Department has issued Selection Orders for all of the above communities. However, the selected air carriers 

have not yet announced a start date. Copies of those Selection Orders may be accessed online through the 

Department’s Dockets Management System at: http://www.regulations.gov by entering each community’s 

respective Docket number in the “Enter Keyword or ID” field. 

2 In accordance with 49 U.S.C. § 41734(c), the Department will continue to extend Mesaba and Pinnacle’s service 

obligation for successive 30-day periods as necessary until replacement service actually begins.
4. The Department will serve a copy of this Order on the mayors and airport managers of:

Muscle Shoals, Alabama; Alpena, and Iron Mountain/Kingsford, Michigan; Brainerd, and 

International Falls, Minnesota; Greenville, Laurel/Hattiesburg, and Tupelo, Mississippi; and on 

Mesaba Aviation, Inc. and Pinnacle Airlines.

Persons entitled to petition the Department for review of this Order under the Department’s 

Aviation Economic Regulations, 14 CFR Part 385.50, must file such petition 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