Order 2010-6-8

Served: June 10, 2010

 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

 DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

 OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY

 WASHINGTON, D.C.

Issued by the Department of Transportation

on the 7th day of June, 2010

ORDER APPROVING AN ALTERNATE SERVICE PATTERN

Background

By Order 2007-12-22, December 21, 2008, the Department selected Great Lakes 

Aviation, Ltd., Inc. (Great Lakes) to provide subsidized essential air service (EAS) 

between seven Montana communities, including Glendive, utilizing 19-seat Beech1900D aircraft, for a two-year period at annual subsidy rate of $8,201,992 for all seven 

communities. Great Lakes’ original proposal offered the prospect of later changing the 

communities' hub from Billings to Denver if such a change could be agreed upon with the 

communities.

Great Lakes’ Proposal

On May 19, 2010, Great Lakes informed the Department of its desire to alter its service 

pattern at Glendive. Specifically, Great Lakes’ service would constitute the same 

frequency level as detailed in Order 2007-12-22; however, rather than providing all 

service (12 round trips a week) to Billings, the carrier proposes to provide 6 round trips a 

week to Denver and 6 to Billings.

Community Comments

In a May 20, 2010, letter, the Dawson County Commission confirmed their support for 

Great Lakes’ alternate service pattern noting that the other Montana communities that 

have been receiving service to Denver have seen their ridership increase.

Essential Air Service at

GLENDIVE, MONTANA

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

Docket DOT-OST-1997-2605
- 2 -

Decision

We will approve Great Lakes’ request, which meets the three conditions necessary for 

approval under authority assigned under 14 CFR 395.12(k)(3) of the Department’s

Regulations: (1) the alternate service pattern is equal to or greater than that determined to 

be essential; (2) the community does not object to the alternate service pattern; and (3) 

the alternate service pattern will not increase Great Lakes’ subsidy.

Because we are simply allowing the alternate service pattern and no requiring it Great 

Lakes may revert to its originally proposed pattern described in Order 2007-12-22 at any 

time. As always, we encourage communities and carriers to continue to work together to 

optimize the service patterns. The weekly compensation ceiling and subsidy rate per 

flight remain the same as issued in Order 2007-12-22.

This order is issued under authority assigned in 14 CFR 385.12(k)(3).

ACCORDINGLY,

1. We approve the alternate service pattern requested by Glendive, Montana, as detailed 

in Appendix A;

2. This docket will remain open until further order of the Department; and

3. We will serve a copy of this order on the parties listed in Appendix B.

Persons entitled to petition the Department for review of this order under the 

Department’s Regulations, 14 CFR 385.30, must file such petitions within ten 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

(An electronic version of this document is available in the Federal Docket Management 

System (FDMS) at http://www.regulations.gov
Appendix A

Great Lakes Aviation, Ltd.

Provision of Essential Air Service at Glendive, Montana

Alternate Service Pattern Summary

Effective Period Immediately, and running through the end of the current 

contract on April 30, 2011.

:

Scheduled Service: 6 nonstop or one-stop round trips to Denver each week; and

6 nonstop or one-stop round trips to Billings each week.

No service to any other points are contemplated under the 

terms of the carrier’s proposal; accordingly, no such service 

may be provided on subsidized flights without prior 

Department approval.

Intermediate Stops and 

upline service:

Aircraft type: Beech 1900D (19 passenger seats).

Timing of flights: Flights must be well-timed and well-spaced in order to ensure 

full compensation.

Subsidy Rate per 

Arrival/Departure: 

$865.341

Weekly Compensation 

Ceiling par Community:

$20,768.162

 1 Annual compensation of $2,112,304 at two communities (Glendive and Miles City) divided by 2,441 annual 

arrivals and departures at 97.5 percent completion factor, calculated as follows: 4 departures (at each community) x 

313 service days x .975 = 2,441.

2 Subsidy rate per arrival/departure of $865.34 multiplies by 24 subsidy-eligible arrivals and departures each week.
Appendix B

SERVICE LIST

Mr. Elmer Egli

1918 Wyoming Avenue

Glendive, Montana 59330

Mr. Chuck Howell

Mr. Michael O. Matthews

Great Lakes Aviation, Ltd.

1022 Airport Parkway

Cheyenne, Wyoming 82001

Mr. John Rabenberg

Chairman

Essential Air Service Task Force

643 Remuda Creek Road

Fort Peck, Montana 59223

The Honorable Jim Skillestad

County of Dawson

Office of County Commissioners

207 W. Bell

Glen Dive, Montana 59330