Order 2012

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Served : November 21, 2012


### UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY WASHINGTON, D.C.

Issued by the Department of Transportation

on the 21 st day of November , 201 2

Essential Air Service at

Iron Mountain/Kingsford, Michigan ; Brainerd, Minnesota ; and International Falls, Minnesota

under 49 U.S.C. 41731 et seq

. Docket DOT

- OST

- 1999

- 5175

Docket DOT

- OST

- 2011

- 0135

Docket DOT

- OST

- 2009

- 0304

ORDER EXTENDING SERVICE OBLIGATION

Summary

B y this O rder, we extend the Essential A ir S ervice (“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 Brainerd and International Falls, Minnesota

, and Iron Mountain/Kingsford, Michigan for 30 days, through January 5, 2013

.

Background

O n July 15, 2011, Mesaba and Pinnacle filed notice s to terminate their service at the above communities. By Order 2011

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- 5, issued on September 13, 2011, we prohibited the air carriers from suspending se rvice at the communities in accordance with 49 U.S.C. § 41734(b)

.

The notices at 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 selected replacement carriers at the above

- captioned communities , but the transition date is scheduled for December 15, 2012, at the earliest. The current hold

- in period, established by Or der 2012

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- 10, runs through December 6, 2012. Therefore, i n 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 firs t. T he 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 Part 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 January 5, 2013 , or until replacement service 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 docume ntation 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 O rder.

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. These Dockets will rema in open until further o rder of the Department; and

4. The Department will serve a copy of this O rder on the mayors and airport managers of : Iron Mountain/Kingsford, Michigan; Brainerd, and International Falls, Minnesota; 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 petitions within ten (10) days after the date of service of this Order.

This O rder 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

1 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 pe riods as necessary until replacement service actually begins.