Order: 2015

- 4

- 25

Served: April 30, 2015



### UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY WASHINGTON, D.C.

Issued by the Department of Transportation

on the 30th day of April , 20 15

Essential Air Service at

CRESCENT CITY, CALIFORNIA MOAB, UTAH PUEBLO, COLORADO VERNAL, UTAH

Under 49 U.S.C. 41731 et seq

. Docket DOT

- OST

- 1997

- 2649

Docket DOT

- OST

- 1997

- 2827

Docket DOT

- OST

- 1999

- 6589

Docket DOT

- OST

- 1997

- 2706



### ORDER EXTENDING SERVICE OBLIGATION

Summary By this O rder, the United States Department of Transportation (the Department) extends the Essential Air Service (EAS) o bligation of SkyWest Airlines, operating as United Express (SkyWest United )

, at Crescent City, California, and Pueblo, Colorado, and also operating as Delta Connection (SkyWest Delta) at Moab and Vernal, Utah, for an additional 30 days, through

June 16

, 2015 , or until a new ai r carrier begins full EAS at the communities, whichever occurs first, in accordance with 49 U.S.C. § 41734(c).

Background

On November 18

, 2014, SkyWest United and SkyWest Delta filed 90

- day notice s with the Department o f its intent to terminate its subsi d ized EAS at all four communities , effective April 6

, 2015 . By Order 2014

- 11

- 18 (November 25

, 2014 )

, the Department prohibited the air

carrier from su s pending service for 30 days bey ond the end of its 90

- day notice period, i.e.

March 18, 2015

, and requested proposals from air carriers interested in providing replacement

service at the four communities

. Several c arriers filed proposals

, which can be viewed on www.regulations.gov under each community’s respective docket number

.

By Order 2015

- 3

- 14 (March 25, 2015), the Department selected Peninsula Airways, Inc. to

pr ovide EAS at Crescent City for the two

- year term beginning September 1

, 2015. By Order

2015

- 3

- 15 (March 26, 2015), the Department selected Great Lakes Aviation, Ltd. to prov ide

EAS at Moab and Vernal for the two

- year term beginning May 1, 2015 ; however

, Great Lakes2

has indicated that they will not commence service on that date

. At this time, no selection order

has been issued for Pueblo.

As a result, we must extend SkyWest’s service obligation’s at all four communities for another 30 days as described in Appendix A, or until replacement service actually begins, whichever

comes fir st.

This Order is issued under authority assigned in 14 CFR 385.12(k)(5).

ACCORDINGLY,

1. We require SkyWest Airlines, operating as United Express

, to provide the level of service at Crescent City, California

, as set forth in Order 2014

- 4

- 23 , for an additional 30

- day period through June 16

, 2015 , or until a n air carrier ca pable of providing reliable EAS actually begins
service, whichever is first ; 1

2. We require SkyWest Airlines, operating as United Express and Delta Connection , to provide

the level of service at Moab, Utah, Pueblo, Colorado, and Vernal, Utah, as set forth in Orde r 2014

- 2

- 18 , for an additi onal 30

- day period through June 16

, 2015, or until an air carrier capable of providing reliable EAS actually begins service, whichever is first; 2

3 . We direct SkyWest Airlines, operating as United Express and Delta Connection

, 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 service date of this O rder 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 carrier may forfeit its compensation for any claim that is not

sup ported under the terms of this O rder;

4 . These d ocket s will remain open until further order of the Department; and

1 In accordance with 49 U.S.C. § 41734(c), we will extend SkyWest United’s service obligation for successive 30

- day periods as necessary until repl acement service actually begins at Crescent City

. 2 In accordance with 49 U.S.C. § 41734(c), we will extend SkyWest United’s and SkyWest Delta’s service obligation for successive 30

- day periods as necessary until replacement service actually begins at Moab, Pueblo , and

Vernal

.3

5

. The Department will serve a copy of this Order on the m ayor s of Crescent City, California

, Moab, Utah, Pueblo, Colorado, Vernal, Utah; the airport d irector s at Del Norte Regional Airport (Crescent City)

, Canyonlands Airport (Moab), Pueblo Memorial Airport, Vernal Regional Airport, and SkyWest Airlines, operating as United Express and Delta Connection

.

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

Aviation Eco nomic Regulations, 14 CFR 385.31(a) , must file such petitions within seven (7 ) days after the date of service o f 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 at www.regulations.govAPPENDIX A

Essential Air Service to be Maintained at Crescent City, California

Effective Period : May 18, 2015

, through June 16

, 2015

Hub: San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

Scheduled Service : 14 weekly nonstop round trips

Aircraft : 30

- passenger Embraer Brasilia EMB 120

Essential Air Service to be Maintained at Moab, Utah

Effective Period : May 18, 2015, through June 16

, 2015

Hub: Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)

Scheduled Service : 12 we ekly nonstop round trips

Aircraft : 30

- passenger Embraer Brasilia EMB 120

Essential Air Service to be Maintained at Pueblo, Colorado

Effective Period : May 18, 2015, through June 16

, 2015

Hub: Denver International Airport (DEN)

Scheduled Service : 12 week ly nonstop round trips

Aircraft : 30

- passenger Embraer Brasilia EMB 120

Essential Air Service to be Maintained at Vernal

, Utah

Effective Period : May 18, 2015, through June 16

, 2015

Hub: Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)

Scheduled Service : 12 week ly nonstop round trips

Aircraft : 30

- passenger Embraer Brasilia EMB 120