UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 

Essential Air Service at 

Issued by the Department of Transportation 

on the 31st of January, 2014 

Order 2014-2.;2 

Served: January 31, 2014 

WATERTOWN, SOUTH DAKOTA DOCKET DOT-OST-2001-10644 

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

ORDER APPROVING ALTERNATE SERVICE PATTERN 

Summary 

By this Order, the Department is approving the request of Great Lakes Aviation, Ltd. (Great 

Lakes) to alter Watertown, South Dakota's service pattern by allowing service to Denver, 

Colorado (DEN) in addition to Minneapolis, Minnesota (MSP). 

Background 

By Order 2011-11-30, November 23,2011, the Department selected Great Lakes Aviation to 

provide subsidized essential air service at Watertown for an annual subsidy amount of 

$1,710,324. In that Order, Great Lakes was selected to provide 18 nonstop round trips to MSP 

using Beech 1900 aircraft. By Order 2012-6-23, June 26, 2012, the Department established the 

effective period for the Essential Air Service (EAS) contracts awarded to Great Lakes Aviation 

for the two-year period through May 31, 2014. 

Carrier Proposal 

In a January 21,2014, e-mail, the Department was notified of Great Lakes' request to alter 

Watertown's current service pattern by adding a flight to DEN from MSP (round trip) with stops 

in Pierre, South Dakota, and Watertown. 

Community Comments 

In that same e-mail, Steve Thorson, the Mayor of Watertown, notified the Department that the 

City of Watertown fully supports Great Lakes' request to change its service pattern at Watertown 

as described above. 

Decision 

We will approve Great Lakes Aviation's request, which meets the three conditions necessary for 

approval under authority assigned under 14 CFR 385.12(k) (3) of the Department's Regulations: 
2 

(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 Aviation's subsidy. 

Because we are simply allowing the alternate service pattern and not requiring it, Great Lakes 

may revert to the original service pattern at any time. 

This order is issued under authority delegated in 49 CFR 1.56a (f) andre-delegated to the 

Director, Office of Aviation Analysis. 

ACCORDINGLY, 

1. We approve the alternate service pattern requested by Great Lakes, to serve Watertown, South 

Dakota, with service to Denver and Minneapolis, at the annual subsidy rate and payout formula 

set forth in Appendix B of Order 20 11-11-30; 

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

3. The Department will serve a copy of this order on the mayor of Watertown, South Dakota, the 

airport manager of Watertown Regional Airport, and Great Lakes Aviation, Ltd. 

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

Regulations, 14 CFR Part 3 85.31, must file such petitions within seven (7) 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: 

(SEAL) 

TODD M. HOMAN 

Director 

Office of Aviation Analysis 

An electronic version of this document is available at 

www. regulations. gov