Order 2012-6-23

 Served: June 26, 2012

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Issued by the Department of Transportation

on the 26th day of June, 2012

Essential Air Service at

FORT DODGE, IOWA

MASON CITY, IOWA

THIEF RIVER FALLS, MINNESOTA

WATERTOWN, SOUTH DAKOTA

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

DOCKET DOT-OST-2001-10682

DOCKET DOT-OST-2001-10684

DOCKET DOT-OST-2001-10642

DOCKET DOT-OST-2001-10644

ORDER ESTABLISHING CONTRACT PERIOD

SUMMARY

By this Order, the Department is establishing the effective period for the Essential Air Service 

(EAS) contracts awarded to Great Lakes Aviation, Ltd., by Order 2011-11-30. That order stated 

that the contracts would be effective through the 24th month after Great Lakes commenced full 

EAS at all six communities that they were awarded. Great Lakes subsequently filed notice with 

the Department that they would not be able to provide service at the communities of Brainerd, 

MN, and Iron Mountain, MI. The Department will therefore use May 17, 2012, as the effective 

start-date, when Great Lakes established EAS at all of the remaining communities. The 

contracts will thus expire at the end of the 24-month period thereafter: May 31, 2014.

BACKGROUND

On November 23, 2011 the Department issued Order 2011-11-30 selecting Great Lakes to 

provide EAS at six communities: Fort Dodge, IA; Mason City, IA; Iron Mountain, MI; Brainerd, 

MN; Thief River Falls, MN and; Watertown, SD. The Order established subsidy rates and stated 

that the contracts would be effective through the 24-month period following when Great Lakes 

commenced full EAS service at all six communities. 

However, in an e-mail dated June 11, 2012, Great Lakes informed the Department that due to an 

aggressive expansion of its operations as well as lack of gate and ramp space at its MinneapolisSt. Paul hub, it would not be able to provide EAS for the communities of Brainerd, MN, and Iron 
Mountain, MI, and asked the Department to re-bid those EAS contracts.

1 As the original Order 

selecting the carrier stated that the contracts would cover the 24-month period following Great 

Lakes’ commencement of service at all six communities, the Department will establish the 

contracts as beginning on the date when Great Lakes commenced service at the remaining four 

communities. 

This order is issued under the authority delegated in 14 C.F.R. 385.12(k)(1).

ACCORDINGLY,

1. The Department sets the termination date of the EAS contracts awarded to Great Lakes 

Aviation, Ltd., to serve Fort Dodge, IA; Mason City, IA; Thief River Falls, MN and; 

Watertown, SD under Order 2011-11-30 as May 31, 2014; and

2. We will serve a copy of this Order on the Mayors and airport managers of Fort Dodge, IA;

Mason City, IA; Thief River Falls, MN and; Watertown, SD, and Great Lakes Aviation, Ltd.

By:

TODD M. HOMAN

Director

Office of Aviation Analysis

(SEAL)

An electronic version of this document is available online at:

www.regulations.gov

 1 Great Lakes also asked the Department to re-bid its EAS contracts at Rhinelander, WI, and International Falls, 

MN, which are covered in a separate order.