Order 2012-1-7

Served: January 10, 2012

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Issued by the Department of Transportation

on the 10th of January, 2012

Essential Air Service at

PIERRE, SOUTH DAKOTA

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

 DOCKET DOT-OST-2011-0138

Thirty Day Hold-In Extension

Summary

By this Order, the Department of Transportation extends the Essential Air Service (EAS) 

obligation of Mesaba Aviation and Pinnacle Airlines, d/b/a Delta Connection (Delta), at Pierre, 

South Dakota, for an additional 30 days, through February 14, 2012, or until Great Lakes begins 

replacement service, on or about February 1, 2012. 

Background

On July 15, 2011, Delta filed a 90-day notice with the Department of its intent to terminate its 

subsidy-free service at 24 communities, including Pierre, South Dakota, effective October 13, 

2011. By Order 2011-11-4, November 2, 2011, we required Delta to continue to provide EAS at 

Pierre, and by Order 2011-12-25, issued on December 14, 2011, we extended that obligation

through January 15, 2012. 

Discussion

Great Lakes has announced that it will inaugurate service between Pierre and Minneapolis on 

February 1, 2012. In order to prevent a short-term service hiatus, we are requiring Delta to 

continue its current service through January 31, 2012. We note that Great Lakes Aviation, Ltd., 

has indicated that it will inaugurate subsidy-free replacement service on-or-about February 1, 

2012, consisting of one round trip per day, seven days per week, with 19-seat Beech 1900 

aircraft.1 

 

1 Great Lakes indicates it intends to offer additional service to Minneapolis subsequent to that initial service.
- 2 -

Service Transition

Before Great Lakes inaugurates the service discussed above and Delta terminates its service, we 

expect Delta and Great Lakes to work together to make a smooth transition at Pierre. In that 

regard, before Delta suspends its service to Pierre, we expect it to notify any passengers holding 

reservations for travel after the suspension date, to assist those passengers in making alternate air 

transportation arrangements, or to provide a refund of the ticket price, without penalty, if 

requested. 

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

ACCORDINGLY,

1. We require Mesaba Aviation and Pinnacle Airlines, operating as Delta Connection, to 

maintain its current level of service at Pierre through January 31, 2012, or until Great Lakes 

Aviation, Ltd., begins its replacement service;

2. We direct Mesaba and Pinnacle Airlines 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 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 carrier 

may forfeit its compensation for any claim that is not supported under the terms of this Order;

3. This Docket will remain open until further Order of the Department; and

4. We will serve copies of this Order on the Mayor and airport manager of Pierre, South Dakota, 

Mesaba Aviation, Pinnacle Airlines, and Great Lakes, Aviation, Ltd.

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

Aviation Economic Regulations, 14 CFR 385.50, must file such petitions within ten (10) 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

(SEAL)

An electronic version of this document is available 

at http://www.regulations.gov