Order 2012-11-25

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 21st of November, 2012

Essential Air Service at

DEVILS LAKE, NORTH DAKOTA

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

DOCKET OST-1997-2785

Order Specifying Contract End Date

Order 2009-8-6 selected Mesaba Aviation, Inc., to provide Essential Air Service (EAS) at 

Devils Lake, North Dakota, through September 30, 2011, with two round trips a day to 

Minneapolis and a mixture of nonstop and one-stop service. Mesaba filed notice on 

July 15, 2011, to terminate that service and also service at 23 other communities, many of 

which required service to Minneapolis. By Order 2011-9-5, September 13, 2011, we 

prohibited Mesaba from suspending service and requested proposals. 

By Order 2011-12-6, December 14, 2011, we selected Great Lakes Aviation, Ltd., to 

provide EAS at Devils Lake and to provide 14 nonstop round trips per week to 

Minneapolis for $2,797,467 annual subsidy. That Order set that rate to be effective until 

further Department action, i.e., it did not set an end date for the contract. As discussed in 

that Order, we issued it on an expedited basis because there was a service hiatus at Devils 

Lake at the time.1 Given the state of flux for EAS at the time in Minneapolis, we did not 

want to tie the hands of the carrier or the Department on a long-term basis.2 

Great Lakes has provided EAS at Devils Lake since that time. By this Order, we are 

making March 31, 2014, the termination date for the contract. Historically, Devils 

Lake’s EAS has been provided on a one-stop basis over Jamestown, North Dakota. By 

Order 2012-1-17, January 23, 2012, we selected Great Lakes to provide nonstop service 

to Jamestown for a two-year period. The carrier started that service on March 17, 2012, 

making the termination date for the EAS contract March 31, 2014. Because Jamestown 

and Devils Lake have been linked historically, we will modify Order 2011-12-6 by 

making the end of the contract at Devils Lake March 31, 2014, the same as for 

Jamestown. 

This Order is issued under authority assigned in 14 CFR Part 385.12 (k)(1).

 1 Mesaba had disposed of its Saab 340 equipment, and the only aircraft it had available for service was 

CRJ-200 regional jets, which were not able to serve Devils Lake because of their need for a longer runway. 

2 See Order 2012-10-10, October 9, 2012. As discussed in that Order, Great Lakes was not able to start 

service to some of the communities it had been selected to because of various difficulties in starting service 

to a large number of communities in a short period of time. The Order adjusted the time period of the 

selection to reflect that fact.
ACCORDINLGY,

1. We amend the effective period of Order 2011-12-6 Appendix C, so that the rate will 

terminate on March 31, 2014; 

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

3. We will serve a copy of this Order on the mayor and airport managers of Devils Lake, 

North Dakota. 

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

Department’s Regulations, 14 CFR Part 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
Appendix A

Nonstop Great Circle Miles from Devils Lake

GFK, Grand Forks 81

JMS, Jamestown 83

MOT, Minot 110

TVF, Thief River Falls 126

BIS, Bismarck 127

FAR, Fargo 128

MSP, Minneapolis 351