PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - Four airlines have submitted bids to serve South Dakota’s capital city under the Essential Air Service federal subsidy program.
The bids to serve Pierre are from Great Lakes Airlines, Aerodynamics Inc., Boutique Air and Key Lime Air, the Pierre Capital Journal (https://bit.ly/1RBPfMv ) reported.
Great Lakes Airlines currently provides service from Pierre to Denver and Minneapolis, but city officials have been unsatisfied with the service and began looking for a new carrier in 2014. Great Lakes, Aerodynamics and Boutique Air all submitted bids that year.
City officials rejected Great Lakes and Boutique Air, which they deemed as not right for Pierre, and chose Aerodynamics.
But they later soured on Aerodynamics due to concerns over finances and managerial competence. They then obtained federal permission to reopen the bidding process.
“The bids are different this time,” Pierre Mayor Laurie Gill said. “We are going to move ahead with a thorough analysis of what we’ve got in front of us and we will make our decision based on the new bids and give them all a fair shot and a fair review.”
Great Lakes, Aerodynamics and Boutique Air proposed plans ranging from $2 million to more than $4 million annually in Essential Air Service funding, depending on flight numbers, aircraft and other factors.
The community air service task force, which was formed in 2014 by the City Commission to review the airline proposals, will consider the new bids.
The city has about a month to decide on a new recommendation to the federal Transportation Department.
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Information from: Pierre Capital Journal, https://www.capjournal.com
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