Great Lakes Ends Jmst Air Service Feb 1

Jamestown, (CSi)  Jamestown Regional Airport Manager, Matt Leitner says Jamestown and Devils Lake were informed, on Monday (Jan 27, 2014)  that Great Lakes intends to discontinue commercial air service effective February 1, 2014 to both cities.   (see related story – SkyWest to Serve Jamestown).

Leitner adds, due to a lack of qualified pilots Great Lakes is  drastically scaling back Minneapolis St. Paul operations and exiting many markets.    For affected markets, fares will be refunded and tickets will no longer be sold.

In a statement issued by Great Lakes Airline,  service will be suspended  for Devils Lake and Jamestown, ND; Fort Dodge and Mason City, IA; Ironwood, MI; and Thief River Falls, MN due to the severe industry-wide pilot shortage and its relative acute impact on Great Lakes.  This constitutes most all of their flights to and from the Minneapolis/St.Paul airport.  This is in addition to Clovis, NM; Pueblo, Col; Vernal & Moab, UT.   Great Lakes will have reduced airports served from 44 to 34,  a reduction of 10 EAS cities by Feb 1.

Letiner points our that the North Dakota  congressional delegation and North Dakota Aeronautics Commission have been apprised of the situation.

On Monday, Jamestown Regional Airport Authority Chairman Jim Boyd, Jamestown Mayor Katie Andersen and Leitner will be participating in a conference call with Devils Lake, North Dakota Aeronautics, the congressional delegation and the U.S. Department of Transportation at 3PM on Monday January 27, 2014.

Officials in both Devils Lake and Jamestown earlier endorsed a switch from Great Lakes to SkyWest Airlines to provide service under the federal Essential Air Service program. Great Lakes provides service on turboprop planes, while SkyWest flies jets. The federal Department of Transportation has the final say, and has until February 6, 2014, to make a decision on either of the two airlines making bids on the Jamestown EAS package, the present carrier, Great Lakes Airlines, or SkyWest.

Airports losing service:

Thief River Falls, MN

Mason City, IA

Fort Dodge, IA

Ironwood, MI

Jamestown, ND

Devils Lake, ND

Clovis, NM

Pueblo, Col

Vernal, UT

Moab, UT

Prior route map,  cities being eliminated are indicated by red dot: