Two other bidders have joined SkyWest Airlines in seeking to be the Essential Air Service carrier at Dickinson County’s Ford Airport as the Federal Aviation Administration looks to issue a new EAS contract effective Feb. 1. (Daily News file photo)

IRON MOUNTAIN — SkyWest Airlines has served as the Essential Air Service carrier at Dickinson County’s Ford Airport since 2012, but two others are in the running as the Federal Aviation Administration looks to issue a new EAS contract effective Feb. 1.

Denver Air Connection and Air Wisconsin have joined SkyWest in submitting bids for terms that could range from two to four years. All three proposals carry annual subsidies more than $2 million lower than what’s called for in SkyWest’s current contract.

The lowest bid is from Denver Air Connection — $4.52 million in the first year — and the proposal adds O’Hare International Airport in Chicago as a potential hub. SkyWest now flies only to Detroit and Minneapolis, providing 13 round-trips weekly.

Here’s a look at each offer:

— SkyWest: Thirteen round-trip flights per week for up to a four-year term to Minneapolis and/or Detroit on CRJ550 aircraft with seating for 50 passengers. Connections are through Delta Air Lines. The annual subsidy is $5.02 million in the first year, $5.17 million in the second, $5.32 million in the third and $5.48 million in the fourth. SkyWest will dedicate $25,000 annually to marketing its service.

— Denver Air Connection: Thirteen round-trip flights per week in 50-seat Embraer 145s for up to a four-year term. Service will be to Minneapolis, Detroit or Chicago, or a combination. Denver Air Connection has established interline agreements with United Airlines, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines. The annual subsidy is $4.52 million in the first year, $4.74 million in the second, $4.98 million in the third and $5.23 million in the fourth. The airline commits at least $20,000 annually to local marketing.

— Air Wisconsin: Thirteen round-trip flights per week to Chicago for up to a three-year term on CRJ200 50-seat aircraft. Air Wisconsin has a codeshare partnership with American Airlines and commits a local marketing spend of at least $40,000 annually. The annual subsidy is $5.15 million in the first year, $5.51 million in the second and $5.78 million in the third.

For the past two years, Ford Airport has been part of a five-airport order that includes Sault Ste. Marie; Rhinelander, Wis.; and Brainerd and International Falls, Minn. Ford Airport’s share this year is $7.56 million of the $34.6 million five-airport total.

Also, rather than only the 50-passenger aircraft included in its new bid, SkyWest in recent years has provided seating for 65 to 76 passengers using CRJ-900 aircraft.

Preliminary figures show 20,244 passengers boarded flights at Ford Airport in 2024, compared with 18,486 in 2023 and 20,622 in 2022. Airports with at least 10,000 annual boardings are considered primary airports for purposes of federal Airport Improvement Program funding. AIP is the county airport’s main source for financing capital projects such as resurfacing runways.

Local communities can make recommendations on their choice of a carrier, but the U.S. Department of Transportation has the final say.

Delta County Airport, which is served by SkyWest, is asking the FAA to accept a bid from Denver Air Connection. The county cites the airline’s ability to schedule flights to Chicago as well as Minneapolis and Detroit. The EAS contract for Delta County is set to expire Dec. 31, according to The Daily Press.

Headquartered in St. George, Utah, SkyWest Airlines has a fleet of about 500 aircraft connecting passengers to more than 240 destinations throughout North America. Its team at Dickinson County’s Ford Airport was named Delta Station of the Year in 2022.

Denver Air Connection is a subsidiary of Key Lime Air, headquartered in Denver. Its interline agreement with United, American and Delta enables passengers to book a single itinerary where checked luggage is automatically transferred to the next flight.

Based in Appleton, Wis., Air Wisconsin has operated as a regional airline since 1965. The airline says its codeshare with American Airlines at O’Hare would offer Ford Airport 30% more flights than the Delta hubs in Detroit or Minneapolis.

No direct county contribution is needed for the subsidies, as EAS is a federal program. It’s mainly funded through fees collected by the FAA from foreign air carriers using U.S. airspace and through the Airport and Airways Trust Fund, which collects excise taxes from passenger ticket sales.

Established by Congress in 1978, EAS is designed to ensure air service to small communities. President Donald Trump, in his 2026 budget proposal, has put forward reforms that could potentially cut EAS funding in half.

As it stands, after the U.S. Department of Transportation receives proposals, it solicits the views of a community as to which air carrier proposal it prefers. It then considers this in making a selection:

— The demonstrated reliability of the applicant in providing scheduled air service.

— The contractual, marketing, code-share, or interline arrangements the applicant has made with a larger air carrier serving the hub airport.

— The preferences of the actual and potential users of air transportation at the eligible place, including the views of the elected officials representing the users of the service.

— Whether the air carrier has included a plan in its proposal to market its service to the community.

— The total compensation proposed by the air carrier for providing scheduled air service.

After considering these factors, the department issues an order designating the carrier. The order specifies the specific service pattern — routing, frequency and aircraft type — annual subsidy, subsidy-per-flight rates and the length of the contract.

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Jim Anderson can be reached at 906-774-2772, ext. 85226, or janderson@ironmountaindailynews.com.