DOT Awards Air Wisconsin First EAS Contract for Regional Service

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has selected Air Wisconsin to provide Essential Air Service (EAS) between Parkersburg, West Virginia, and Marietta, Ohio. This marks the regional carrier's first contract under the federal EAS program, which subsidizes air service to small communities. The agreement includes a federal subsidy of $5.2 million for the first year, increasing to $5.56 million in the second year of the two-year contract.

Beginning October 1, Air Wisconsin will operate 12 weekly round-trip flights between Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport and Charlotte Douglas International Airport using 50-seat CRJ-200 regional jets. The service will operate under a codeshare with American Airlines, providing passengers access to American's broader network. The DOT selected Air Wisconsin's proposal over bids from several competitors, citing it as the most cost-effective option despite the local airport authority's preference for SkyWest Airlines.

The Essential Air Service program, administered by the DOT, aims to maintain air connectivity for rural communities across the United States. The program typically supports two daily round-trip flights using aircraft with 30 to 50 seats, connecting smaller airports to major transportation hubs. This federal initiative ensures smaller communities maintain access to the national air transportation network through subsidized routes.

Air Wisconsin has strategically shifted its business model following the end of its flying agreement with American Airlines earlier this year. The carrier has submitted at least six additional EAS bids beyond Parkersburg, including proposals for routes from Beckley and Lewisburg, West Virginia, as well as Burlington, Iowa, and Quincy, Illinois. The company has operated in the regional airline industry since 1965 and is now focusing on charter flying and the federally subsidized EAS market as part of its business repositioning.

The DOT has not yet announced decisions on Air Wisconsin's other route proposals. Earlier this year, the airline bid for contracts to serve Pierre and Watertown, South Dakota, though those contracts were ultimately awarded to SkyWest Airlines. The current Parkersburg-Marietta route is being flown by Contour Airlines under a separate DOT agreement that expires on September 30.