Essential Air Service at Grand Island, Kearney, McCook, North Platte and Scottsbluff, Nebraska

Order 2006-6-26
OST-2002-13983 - Grand Island, NE
OST-1996-1715 - Kearney, NE
OST-1997-3005 - McCook, NE
OST-1999-5173 - North Platte, NE
OST-2003-14535 - Scottsbluff, NE

Issued June 21, 2006 | Served June 26, 206

Order Selecting Carrier

By this order, we are selecting Air Midwest for service at Grand Island and McCook, Nebraska, for two years, beginning when the carrier inaugurates full service, at a total annual subsidy of $2,296,462 for both communities. Grand Island will receive two nonstop round trips to Omaha each weekday and weekend (12 total round trips per week) and one nonstop round trip each weekday and weekend to Kansas City (6 total round trips per week): McCook will receive two one-stop round trips each weekday and weekend to Omaha (12 one-stop round trips per week); both Grand Island and McCook will be served with 19-passenger Beech 1900-D aircraft.

We are also selecting Great Lakes Aviation, Ltd.. to provide essential air service with subsidy support at Kearney. North Platte, and Scottsbluff, Nebraska. for two years, beginning when Mesa Air Group d/b/a Air Midwest inaugurates service at Grand Island and McCook. at a total annual subsidy ofS2,393.305 ($897,142 for Kearney; $976,026 for North Platte; and $520,137 for Scottsbluff). Each community will receive three nonstop round trips to Denver each weekday and weekend (18 total round trips per week) with Beech 1900-D aircraft.

The total annual subsidy for all five Nebraska communities in this Order is $4,689,767 compared to the current rates of $5,233,287.

By: Michael Reynolds

Order 2006-6-26
OST-2002-13983 - Grand Island, NE
OST-1996-1715 - Kearney, NE
OST-1997-3005 - McCook, NE
OST-1999-5173 - North Platte, NE
OST-2003-14535 - Scottsbluff, NE

June 23, 2006

Clarification to Order 2006-6-26

Order 2006-6-26 reselected Great Lakes to provide EAS at Kearney, North Platte, and Scottsbluff beginning July 1, 2006, but selected Air Midwest to replace Great Lakes at Grand Island and McCook. As we discussed on page 6 of the Order, we want to keep all communities on the same time cycle. As stated in the "Action on Great Lakes' provision of service for an interim period" paragraph on page 7 of the Order, the Department will reset the two-year clock at all five Nebraska communities on the date that Air Midwest inaugurates service at Grand Island and McCook. Therefore, in Appendices C, pages 3 through 5, the effective period should read "Date of inauguration of service by Air Midwest at Grand Island and McCook through the end of the 24th month thereafter."

In addition, because Air Midwest will not be able to inaugurate service at Grand Island or McCook by July 1, we need to set short‑term payouts for Great Lakes for the two communities from July 1 until Air Midwest takes over. The attached appendices with subsidy per flight and weekly compensation ceilings for Great Lakes' service at Grand Island and McCook should have been included in Order 2006‑6‑26.

By: Kevin Schlemmer