Essential Air Service at Poctaello, Idaho

OST-2006-26708

December 20, 2006

Ninety-Day Notice of Big Sky Airlines of Intent to Terminate Service

Big Sky Transportation Co. d/b/a Big Sky Airlines gives notice of its intent to terminate all service at Pocatello, Idaho on March 20, 2007. However, Big Sky requests the Department authorize it to discontinue service as soon as possible. As of today, there are 402 passenger bookings for the period beginning January 1, 2007 through March 19, 2007, during which time we have 312 flights scheduled. Big Sky will coordinate the re-acommodation of existing passengers with Skywest/Delta and Horizon through Idaho Falls.

Big Sky currently provides 14 round-trip flights per week with 19-passenger Beechcraft 1900D aircraft between Boise and Pocatello.

Big Sky’s need to terminate service at Pocatello is a result of increased fuel costs and a lack of sufficient traffic to operate profitably. As the Department is aware, Big Sky replaced Horizon Air in the Pocatello market on January 8, 2006. Horizon Air continues to serve the area through Idaho Falls, Idaho, which is 49 miles from Pocatello.

Counsel: Big Sky, Fred deLeeuw, 406-247-3912, fred.deleeuw@bigskyair.com

Order 2007-2-9
OST-2006-26708

Issued February 7, 2007 | Served February 12, 2007

Order Allowing Suspension of Service

On December 21, 2006, Big Sky filed a 90-day notice of its intent to suspend it unsubsidized scheduled service at Pocatello, Idaho, effective March 20, 2007, but requests that the Department allow it to suspend service as soon as possible.

By this order, the Department is allowing Big Sky Transportation d/b/a Big Sky Airlines to suspend its unsubsidized service at Pocatello, Idaho, at the end of its 90-day notice period.

By: Andrew Steinberg