Jul 9, 2024, 11:52 AM CST
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The Chippewa Valley Regional Airport Commission voted in favor of recommending a new airline service proposal on Monday night.
With a 6 to 1 vote, the Airport Commission decided to proceed with recommending SkyWest Airlines as the new provider at the Chippewa Valley Regional Airport. Currently, the airport is served by Sun Country Airlines but their contract with the airport ends on November 30.
SkyWest Airlines’ proposal is a three year deal that would offer 12 non-stop roundtrip flights each week to O’Hare International Airport in Chicago. The 12 flights marks a notable increase in service over the airport’s current service through Sun Country Airlines.
Currently, Sun Country Airlines provided three flights each week to the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport with two rotating seasonal destinations per week like Orlando, Florida and Las Vegas, Nevada. Their proposal for continued service was similar to their current offering, and would have run until September 30, 2028.
Notably, Sun Country Airline’s proposal would have used a larger plane with 186 seats. While SkyWest Airlines offers more flights each week to Chicago, rather than Minneapolis, their plane would be significantly smaller with around 50 seats available on each flight.
In a letter following the decision, Chippewa Valley Regional Airport officials said they’re hoping to continue the conversation with Sun Country Airlines to bring back nonstop seasonal service without subsidy. According to a WQOW report, Airport Director Charity Zich says the Department of Transportation’s Essential Air Service program will only support a contact with one airline at a time.
The proposal approved by the Airport Commission will be submitted to the United States Department of Transportation for review, which will make the final decision on the contract.
