City manager Michael Morgan has announced that the Department of Transportation has selected SkyWest Airlines as the Essential Air Service provider for the City of Kearney, in Nebraska US. The carrier will operate 50 passenger regional jets with 12 nonstop roundtrip flights per week to Denver.
The two year contract awarded to SkyWest will begin on the completion of the $12,000,000 Kearney Regional Airport primary runway project, due in autumn 2018.
SkyWest is part of the United Airlines network which will be marketed as United Express. The carrier will feature bookings, connections and baggage transfers that will access United Airlines’ global network. Flight schedules and prices will be announced this summer.
Kearney mayor, Stan Clouse said: “This is exciting news that was the result of a lot of hard work by staff, City Council, various citizen committees, the Chamber of Commerce and others. United Express operated by SkyWest will provide an outstanding air service choice for not only recreational travellers but business travellers as well.”
The City of Kearney and the Department of Transportation began the rebid process for a new air carrier following the announcement in August 2017 that Peninsula (Pen) Airways had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and intended to discontinue its commercial air service in Kearney.
In September the city received 17 proposals from seven air service carriers, ranging from offers of nine seat prop aircraft to 50 passenger regional jets and daily flights either to Denver or Omaha. The air carriers include United Express, Great Lakes Airlines, Key Lime Air, Boutique Air, Silver Air, ADI and Air Choice One.
The primary runway at Kearney Regional Airport is currently being rehabilitated and replaced – the $12.5 million project is expected to be completed by August 31 2018 with commercial passenger air service expected to resume September 2018.
