Those flying in and out of Pierre Regional Airport can start booking new United Express flights to Denver, operated by SkyWest Airlines, this week. The updated schedules will be available as early as Thursday, April 10 and the new flights will begin on Friday, Aug. 1. Denver Air Connection (DAC) will continue serving Pierre Regional Airport through July 31; bookings with DAC are available now.
“This is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s transition of the Essential Air Service contract,” said Nick Waters, City Engineer. “Pierre is very fortunate to have two airlines willing to work with us and each other to provide undisrupted service.”
Waters went on to say that the current flight schedule will stay as it is through the end of July, but the schedule will likely look somewhat different when flights operated by SkyWest begin in August.
“We will still have twelve weekly flights to Denver, but the new United Express flights will be timed to better align with their connecting flights,” said Waters.
On April 1, the USDOT awarded a four-year Essential Air Service (EAS) contract to SkyWest Airlines to provide daily United Express flights for travelers in Pierre.
“SkyWest is thrilled to offer the return of United Express service to Pierre travelers,” said Cody Thomas, managing director of market development for SkyWest Airlines. “These new flights to United’s Denver hub will be timed to provide great connections to hundreds of destinations via United’s global network.”
An EAS contract provides commercial airlines with a federal subsidy to connect rural airports, such as Pierre with the national air service network. Three airlines submitted proposals for the most recent contract –Air Wisconsin, DAC, and SkyWest. SkyWest’s proposal requested the lowest subsidy and received the endorsement of the Pierre City Commission.
More than 14,700 people took commercial flights from Pierre Regional Airport in 2024.