Hoeven: DOT Renews United Airlines for Two-Year EAS Contract at Theodore Roosevelt Regional Airport

Statement

Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of Transportation selected United Airlines for an Essential Air Service (EAS) contract serving the Theodore Roosevelt Regional Airport in Dickinson. Under the contract, United will continue to provide 12 nonstop round trips per week to Denver through September 30, 2024.

The contract aligns with Hoeven's efforts to help ensure the airport can continue to safely and efficiently serve the Dickinson region. To this end, the senator has been working as a member of the Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Committee to fund the airport's $63 million runway reconstruction and extension project, which is needed to increase the airport's operational capacity. To date, the project has received nearly $50 million in federal funding.

"This contract with United Airlines provides certainty to businesses, families and individuals in Dickinson and the surrounding communities,"said Senator Hoeven. "Boardings are quickly returning to pre-pandemic levels, and it's essential that the Theodore Roosevelt Regional Airport can continue to meet the growing demand for air service in the region. That's why we've worked with local leaders to secure funds for the new runway and will continue to support the airport authority as it considers plans to develop a new terminal."

"We are very excited that the DOT has selected and awarded the EAS contract to United Airlines. United has provided exceptional and reliable service to Dickinson and we look forward to continuing that relationship with them. Flying out of Dickinson is fast and convenient, with service into one of the Nation's largest aviation hubs in Denver, CO. Commercial air service in Dickinson benefits Southwest North Dakota and allows for continued economic development in the area. The millions of dollars invested in airport improvements, specifically our new runway and parallel taxiway, will benefit the community for generations to come," Jeff Moore, Dickinson Municipal Airport Authority Chair.

Between 2009 and 2019, boardings at the Theodore Roosevelt Regional Airport increased by nearly 170 percent, from approximately 9,000 passengers per year to nearly 24,000. In response, the airport began reconstructing Runway 14-32, which is being expanded to 7,300 feet long and 150 feet wide. The project was started in 2018 and is on schedule to be completed in the fall of 2022.

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