SkyWest to End Air Service at Chippewa Valley Airport; Search Begins for Replacement

Mar. 11—EAU CLAIRE — Citing a shortage of pilots, SkyWest Airlines said it plans to end air service at the Chippewa Valley Regional Airport and 28 other airports across the country.

The Eau Claire airport is seeking a new air service carrier to replace SkyWest, said airport manager Charity Zich.

SkyWest, which has offered the Eau Claire airport's only scheduled flights for the last 12 years under the banner of United Airlines, said in a U.S. Department of Transportation filing it "would prefer to continue providing scheduled air service to these cities, (but) the pilot staffing challenges across the airline industry preclude us from doing so."

In the filing, SkyWest said it will continue providing air service at the 29 airports for 90 days, or until June 10.

But scheduled flights won't stop then in Eau Claire. SkyWest plans to continue providing scheduled flights at the airport until another carrier is found, Zich said.

"Despite what happens with airline service, the airport will stay open, businesses at the airport will remain open," Zich said. "There's no immediate change to (flight) schedules and there will be plenty of notification before any changes in airlines or any major transition."

U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, D- La Crosse, weighed in on the matter Friday, asking Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a letter to ensure the impacted cities get continued flight services in the interim.

Kind said in a statement: "Like many other EAS locations, the Chippewa Valley Regional Airport is essential to our region's economic development and connects our rural communities to other regional hubs. The Chippewa Valley community and others like it can't afford to lose access to vital air transportation services and the economic benefits the EAS service brings."

Looking for a replacement

SkyWest's move triggers a "lengthy process to find an alternative airline to serve the region," the Eau Claire airport's website said.

The Department of Transportation will issue a request for proposal, seeking airline carriers interested in offering flight services in the impacted cities.

Officials are unsure how long that process will take. "I think there are a lot of unknowns at this time," Zich said Friday. "But I can tell you that we made a transition like this in 2009."

The Eau Claire airport received similar news in July 2009 from its then-air service carrier Delta Airlines. SkyWest ultimately replaced Delta, and started offering scheduled flights in March 2010 — eight months after Delta's initial announcement, Zich said.

Currently, SkyWest is the only scheduled airline serving the Eau Claire airport.

Zich said a growing number of passengers are using the Eau Claire airport — passenger numbers in January and February 2022 are up 23% over January and February 2019. Officials believe it's an "excellent opportunity for a new carrier to expand on the success we've accomplished over the last 12 years with SkyWest," she said.

Since 2010 the Chippewa Valley airport has been part of the federal government's Essential Air Service program. That program helps smaller communities across the U.S. offer consistent scheduled flights.

People can book flights in Eau Claire at United Airlines' website.

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