Denver Air Connection Adds 17th Route

Colorado-based Denver Air Connection, or DAC for short, has added a 17th route to their network. The new flight will depart from one of its existing Essential Air Service communities.

The new route departs from Pierre, South Dakota, a city the airline has been serving since SkyWest terminated its EAS contract here due to “pilot staffing.” DAC began service to Pierre on July 1, 2021, operating flights to its hub at Denver International Airport. On the same day back in July 2021, they also began services to Watertown, South Dakota, but they currently operate to Chicago O’Hare as well as Denver from Watertown.

The new route will operate between Pierre and Denver Air Connection’s hub at Minneapolis/St. Paul. Flights begin on November 30, 2023 and will initially operate twice a week on Thursdays and Sundays. All flights will operate on board 50-seat Embraer E145 jets.

Denver Air Connection planes lined up in Denver. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)

This will be the airline’s third route out of the Minneapolis/St. Paul hub, and it is the sixth EAS city they operate that will offer flights to two different hubs. However, this will be the first community the airline operates to that offers flights to both Denver and Minneapolis, as other destinations, such as nearby Watertown, S.D., operate Denver and Chicago flights.

Given the timing of the flights, on Thursdays and Sundays, passengers could even fly between Denver and Minneapolis with a connection in Pierre. Unfortunately, due to the times of the flights, connecting in Pierre westward doesn’t work unless you’re willing to stay overnight.

This connection is similar to DAC’s offering from nearby Watertown, S.D., as they operate Denver and Chicago flights. Connecting in Watertown is possible in one direction, which AirlineGeeks did the year it started.

All flights and schedules are subject to change, and information was found on the airline’s website.

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Joey Gerardi

Joey has always been interested in planes, for as long as he can remember. He grew up in Central New York during the early 2000s when US Airways Express turboprops ruled the skies. Being from a non-aviation family made it harder for him to be around planes and would only spend about three hours a month at the airport. He was so excited when he could drive by himself and the first thing he did with the license was get ice cream and go plane spotting for the entire day. When he has the time (and money) he likes to take spotting trips to any location worth a visit but has a special interest in Essential Air Service Airports. He got his degree in Aviation Management and Operations from WMU in June of 2022, and is currently working full time for an airline in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

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