The community of Butte, Montana, is set to receive more choices in air service next year. Flights to Butte are federally subsidized under the Essential Air Service (EAS) program.
In 2022, the town of nearly 34,500 was one of many small communities that felt the effects of pilot supply woes at regional airlines. SkyWest previously operated flights to both Denver and Salt Lake City but cut the Denver service citing an ongoing pilot shortage.
According to the Montana Standard, the regional airline added the Denver flights just six months before axing the service in late June 2022. Service to Denver operates under the United Express brand, while flights to Salt Lake City are branded under Delta Connection.
Butte requested a waiver from the Department of Transportation to allow SkyWest to continue serving the community under minimum EAS requirements. Later, SkyWest increased service to Salt Lake City, eliminating the need for a waiver.
Currently, the town sees 13 weekly flights to Delta’s Salt Lake City hub. Starting in January 2025, SkyWest will also resume flights to Denver.
Under the three-year contract, SkyWest will continue operating 13 round-trip subsidized flights per week, codesharing with both United and Delta. The annual subsidy rates for the contract are $6,354,635 in year one, $6,799,459 in year two, and $7,275,421 in year three.
Flights will be operated by both the CRJ-200 and CRJ-550 aircraft.
“SkyWest has provided exceptional and reliable air service to our community for over 30 years. We feel their proposal to offer service to both Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) and to Denver International (DEN) will greatly benefit our passengers and strengthen air travel out of Butte,” said Jim Beauchamp, board chairman of the Bert Mooney Airport Authority, in a June letter to the DOT.
In 2023, the Regional Airline Association — a trade group — said 76% of small communities saw reductions in air service as a result of pilot supply constraints. Flights to several of those communities are subsidized under the federal program.
