A new airline is set to take over Essential Air Service routes at Owensboro-Daviess County Regional Airport in Kentucky next month.
United Express flights operated by SkyWest will commence Oct. 13, taking over from Contour Airlines. SkyWest will connect Owensboro with Chicago O’Hare and Washington Dulles.
Contour currently offers service to O’Hare and Charlotte, North Carolina. It is the only airline at Owensboro.
The U.S. Department of Transportation selected SkyWest to take over EAS at the airport in June. The carrier’s service term runs through July 31, 2030.
SkyWest successfully petitioned to have the service pattern at Owensboro adjusted to include flights to and from Dulles, where United has a hub.
According to DOT filings, SkyWest has agreed to operate 12 round trips per week between Owensboro and O’Hare. The airline plans to serve Washington, D.C., twice daily through Oct. 24, then switch to daily.
Regulators said there will be no gap in service between Contour ending operations at Owensboro and SkyWest starting its own.
Owensboro is located in western Kentucky along the Ohio River, which forms the state line with Indiana.
