US DOT stays with Boutique for Pendleton Essential Air Service

By Terry Murry on Monday, May 6th, 2024 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Transportation has chosen to keep the Eastern Oregon Regional Airport’s Essential Air Service provider. Boutique Air, Inc. was one of three companies that had applied for the contract. The other two are Alaska Seaplanes and Southern Airways Express LLC.

Boutique Air will provide 21 round-trip flights a week to Portland International Airport using either an eight- or nine-seat Pilatus PC-12 aircraft from June 1 of this year through May 31, 2026. The annual subsidy from DOT for the service will be $4,275,121 in the first year of the contract, and $4,488,877 in the second year.

The Pendleton City Council unanimously endorsed Boutique Air for the two-year term. That came upon the recommendation of a nine-member selection committee. The DOT also received a letter from the Wallowa County Board of Commissioners and the Union County Board of Commissioners in support of Alaska Seaplanes.

“Boutique Air has a long history of providing EAS at Pendleton and has done so reliably,” the Department of Transportation wrote in its decision. “Boutique Air also has contractual and marketing arrangements with a larger air carrier … and it has committed to spending $50,000 in marketing the proposed EAS at Pendleton. Lastly, while the Department received some community support for Alaska Seaplanes, Section 41733(c) (1) requires us to give substantial weight to the views of the community’s elected officials. In this case, the elected officials overseeing Eastern Oregon Regional Airport supported Boutique Air.”