Tense ATC audio of Southwest, jet near miss in Chicago
Audio of air controllers, the Southwest airplane and the business jet during a near collision at Chicago Midway Airport.
- The U.S. Department of Transportation was scheduled to name a new Essential Air Service provider for Pueblo on Feb. 1, but that still hasn’t happened.
- City officials say they “won’t know anything” about Pueblo’s future EAS provider until they hear from the federal government.
- Five airlines have applied to be Pueblo’s new carrier, including one that serviced Pueblo prior to 2023.
What will be the fate of Pueblo Memorial Airport’s Essential Air Service that provides flights between Pueblo and Denver? No one seems to know.
The U.S. Department of Transportation was scheduled to name a new air carrier for the service Feb. 1, but that still hasn’t happened. Southern Airways Express LLC, the current air carrier, had received an extension to provide the service through Feb. 28.
“We do know Southern Airways has been held in until a new carrier is named, but unfortunately, we are still on standby and waiting for the Department of Transportation,” said Greg Pedroza, manager for Pueblo
The Chieftain has reached out to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Public Affairs Office and Southern Airways Express seeking comment but did not immediately receive responses.
The Southern Airways Express website indicates Pueblo to Denver flights are still being offered in March. There are two outgoing flights to Denver at 10:25 a.m. and 4:25 p.m. daily as well as two incoming flights from Denver to Pueblo at 9:05 a.m. and 3:05 p.m. daily.
Pedroza said that the airline industry does allow passengers to buy tickets, but flights can still be canceled. He said while the airlines offer flights ahead of time, passengers should be cautious that those flights could change.
In a letter dated July 30, 2024, Southern Airways formally withdrew its proposal to continue to offer the service for another two years.
The Essential Air Service program guarantees smaller communities like Pueblo access to the national transportation grid by subsidizing carriers that fly from those communities to hub airports like Denver International Airport.
“Despite reducing the frequency (of flights) to increase reliability, Southern continued as the EAS airline at Pueblo, since abandoning a market would be unprecedented in the nearly 10-year history of Southern’s participation in the EAS program,” wrote Keith Sisson, chief of staff for Southern Airways, in the letter. “Southern’s plans at Pueblo suffered with the elimination of the King Air fleet type. This placed excess strain on Southern’s fleet of Pilatus PC-12s, the replacement aircraft of choice.”
Pueblo Chief of Staff Brian McCain told the Chieftain this week that the city hadn’t received any updates either.
“We are waiting anxiously to hear from the Feds. Unfortunately, until they decide or give the word, we won’t know anything,” McCain said in an email.
A total of five airlines applied to become Pueblo’s new Essential Air Service carrier. Air carriers in the running include Advanced Air, Inc., Boutique Air, Inc., Breeze Aviation Group, Inc., Key Lime Air, Inc. through its Denver Air Connection, and SkyWest Airlines, Inc.
Southern Airways took over offering the essential flights in 2023, replacing SkyWest Airlines after it was the only airline to apply. At that time, SkyWest withdrew from consideration due to a pilot shortage, but now SkyWest is in the running again.
Chieftain reporter Tracy Harmon covers business news. She can be reached by email at tharmon@chieftain.com or via X, formerly Twitter, at twitter.com/tracywumps. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com.