This fall, those flying in and out of central South Dakota will have some additional flight options.
For the full months of October and November, an extra roundtrip United Express flight between Pierre Regional Airport and Denver International Airport is available four days a week. According to Nick Waters, City Engineer, those flights are already online and can be booked via United.com.
“Working with SkyWest, operator of those flights, we wanted to have those additional options online as soon as possible since our fall flights fill up quickly,” said Waters. “This should alleviate some of the passenger constraints we experience during hunting season.”
With the addition of the flights, the number of available seats will increase by 35%.
City Commissioner Jamie Huizenga, who oversees the airport, says that the fall flights are temporary and outside Pierre’s Essential Air Service (EAS).
“SkyWest is operating those additional flights at-risk,” said Comm. Huizenga. “Flights that are flown under the federal EAS contract are federally subsidized; these are not.”
Huizenga went on to explain that SkyWest’s willingness to fly at-risk shows its commitment to central South Dakota and trust in the health of Pierre’s visitor industry.
“Pierre Regional Airport has a large catchment area providing limited drive times and free parking for much of central South Dakota between the Nebraska and North Dakota borders,” added Mayor Steve Harding.
An EAS contract provides commercial airlines with a federal subsidy to connect rural airports, such as Pierre with the national air service network. More than 14,700 people took commercial flights from Pierre Regional Airport in 2024.