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September 14, 2022

Washington,
DC – Right now, U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)
introduced that Contour Airways will present Important Air Providers (EAS) to
North Central West Virginia Airport in Clarksburg (CKB) and Greenbrier Valley
Airport in Lewisburg (LWB). This announcement follows a March 2022 resolution by
SkyWest Airways to terminate EAS providers at 29 airports throughout the nation,
together with Clarksburg and Lewisburg.

“Air
service is totally crucial for West Virginia, connecting our communities to
the remainder of the nation, serving to companies export their merchandise and
growing tourism throughout our nice state,” mentioned Senator Manchin. “I
have fought for EAS program funding for years to carry high quality, dependable air
journey and new financial alternatives to West Virginia, and I’m happy
Contour Airways will likely be persevering with these crucial flight providers on the
Clarksburg and Lewisburg airports. I’m grateful to DOT for his or her dedication to
defending EAS in West Virginia, and I’ll proceed advocating for our
transportation hubs throughout the Mountain State.”

Out
of a number of candidates at each airports, DOT chosen Contour Airways to
change the providers terminated by SkyWest for a three-year time period starting
November 1, 2022 at Lewisburg Airport and a three-year time period starting December
1, 2022 at Clarksburg Airport. SkyWest is required to proceed offering
service at each airports till Contour providers start to make sure a clean
transition.

“Our
airports in West Virginia are very important to connecting our residents and our
communities with the remainder of our nation and world,”
Senator Capito mentioned.
“These three-year contracts that may present weekly service between our North
Central West Virginia Airport (CKB) in Clarksburg and our Greenbrier Valley
Airport (LWB) in Lewisburg to Charlotte Douglas Worldwide Airport is not going to
solely create nice alternatives for our residents, however will even function a
gateway for individuals across the globe to go to West Virginia. I’ve lengthy fought
to maintain Important Air Providers at our airports in West Virginia, and I’m
thrilled to see this operation come to fruition.”

In
response to SkyWest’s announcement to discontinue EAS to Clarksburg and
Lewisburg airports,
Senator Manchin wrote a letter to U.S. Division of
Transportation (DOT) Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Senator Manchin urged Secretary
Buttigieg to position a maintain on the termination of air providers on the two
airports to guard the native economies and transportation choices in
Clarksburg and Lewisburg.
Following Senator Manchin’s efforts, DOT introduced a maintain
on the termination of those air providers and issued a request for proposals for
alternative providers. Contour was one in all a number of airways to reply to the
request for proposals for each airports.