By Joey Gerardi
SkyWest Adds Flights to Two New York EAS Airports
Plattsburgh and Ogdensburg, two airports in northern New York state, have been in aviation news a substantial amount in the past three months. Both are Essential Air Service cities, and in mid-January 2022, SkyWest announced it would be terminating service to these communities in 90 days, a proposal that was swiftly rejected by the DOT until a replacement carrier could be found.It wasn’t known at the time, but it was just the start, as SkyWest would go on to announce the requested termination of 29 additional EAS communities just two months later.
The two communities weren’t the only cities that would face the wrath of air service cuts, but they were the first two in the EAS community. Both airports had weekly round-trip flights reduced from 12 to just seven apiece, amounting to only a single daily flight from each community to Washington D.C.’s Dulles International Airport. Now, in a very peculiar turn of events, Skywest has announced it will increase flights to both cities and add a new destination, but for only for two months.
The terminal building in Ogdensburg, N.Y. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
First announced by the local online news platform, NNY360, this new increased service will start on May 2 and run until June 27, and will include twice-per-week flights operating on Mondays and Fridays. On those two weekdays, the aircraft used on the route will begin its day in Chicago, flying nonstop from O’Hare International Airport to Ogdensburg. From there, the aircraft will fly nonstop between Ogdensburg and Plattsburgh and again in reverse, before finally returning to Chicago from Ogdensburg in the late afternoon.
The nonstop flights from both airports to Dulles will remain unchanged at seven per week. This will bring Ogdensburg’s weekly flights up to 11 — seven to Dulles, two to Chicago O’Hare, and two to Plattsburgh. On the other side of the state, Plattsburgh will have nine weekly flights — seven to Washington Dulles, and two to Ogdensburg. While the Chicago link is new for Plattsburgh, it isn’t for Ogdensburg, as that city had nonstop flights to Chicago up until August 2021.
A map of the flights to Plattsburgh and Ogdensburg (Screenshot: GreatCircleMapper)
The flight between Plattsburgh and Ogdensburg would cut a nearly 2-hour 30-minute drive down to a near 50-minute flight. The Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority did not respond to a request for comment.
The flight between Plattsburgh and Ogdensburg (Screenshot: United.com)
Joe has always been interested in planes, for as long as he can remember. He grew up in Central New York during the early 2000s when US Airways Express turboprops ruled the skies. Being from a non-aviation family made it harder for him to be around planes and would only spend about three hours a month at the airport. He was so excited when he could drive by himself and the first thing he did with the license was get ice cream and go plane spotting for the entire day. When he has the time (and money) he likes to take spotting trips to any location worth a visit. He’s currently enrolled at Western Michigan University earning a degree in Aviation Management and Operations.