PIERRE, S.D.(KCCR)- The run to 10-thousand is on at Pierre Regional Airport.  That is the number of enplanements required for an Essential Air Service airport to continue to have the program and to make an airport eligible for federal subsidies for airport improvements.  Airport Liaison to the Pierre City Commission Jamie Huizenga says January 2024 was better than January 2023.

January of 2022 was only slightly higher than January 2024 with 978 enplanements.  Broken down, of the 971 enplanements last month 883 flew to Denver and 88 were to Minneapolis.  The 88 to the Twin Cities was 11 fewer than December 2023 which was the first full month of two weekly flights to Minneapolis.  The last two years, Pierre enplanements haven’t the passed the one-thousand mark until March.