PIERRE, S.D. (DRG News) – The number of people flying out of the Pierre Regional Airport was drastically reduced in the middle of 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

City commissioner Jamie Huizenga (hi-zin-ga) says there were a total of 8,076 enplanements for the year.

Because the airport in Pierre missed the 10-thousand enplanements mark in 2020, it isn’t eligible for $1-million in funding from the Federal Aviation Administration.

In 2019, nearly 15,000 people flew out of the Pierre Regional Airport– despite not having commercial flights in January, February and March because California Pacific Airlines stopped providing air service. SkyWest, flying as United Express, took over commercial air service in April 2019.

Parking is free at the Pierre Regional Airport and prior to the pandemic, the airport was so busy the parking lot was often full. In anticipation of traffic rebounding, the Pierre City Commission recently awarded a $200,000 contract to build an additional 40 parking spots. The new parking spots will be located northwest of the terminal, adjacent to the existing passenger parking lot.