FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP - SkyWest Airlines, which was recently awarded the contract as the carrier at Houghton County Memorial Airport, will take over flight operations at the airport March 1.

The airline, a carrier of United Airlines, will fly two times a day with a 50-seat CRJ200 regional jet.

The first flight will leave Houghton at 6:44 a.m. and arrive in Chicago at 7:07 a.m. central time. The plane will depart Chicago at 11:55 a.m. and return to Houghton at 2:19 p.m. For the second trip, it will leave Houghton at 2:45 p.m., arriving in Chicago at 3:08 p.m., then leave Chicago at 9:40 p.m. and return at 12:04 a.m.

Airport Manager Dennis Hext said the county hired Mike Mooney of Sixtel Consulting to look at fare comparisons with other airports to develop an equitable pricing system. He said he, Mooney and a SkyWest representative would also hold another meeting similar to the public forum held before the SkyWest contract was awarded.

"We'll have a community meeting with SkyWest to talk about concerns, and what SkyWest has to offer," he said.

Hext said SkyWest is still working with current airport carrier Mesaba Airlines on details such as the transfer of frequent flyer miles and the use of closer non-SkyWest airports in Marquette and Rhinelander, Wis., for alternate landings.

"They've got a long way to go here," he said.

Last month, the federal Department of Transportation picked SkyWest Airlines to provide subsidized essential air service over a two-year contract in a decision. SkyWest beat out Delta affiliate Mesaba, which had filed in July for a 90-day notice to terminate air service in Houghton, triggering eligibility for subsidies under the federal Essential Air Service program.

The start dates of service to three other new SkyWest hubs were also announced. Service to Paducah, Ky., and Muskegon, Mich., will start on Feb. 11, while service to Eau Claire, Wis., will also start on March 1.

SkyWest is legally required to honor all previous bookings made at the airport through Mesaba.

Garrett Neese can be reached at gneese@mininggazette.com.