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OGDENSBURG — A decision by United Airlines to temporarily suspend service between Ottawa and Chicago this summer is not related to plans to offer flights between Ogdensburg International Airport and Chicago O’Hare beginning in May, according to a spokesman for the company.
Jonathan Guerin, a spokesman for United Airlines, said his company’s recent decision to suspend thrice-daily flights from Ottawa International Airport to Chicago from June of this year through March of 2020 is not related to the start of flights between Ogdensburg and Chicago beginning in May.
The link between United Airlines and Ogdensburg comes through its connection with SkyWest Airlines, which was recently awarded a two-year contract to provide Essential Air Services from Ogdensburg International Airport to Chicago O’Hare and Washington Dulles airports. SkyWest will be paid approximately $3 million in annual subsidies through the federal government’s EAS program. The flights will be offered through SkyWest’s affiliation with United Airlines, operating as United Express.
Although the decision by United to cut back on flights to the Midwest out of Ottawa comes at the same time that the company is preparing to launch a new service out of Ogdensburg. Mr. Guerin said the two are not related.
In an email this week, Mr. Guerin said there is no connection to the two routes operated from north and south of the Canada-U.S. border. He also asserted that the company is not attempting to funnel Canadian traffic through Ogdensburg.
“In an effort to best utilize our growing fleet of regional aircraft during the upcoming busy summer travel season, we are temporarily suspending United Express service between Chicago and Ottawa, effective June 6, 2019,” Mr. Guerin said. “We plan to resume service in March 2020 and we will continue to serve Ottawa from our hubs in New York/Newark and Washington Dulles. This change will help ensure we continue to deliver the caring and reliable experience our customers expect when flying United.”
The change in service between June and March means Ottawa will lose its only direct flight from Ottawa to Chicago offered by United Airlines during that time, according to Ottawa airport officials.
In Ogdensburg, SkyWest Airlines, through United Express, will provide 12 round trips per week to Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport using 50-passenger Canadair Regional Jet 200 aircraft. Its two-year contract runs from April 1, 2019 through March 31, 2021,
SkyWest had originally been awarded Essential Air Service contracts for both Ogdensburg and Massena on Feb. 8. However, in a letter dated Feb. 22, it notified the Department of Transportation that it would not be able to provide service in Massena.
Massena officials are now hoping that Boutique Air will be awarded a contract for EAS service providing 21 nonstop round trips each week to Boston Logan International Airport using the airline’s Pilatus PC-12 aircraft.