Contour Airlines bid approved for Barkley Regional Airport

The bid by Contour Airlines to become the new Essential Air Service provider for Barkley Regional Airport has been approved by the US Department of Transportation.

The date for the transition from SkyWest to Contour is scheduled for December 6th.

According to the bid, Contour is planning 12 round-trip flights per week to Charlotte. With Contour's agreement with American Airlines, Paducah passengers will be able to connect to over 130 destinations worldwide.

Contour will use 30-seat regional jets for the service, and will have a full-time mechanic in Paducah. They also keep a standby aircraft in Smyrna, Tennessee that can be pressed into service if necessary. 

Dennis Rouleau, Executive Director of the Barkley Regional Airport said, "We are excited to welcome Contour Airlines to Barkley and look forward to a strong partnership with them. Not only does Contour offer a great passenger experience, but the flights to Charlotte will help our passengers from across the region reach their most desired destinations according to our catchment study, with improved connecting service to the northeast and southern destinations. Our airport is growing, and this is an inspiring time as we make great progress on our new terminal opening in the spring of 2023."

Contour has also proposed to replace Skywest at Cape Girardeau's airport, but DOT approval is still pending.