The US Department of Transportation (DOT) has selected Air Wisconsin (ZW, Appleton Outgamie County Regional) to operate the Essential Air Service (EAS) route between Parkersburg, Ohio and Charlotte International for a two-year term starting on October 1, 2025, using a 50-seat CRJ200 aircraft and offering 12x weekly round-trip flights.
This is the first EAS route awarded to Air Wisconsin, after the company terminated its capacity purchase agreement (CPA) with American Airlines in early 2025 to focus on the EAS segment and on charter operations. The route is currently operated by Contour Airlines (LF, Tupelo).
The carrier will receive an annual subsidy of USD5.2 million in the first year and USD5.56 million in the second. Its bid was the lowest-cost option among five proposals submitted, also from Breeze Airways, Contour, Denver Air Connection, and SkyWest Airlines.
The local airport authority expressed its support for SkyWest’s proposal. But the authority ultimately selected Air Wisconsin’s option as it aligned best overall with the requirements and also proposed a direct connection with American Airlines’ hub in Charlotte and full codeshare benefits with that carrier.
The regional airline operates a fleet of sixty-one CRJ200s, of which only two are currently active, according to ch-aviation data.
ch-aviation has reached out to Air Wisconsin for comment.
