Council will review selection criteria before making decision
The Pendleton City Council has tabled a decision on selecting the City's next Essential Air Service (EAS) airline carrier.
On Tuesday night, Airport Manager Dan Bandel presented Pendleton City Council with the recommendation from the EAS Selection Committee to grant the next two-year EAS Contract to SkyWest Charter.
The EAS is a federal program, administered by the United States Department of Transportation, to provide air service to rural communities. Primarily, EAS subsidizes flights into eligible communities to keep that air service available, and the EAS contracts are approved every two years. Pendleton is the only EAS recipient in the Pacific Northwest, and Boutique Airlines has served Pendleton since 2016.
More information about the EAS program is available on the Department of Transportation website.
Four air service companies submitted proposals for the 2026 EAS contract in Pendleton: Boutique Air, Contour Air, SkyWest Charter and Advanced Air.
The 10 members of the EAS Selection Committee evaluated the proposals with specific criteria including safety and regulatory compliance; reliability and on-time performance; fleet capacity and operational readiness; community engagement and responsiveness; affordability and long term sustainability; route connectivity to major hubs; customer service and passenger experience; financial stability and environmental responsibility.
"Each proposal was reviewed against these standards, and the Committee held multiple meetings to discuss the strengths and limitations of each option. Community input was also considered throughout the process," Bandel said.
Following the review and scoring, the committee recommended awarding the contract to SkyWest Charter.
During Tuesday's meeting, however, multiple City Council members reported hearing community support for retaining Boutique Airlines. Multiple community members spoke in favor of Boutique Airlines during the meeting.
The Pendleton City Council requested side-by-side comparisons of the proposals and voted to table the decision until that information is provided and discussed. Council members also indicated they would speak with constituents and receive feedback before making a final decision.
Staff has started gathering the Council-requested information. Staff plans to present a more thorough explanation of the process, answers to questions, and corrections to misinformation.
Tabling the motion means the Council will need to vote at a future meeting to bring the decision back up for consideration. Bandel said he will contact the U.S. Department of Transportation to request an extension of the public comment period, which is currently set to expire Jan. 22. The next Pendleton City Council meeting is scheduled for Feb. 3, 2026, and the Council requested a two-week extension.
All four airline proposals are included in the agenda packet for the Jan. 20 meeting. That packet is available online at https://cityofpendletonor.civicweb.net/Portal/MeetingInformation.aspx?O….
"In my time with the City, we have never had four companies vying for this contract," Mayor McKennon McDonald said. "I think that speaks volumes to the Airport and the growth of this industry at the airport. That's very exciting."
- Jan. 21, 2026