New Destinations Announced
Posted on 09/30/2025
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded a new Essential Air Service (EAS) contract to Contour Airlines. This decision retains the airline at FLY CGI and significantly expands travel options for the Southeast Missouri region by continuing service to Chicago O'Hare (ORD) and introducing service to Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW)—along with planned future seasonal flights to Pensacola (PNS).
   
Under the new contract, Contour Airlines will continue to provide reliable service on its 30-seat CRJ-200 and Embraer ERJ-135 regional jets. While the initial award from DOT is for the Chicago and Charlotte service pattern, the City of Cape Girardeau Regional Airport and Contour officials have notified DOT of the preference to continue with 12 round trips per week to Chicago through November 30th and then substitute Dallas for Charlotte beginning in December 2025.
   
From this, the updated service schedule will feature 12 weekly round-trip flights to Chicago (ORD). Beginning in December, the schedule will shift to seven weekly round trips to Chicago (ORD) and five weekly round trips to Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), connecting travelers to two of the nation's largest airline hubs. This makes FLY CGI the only airport in the area to offer westbound hub service and the only regional EAS airport providing connectivity to two major hubs.
   
Furthermore, Contour Airlines plans to introduce seasonal, non-subsidized flights from Cape Girardeau to Pensacola, Florida (PNS), beginning April 1, 2026. This addition, operated at Contour’s own risk, positions FLY CGI as one of only a handful of EAS airports nationwide offering service to three or more destinations.
    
"We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Contour Airlines and expand our destination offerings for the community," said JoJo Stuart, Airport Manager. "While we understand some may be disappointed that the Department of Transportation did not select American Airlines, this new agreement with Contour offers tremendous advantages. It enhances our connectivity, supports regional economic growth, and provides the broadest array of destinations in the region. Our passenger numbers have grown 25% with Contour, and with these additional hub offerings, we anticipate even stronger growth."
   
The DOT's selection of Contour’s proposal was based on a significant cost difference, with Contour’s bid being over $3.4 million less than the alternative for the two-year term. This decision reflects a focus on providing cost-effective, sustainable service for the community.
   
"Contour is proud to continue serving the Cape Girardeau region and to expand our partnership with the introduction of flights to Dallas/Fort Worth and eventually Pensacola," said Matt Chaifetz, CEO of Contour Airlines. These routes provide seamless connectivity to the American Airlines global network through two of its largest hubs. We are committed to providing the reliable, high-quality service this community deserves and look forward to building on the success we have already achieved together."
   

Travelers can book tickets by visiting flycgi.com and get the most recent information regarding carrier updates at flycgi.com/CarrierUpdates.



Mayor's October Article on the Regional Airport
9/30/25  New Airline Contract with Contour Airlines 
 
On September 30th, the United States Department of Transportation (US DOT) announced the awarding of Cape’s next air carrier contract, something many in the region have been looking forward to for quite a while. Air travel to and from the City of Cape Girardeau Regional Airport (CGI) is an essential part of many things people look to as they consider living or working in Cape and the region, as it touches on many important aspects of life here—infrastructure, economic development, jobs, education, and general quality of life.  
 
After an extensive bidding process that began in late 2024, the US DOT has awarded the next four year airline contract to Contour Airlines, which has served the region since 2022. Before I mention the details of the new contract with Contour, I’d like to offer a quick reminder of how we’ve gotten here: 

  • SkyWest Airlines began a regional jet service at CGI in 2017, with direct flights to Chicago, through the US DOT’s Essential Air Service (EAS) government program that subsidizes airlines to serve small, rural communities. Passenger air travel before that was only offered through Cape Air’s ten-seat flights to St Louis Lambert. 
  • The US DOT signed a new three year contract with SkyWest in 2021. 
  • In early 2022, SkyWest abruptly cancelled its contract with CGI and approximately 30 other communities across the country, filing a termination notice with the US DOT.  
  • The US DOT quickly issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to resume service to CGI. Contour Airlines submitted the only jet service proposal, for air service to Nashville. This was accepted and that contract began in the fall of 2022. 
  • Contour changed its Nashville service to Chicago O’Hare in 2024. 
  • As Contour’s contract expired in 2025, another RFP was issued, and 6 bids were received this past spring—from American Airlines, SkyWest Airlines, Contour, Air Wisconsin, Southern Airways, and Denver Air Connection.  
Regarding the US DOT’s application process, its EAS webpage lists factors to be considered as it determines how to award contracts to regional airports. The main factors are: 
 
1) reliability of the airline 
2) interline agreements with larger carriers 
3) preferences of actual and potential users, including those of elected officials 
4) the marketing plan of the carrier 
5) compensation provided by the carrier 
 
Throughout this process, the City of Cape has worked with various partners to help assess the only factor under our purview, the preferences of our local users. The city’s marketing team, the Cape Chamber of Commerce, and the airport board all spent a lot of time gathering input from the community, as well as from regional and federal elected officials and stakeholders. From that, and for all the other factors listed, Cape’s city council voted unanimously last May to recommend American Airlines for the new EAS contract to the US DOT.  
 
What is important to understand is that since the US DOT subsidizes the EAS program, it is really the only decision maker for service to and from CGI and other regional airports. The bid from American Airlines was substantially higher than other bids offered, which is understandable given the size and scope of American Airlines and the services it provides. It is exactly those services, however, that promoted American to the top of the list as the community’s recommendation. 
 
What we have just learned this week is that the US DOT has awarded the new EAS contract to Contour Airlines. While it is not the top choice we were asked to provide, this decision does provide great continuity for our area travelers, with continued service to Chicago O’Hare. And in what is a potential game changer for area travel, Contour is interested in bringing air service to Dallas/Fort Worth, as well as seasonal flights to Pensacola, Florida. The main details of the proposal are as follows: 

We hope to hear of the US DOT approval of these new travel options very soon. These aspects of the new carrier contract would connect travelers to two of the nation's largest airline hubs, and would make CGI one of only a handful of EAS airports nationwide offering service to three or more destinations. There is much to be excited about for the city and region with this contract, and we look forward to building on our strong partnership with Contour Airlines, and creating an even stronger one in the years to come. 
 
When I first joined the city council in 2018, one of my first questions to the city administration was how we could consider expanding air service to more than one hub. The response by many was that it would never happen. Granted, this was just one year after the City had shifted from very small Cape Air flights to St Louis, so it did seem hard to fathom!  
 
Since then, there has been an incredible amount of planning and investment at CGI. Several rounds of carrier bids have played out, a new modern terminal has been built, outlying facilities have been renovated, and educational and workforce partnerships have been created. Much more of all this is currently in development at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport, and we are very enthusiastic about continued growth and opportunity there.  
 
This new contract with Contour is one more step on that path of progress. We should all recognize, however, that none of this is possible without the federal EAS program. The City of Cape is extremely thankful for the continued support from our federal partners of the EAS program, and the incredible opportunity it brings to the City of Cape and the entire region.