Great Lakes Airlines

Great Lakes Airlines was a regional airline based in Cheyenne, Wyoming, that operated scheduled passenger service primarily to small and underserved communities throughout the western and midwestern United States. The carrier was a significant participant in the Essential Air Service (EAS) program, which provides federal subsidies to maintain air connectivity to rural communities that would otherwise lack commercial service. The airline operated for several decades, building a network that linked dozens of small towns to larger hub airports. It flew under its own brand as well as under codeshare arrangements with major carriers including United Airlines and Frontier Airlines. Great Lakes Airlines ceased all flight operations in April 2018 after financial difficulties made continued service unsustainable. Its closure left many small communities scrambling to find alternative EAS providers to maintain their federally mandated air service.