The Dubuque City Council voted 5-1 Monday to terminate its contract with the only commercial airline flying daily out of the city’s airport. January 15, 2026, will be the last day Denver Air Connection jets depart the Dubuque Regional Airport. Denver Air has offered daily flights connecting Dubuque and the Chicago O’Hare International Airport since November 2024.
While the flights are about 50 percent full, Dubuque Regional Airport Director Todd Dalsing has reported ridership needs to be at 80 percent to be self-sustaining. He also noted losing daily air service means the city will no longer be eligible for federal Airport Improvement Program grants, which paid for about $8 million in projects and equipment in the last year.
Dubuque Mayor Brad Cavanagh said Dubuque has asked the federal government to let the city into the federal Essential Air Service program, which helps airports pay for daily commercial air service, including several in Iowa, like the Waterloo Regional Airport but Dubuque has not been let into the program. Continuing to pay for the air service would cost the city about $3.5 million annually. Dubuque agreed to pay Denver Air to cover the difference until ridership rose. That never happened, prompting the council’s decision to end the service in a 5 to1 vote with Council Member Susan Farber the lone vote to continue the service.
The council’s decision follows extensive efforts by the city and community, including $100 rebates offered by Dubuque Initiatives, which will still be honored through the end of the year.
