The St. Louis, Missouri, based carrier reported that the U.S. Department of Transportation has selected it to provide flights to and from Fort Dodge as part of the Essential Air Service program.

“Air Choice One has been committed to being our partner and having service to three major cities is an unprecedented event for air service from Fort Dodge Regional Airport,” Rhonda Chambers, the airport’s director of aviation, said in a written statement.

Air Choice One connects the city with Chicago O’Hare International Airport in Illinois, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in Minnesota, and Lambert St. Louis International Airport. It has served Fort Dodge since Feb. 23, 2015.

The airline has been serving Fort Dodge with financial support from the Essential Air Service program, which provides money to ensure that airlines continue to serve smaller cities. It has been receiving about $3.7 million a year from that program.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen Air Choice One lead agent Kellie Cervene directs a recent flight as it readies for departure to St. Louis from the Fort Dodge Regional Airport on a rainy day.

The airline’s current Essential Air Service contract expires on Feb. 28. Its new contract will begin March 1 and continue into 2020.

Documents the airline submitted to the U.S. Department of Transportation last fall indicate that it was seeking annual subsidies of about $3 million. Exact subsidy data wasn’t available from the federal government Wednesday.

Two other airlines sought the Essential Air Service contract for Fort Dodge. They were Boutique Air, based in San Francisco, California, and Aerodynamics Inc., based in Kennesaw, Georgia.

“Air Choice One provided us with the best plan for our community,” Chambers said. “The plan they provided was a plan for the future. Our future is very important to us and the fact that Air Choice One has prepared for that was fantastic.”

Shane Storz, the president and chief executive officer of Air Choice One, said he was pleased the airline received the contract.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen Framed by the windows in the recently remodeled waiting area of the Fort Dodge Regional Airport, Air Choice One station manager Dee Tarbox, right, and lead agent Kellie Cervene prepare to board passengers and load luggage.

“Being selected by the community and the DOT to continue providing service is a great opportunity for our company,” he said in a written statement. “This has been a year of growth and expansion, and we’re excited to build on that momentum in 2017 and beyond.”