Denver Air Connection’s daily flights between the Dubuque Regional Airport and O’Hare International Airport in Chicago will come to an end in early 2026, following decisions by the Dubuque City Council and Dubuque Airport Commission this week.

At its meeting on Monday, Dec. 15, the council voted to direct the airport commission to end the service agreement with Denver Air, effective Jan. 15, 2026. Denver Air has agreed to that service termination date.

“Denver Air Connection has been a terrific partner through this entire process and wanted these flights to be sustainable just as badly as we here in Dubuque did,” said Dubuque Regional Airport Director Todd Dalsing. “But we exhausted the available federal funds and local contributions to the revenue guarantee and Denver Air cannot operate the service at a loss.”

Passengers who booked flights after Jan. 15, 2026, through American, Delta, or United Airlines, or an online travel agency such as Expedia,?should contact the airline or agency for re-accommodation or refund.?Those who booked through Denver Air only to/from Chicago after the morning of Jan. 15 will be refunded or they can contact the customer service department by calling 866.373.8513. Dubuque Regional Airport staff are also available to answer questions at 563.589.4128.

Additionally, Dubuque Initiatives will honor its pledge to provide $100 round-trip ticket rebates to any travelers who purchased tickets between Aug. 11 and Dec. 31, 2025. Additional details about that program can be found at FlyDBQ.com/Incentives

Beginning on Jan. 2, Denver Air Connection is also adjusting the schedule for its remaining flights at Dubuque. The morning departure will leave Dubuque at 6 a.m., arriving at O’Hare at 6:50 a.m. The evening arrival will leave O’Hare at 7:45 p.m., landing in Dubuque at 8:40 p.m.

“While it’s extremely disappointing to see this service come to an end, this is not the end of commercial air service in Dubuque,” said Dubuque Mayor Brad Cavanagh. “I truly believe we’ve shown the importance of air connectivity and those who used the service appreciated the convenience it offers. The use of the flights grew steadily, especially since May, and demonstrates there is a strong appetite for local air service in Dubuque. We are regrouping and will continue to explore alternative funding sources and to pursue carriers and flights that meet the needs of the Dubuque region.”

Denver Air’s flights at the Dubuque Regional Airport began in November 2024, marking the first daily flights at Dubuque since American Airlines discontinued its service in the fall of 2022. Denver Air estimated the flights would need to consistently have passenger load factors of 80% or higher for the service to be financially sustainable. Denver Air Connection negotiated a minimum revenue guarantee (MRG) to be paid to Denver Air until the flights reached self-sustainability. MRGs are a common practice used across the country to attract air carriers and launch new or expanded air service in a market. They are utilized by air carriers to share financial risk while the new service becomes established.

This week’s decision to end the service follows exhaustive efforts to promote and grow use of the service to a self-sustaining level, as well as the search for additional funding sources to support the revenue guarantee as needed.

The flights between Dubuque and O’Hare faced significant challenges in their first year of operation, including local travel habits established over the two years when no local flights were available and inconveniences created by terminal construction at O’Hare for the first six months of the service. Nonetheless, the flights demonstrated steadily increasing popularity, with capacity load factors increasing significantly after the flight schedule was adjusted in May to offer early morning departures and early evening arrivals. Load factors reached 50% in August, and remained above that benchmark through October. Flights were also incredibly reliable, with a completion rate of more than 98% and an on-time rate of about 85% through October 2025.

“When we reached an agreement with Denver Air to bring back daily, commercial flights, our excitement was slightly tempered by the knowledge that changing local residents’ travel habits would be a long-term process,” said Mariann Kurtz Weber, chair of the Dubuque Regional Airport Commission. “Ultimately, we did not have the necessary funding to give enough time for people to experience the benefits of flying local.”

In addition, the flights also added significantly to the Dubuque area economy. Based on data from the Iowa Aviation Economic Impact Report, the return of daily, commercial service translated to an economic impact of nearly $18 million in the flights’ first year of operations.