TOWN OF OSWEGATCHIE, New York (WWNY) - Ogdensburg International Airport will likely keep the same airline but drop one of the destinations it flies to.

The Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority’s board chose Breeze Airways’ bid.

It beat out SkyWest, which was offering flights to Chicago and Washington, DC.

The airlines have been vying for an Essential Air Service contract, a federal program that gives airlines money to fly out of smaller airports.

Until now, Breeze has flown to D.C. and to the Raleigh-Durham Airport in North Carolina.

Airport Manager Charlie Garrelts says it will no longer fly to D.C. when the new contract takes effect at the end of September, but will begin flying to North Carolina 7 days a week, up from its current 3 flights.

“I’m excited. Breeze is growing nationally. They’re still profitable up until this point, and they still continue growing, and we’re proud to be a part of Breeze’s growing plan,” he said.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has the final say on which airline is awarded the contract, but Garrelts says it weighs local input heavily.

It will be a 3-year contract, with the DOT paying Breeze $4.9 million the first year.