Horizon Air will discontinue flights from Pendleton after Dec. 1, following the U.S. Department of Transportation’s decision to award an essential air service contract SeaPort Airlines.

Dan Russo, Horizon’s vice president of marketing and communications, said the federal agency’s decision was disappointing.

“We went to great lengths to craft a bid that offered multiple air service options – each addressing specific needs expressed by the community, and doing so with our state-of-the-art 76-seat Q400s,” Russo said in a news release.

Horizon has seven employees in Pendleton, and the airline will allow them to apply for openings elsewhere in Horizon’s route system.

“They have worked tirelessly to provide the very best service to the people of Pendleton,” Russo said. “We are deeply grateful for their years of dedicated service and will do all we can to find other opportunities in the company for those who’d like to stay with Horizon.”

Horizon flies daily from Pendleton to Portland and Pasco. But Oct. 28 through Horizon’s final flights on Dec. 1, the airline will stop direct flights to Portland and instead fly out of Pendleton to Seattle, with stops in Walla Walla or Pasco.

After Dec. 1, Horizon will continue flying out of Walla Walla and Pasco, Russo said.