WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Airline service will return to Dodge City and Liberal beginning Jan. 1.

The federal Transportation Department on Wednesday approved San Francisco-based Boutique Air and St. George, Utah-based SkyWest Airlines as providers of air service to the Kansas cities.

The Wichita Eagle reports the cities lost service when Alaska-based PenAir filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in August.

Under the Essential Air Service program, Boutique Air will provide 18 weekly nonstop round trips to Denver International Airport. Boutique, which operates a fleet of Pilatus PC-12 and Beechcraft King Air tu...