Red-rock hounds heading for Moab and oil-company workers bound for Vernal will have more flights available to and from Salt Lake by June, thanks to a federal agreement to offer subsidies to Mesa Air, the carrier that will provide the service.

Mesa Air, doing business as Air Midwest, plans to fly out of Canyonlands Field and Uintah County Airport under the U.S. Department of Transportation agreement, announced Thursday by Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah.

The carrier aims to operate 19-passenger planes for two daily nonstop round-trip flights between Moab and Salt Lake City, and Vernal and Salt Lake City.

The Phoenix-based airline also began selling tickets Sunday for air service from Cedar City to Salt Lake and Las Vegas. Those flights are scheduled to begin May 7. The Transportation Department awarded Cedar City's contract for air service to Mesa Air in January.

The federal help came through the Essential Airline Service program, which provides subsidies for air service in small communities and isolated areas. Subsidy rates were set at $1,298,785 for Moab and $562,720 for Vernal. The federal money will help alleviate some of the airline's costs to provide service to the towns.

Both towns have been served by Salmon Air, which has provided two nonstop flights daily out of Vernal and Moab in eight-passenger planes. But local officials said the cities needed a carrier that could accommodate more passengers.

Matheson worked with local officials and pushed the transportation department for the subsidies for Moab and Vernal because of the growing demands for air service to both destinations.

"Vernal is at the center of the Uintah Basin's booming energy development," Matheson said in a written statement. "It has no access to passenger rail or bus service, so reliable air travel is critical to its growing economy. Moab's tourism business is also dependent on thousands of national and international visitors being able to fly into Grand County."

He said Salmon Air and Mesa Air would negotiate the transition for when Mesa would take over service.

Jeffrey Hartz, senior planning, pricing and schedule analyst at Mesa Air, said flights for the two towns will begin by June. The airline has a two-year contract for service.

Although the federal program was put in place for rural areas, Mesa Air is hoping to tap into the large number of tourists and business executives who come through the three Utah cities, Hartz said Monday. Moab is close to numerous national and state parks, Cedar City hosts the internationally recognized Utah Shakespearean Festival, and Vernal has companies working to convert shale into oil.

Although Moab and Vernal received the federal money under the same agreement, they each hold separate contracts with Mesa Air. Vernal's contract was announced Friday during a special Uintah County Commission meeting that was attended by representatives from the local oil companies.