On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Transportation posted its order allowing suspension of Horizon Air’s service between North Bend and Portland.

The government’s Web site, www.regulations.gov, posted 63 comments or objections from Bay Area government agencies, businesses and individuals since Horizon’s application to terminate service with Portland was posted on the Web site on June 30.

Southwest Oregon Regional Airport had been protected under the DOT’s essential air service program, which ensures small communities would not be left without air service. The DOT determined North Bend requires at least two daily round-trip flights to a major hub airport. The DOT quoted one of the objectors, who said, “although San Francisco is a major hub and would provide the community with access to the national air transportation system, the termination of service to Portland, Oregon, would cause the community to be cut-off from the geographic, commercial and political heart of the state.”

The DOT didn’t to see it that way. The addition of flights to San Francisco on July 7 offers passengers access to a major hub, it said.

“However, what the community failed to note is that in setting North Bend’s original EAS determination ... we stated that the determination assumed that there would be no other air service provided at the community,” the document reads. “If SkyWest’s service were not in place, we would indeed require Horizon to continue its Portland service.”