SUBSIDIZED AIRLINE FAILS IN SOUTH DAKOTA.(Business)

Byline: Chet Brokaw Associated Press

Deregulation helped clip "The Wings of Man," Eastern Airlines. Apathy grounded "The Wings of South Dakota."

An average of just 25 people flew on the South Dakota airline - the nation's first to be subsidized by a state and cities - in each of the 117 days it was airborne. That, officials say, was just not enough.

But they believe the time will come for a subsidized airline that would serve the state's large and small cities.

"We feel bad it wasn't successful, but we feel it wasn't a total disaster. We learned a lot from it," state Transportation Secretary Dick Howard said. "We think we'll be back with …