A month-long saga that left a handful of Sand Point residents banned from PenAir’s facilities -and consequently their flights - ended on Tuesday.

The row started on June 27, when a letter signed by PenAir CEO Danny Seybert was posted in the company’s Sand Point terminal. The subject was “Denied Access,” and the letter listed 15 residents, all affiliated with the Qagan Tayagungin tribe, who were no longer welcome on PenAir property. The letter didn’t specify a reason for the ban, but QT tribal executive Tiffany Jackson said in an interview Friday that it was obvious.

“It’s a vindictive, retaliatory act against the tribe.”

The tribe recently sued PenAir, alleging that the airline owes $29,000 in back rent on a building they used to lease. While PenAir disputes the legal claim, CEO Danny Seybert doesn’t deny that the letter was in response to the lawsuit. In an interview Friday he said he was concerned about the safety of his employees and property, although he wouldn’t provide any specific examples.

The problem is, PenAir is the only airline with regularly scheduled service to and from the community. So, the ban left people on the list with only two options for getting off the island: chartering a plane or catching the biweekly ferry. That didn’t go over well with the tribe. They added a section to their website titled, “Tribe Held Hostage by PenAir,” chronicling the difficulties faced by those on the list. QT’s Jackson submitted a complaint to the federal Department of Transportation alleging discrimination.

For a while, it looked like the impasse was going to persist indefinitely. Then suddenly, on Tuesday, PenAir withdrew the ban. Seybert declined to comment on the reasons for his change of heart, saying only that he hopes the two organizations can put it behind them.

QT’s Jackson says she’s still waiting on notification that the ban has been lifted. She’s heard through the grapevine that PenAir sent a letter to the Attorney General’s office informing the state that the ban had been lifted, but she’s yet to see a copy.

Assistant Attorney General Peter Putzier confirms the state was recently made aware of the dispute, although he wouldn’t speculate as to whether that had anything to do with its resolution. He says the state had started looking into the issue because it involved an airline blocking access to a public airport. Now that the ban has been dropped, Putzier says the state won’t be pursuing any further action.

And neither will the QT tribe, according to Jackson. She says now that the ban has been dropped, she’s focusing on healing the rifts the dispute created in the community.

“I would hope that this unfortunate incident is behind us and that we can move forward in a positive mind frame.”

Whether that’s possible remains to be seen - the lawsuit that sparked the spat is still pending.