New Airline to Connect Nebraska Cities

SCOTTSBLUFF - The owner of Valley Airways said flights between Scottsbluff and Lincoln will start March 14 and cost $551.25 round-trip.

Dick Bosn said the "Scottsbluff-Capital Connection" will continue only if the community supports the flights.

"I have a break-even point of three passengers, and it's only a six-passenger airplane," Bosn said. "This is not a welfare corporation. If I am losing money at this, I will quit doing it."

The airline will offer three flights a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, leaving Scottsbluff's Western Nebraska Regional Airport at 5:30 a.m mountain time and leaving Lincoln around 6 p.m. central time. The flight will take about two hours, depending on the weather.

Passenger service in Lincoln will be at Duncan Aviation, on the east side of the Lincoln Airport. Customers may fly from Lincoln to Scottsbluff and return for the same price, Bosn said.

One of his two Piper Navajo, six-passenger planes will be used for the flights to Lincoln and the other would be for charter flights.

The former so-called "River Run" flights first were implemented by GP Express, which received federal Essential Air Service money.

That service continued until Scottsbluff's hub was changed from Lincoln to Denver in 1995, which took away the subsidy.

In June 2004, Westward Airways began daily service from Scottsbluff to North Platte, Lincoln and Omaha.

Those flights also were subsidized but ended because of company financial problems just 13 months later.

Valley Airways has received some state financial assistance for startup costs, but no federal funds.

Tickets may be booked on Valley Airways Web site or by telephone, Bosn said.