When Pocatello Regional Airport Manager David Allen held a ribbon-cutting to inaugurate the return of the third-daily flight in March, he was hopeful for its success. He didn’t expect it to be record breaking.
The year-end numbers compiled by Allen and staff at the airport show passenger departures and arrivals at the airport totaled 67,218, up 41 percent from the 47,817 in 2015.
“Our records for SkyWest go back to 1996, and the number of travelers we saw in 2016 is the most they’ve ever seen,” Allen said “It’s also the most traffic the airport has had since 2006, which was the last year we had a second carrier in Pocatello. I’d like to thank everyone who took the time last year to compare the fares and see if Pocatello Regional Airport was right for them.”
December closed the year with 6,037 passengers, a 57 percent surge over 3,835 in 2015.
In more good news for the airport, starting March 1, SkyWest will return to offering twice daily flights on Saturdays. Arrivals will be at 11:56 a.m. and 6:06 p.m. while departures will be offered at 7 a.m. and 12:26 p.m.
“They took another look at the numbers and think they can make it work,” Allen said. “We’re happy to have another convenient option back for our passengers.”
