WYDOT Study: Cheyenne Airport Moving in Right Direction

Feb. 11—CHEYENNE — Before the coronavirus pandemic reached Wyoming, Cheyenne Regional Airport was performing well in terms of number of passengers and total economic impact, according to the Wyoming Department of Transportation's 2020 Aviation Economic Impact Study.

While the pandemic put a pause on the growth spurred by the return of commercial air service, Airport Manager Nathan Banton said the data shows Cheyenne Regional Airport is on the right track, in terms of drawing in tourism, attracting new businesses and supporting the local economy.

"We're very excited about the direction that air service in Cheyenne is going," Banton said. "Anytime we can keep people flying in and out of Cheyenne, that's keeping tax dollars here, that's keeping the money that people are spending on car rentals, hotels, that kind of thing, here in Wyoming, as opposed to sending them to Colorado."

The study only covers late 2019 through early 2020, so any negative effects from COVID-19 are not shown in the data. During that time, Cheyenne Regional Airport saw 15,888 enplanements, compared to 10,777 in 2013 and just 864 in 2017.

According to the study, more than half the people flying to Cheyenne were visitors, and they spent an average of $550 per trip. The total amount spent by visitors in Cheyenne came out to $4.8 million.

"From a tourism perspective, when visitors arrive by air, they spend more time in this destination. And so that's more economic benefit from those visitors who are traveling by air into Wyoming," Diane Shober, director of the Wyoming Office of Tourism, said during a webinar on the study.

Gov. Mark Gordon shared a similar sentiment, though he said the aviation industry's impacts reach beyond tourism, as well.

"On average, 718,000 visitors arrive every year in Wyoming, most on commercial airline flights. These visitors contribute $1.5 billion (statewide) in economic activity by supporting local businesses. Commercial airline service doesn't just bring in visitors; it's also relied upon by many businesses to attract new employees, and, more importantly, to bring new economic development opportunities into our state," Gordon said.

But for Cheyenne Regional Airport, such growth didn't come on its own. Since commercial air service returned to the local airport in November 2018, both the city of Cheyenne and Laramie County have contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars toward the minimum revenue guarantees for the airlines.

In smaller markets like this one, airlines want to be reassured that their efforts will be profitable in the long run. To bridge the gap from when service gains traction to when it starts making money, the Cheyenne Regional Air Focus Team pays a certain amount to the airline, therefore mitigating its risk of starting a new service.

"Our local community leaders, as well as our state government leaders, recognize the importance of having that connectivity, especially here in Cheyenne, our capital city," Banton said. "There are times where people argue that it's cheaper and easier to just drive to Denver, but first off, that's not always an option. And second off, once again, you're sending money out of state, as opposed to bringing it in."

And for some of the even smaller communities in the state, panelist Mike Wandler, president of Gillette-base L&H Industrial, said aviation connectivity is a problem. He said he's had issues with the lack of options with his own company, and that in a place like Wyoming, it's up to elected leaders to find solutions.

"This is a problem for small town America. So any area without a couple hundred thousand people is going to need to treat commercial air service like roads and bridges; it's going to have to be taken care of by the state, and that's just from a population standpoint," Wandler said.

Margaret Austin is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle's local government reporter. She can be reached at [email protected] or 307-633-3152. Follow her on Twitter at @MargaretMAustin.

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