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State One Step Closer To New Air Service Model

By RickyCourtney - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=55918991

The Wyoming Air Service Improvement Council approved a draft plan to create reliable air service to parts of the state.

The draft includes criteria for a request for proposal that will be released to airlines by the fall. Tom Walters, the chairman of the council and a State Representatvie from Casper, said it outlined scheduling and code sharing as the highest priority. Code sharing is when airlines share routes to help consumers connect from small regional flights to larger ones so that your baggage is checked through to your final destination. 

“If you fly Sheridan to Denver, you then gather up your bags as if you've driven to Denver and go through the process again so that's why that code sharing is such a big issue,” he said.

Walters said the council is looking at implementing this new air service in Gillette, Rock Springs, Riverton, and Sheridan since they are all receiving help from the state to have air service. But the funding will run out by the middle of the summer and Walters added it wasn’t that effective.

“Last fall, Gillette had three flights a day going in and out of there and with two weeks’ notice, they were down to two flights a day. So with this capacity purchase agreement, we hope to create some stability there,” said Walters.  

The council was established when the Wyoming Legislature passed Senate File 40 assigning the working group to finalize a ten-year capacity purchase contract with a single airline for the entire state. Now the draft will be reviewed by the Wyoming aeronautics division and must be approved by the governor before August 1.

Kamila has worked for public radio stations in California, New York, France and Poland. Originally from New York City, she loves exploring new places. Kamila received her master in journalism from Columbia University. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring the surrounding areas with her two pups and husband.
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