Jul. 15—CHICO — Ten years after commercial air travel left Chico, flights could return as early as next year, based on progress toward securing an airline.
The city received a letter of interest from SkyWest Charter, a subsidiary of SkyWest Airlines that flies 30-passenger planes, while also exploring the prospect of 50-passenger jets via the SkyWest parent company. Los Angeles International Airport would be the destination. Meanwhile, officials from the Transportation Security Administration toured Chico Regional Airport two weeks ago, and work to widen Cohasset Road and improve access to the airport completed last month.
As such, Airport Manager Tom Bahr and Mayor Andrew Coolidge — two spearheads of Chico's aviation efforts — are bullish on the prospect of a Chico-L.A. connection. The city has made significant progress on a financial package to facilitate the start of service and, with domestic air travel rebounding to pre-pandemic levels, is conducting a survey to update 2019 figures indicating 700 people in the airport's catchment area fly out of other airports each day.
"I'm optimistic," Bahr said Friday morning in his office at the airport. "There's no guarantee, but we're positive that it's going to happen. It's just a matter of time and effort."
Coolidge concurred, saying by phone that the interest from SkyWest, paired with the other developments, is "certainly a step in the right direction. I am optimistic and hopeful — and certainly have been on a continual basis for flights to return to the Chico airport. I think citizens here want them; I think there's a need for them; I think it will dramatically improve the safety of our citizens by not having to drive to Sacramento; I think it will dramatically help business, and I think it will dramatically save time for those who want to travel outside the area."
Looking up
A survey four years ago, before the pandemic shutdown, found 698 people from the area access commercial air travel. Bahr says that number may be 5% higher now, but he'll know more after a new survey currently underway. It's available through the airport's web site (chico.ca.us/chico-regional-airport), which also has a summer 2023 recap of activities.
The Chico Regional Airport, renamed this spring from Chico Municipal Airport, is an active field — notably for firefighting aircraft along with private planes. The terminal building houses offices and a rental-car desk but could be reconfigured to accommodate 30- or 50-passenger flights with an area for TSA screening. Bahr said the federal agency would need an 18-month lead time to install new equipment but could ramp up sooner with used equipment.
"Long-term," Coolidge said, "we'd like to see a new terminal and multiple flights out of the city of Chico to various locations on a regular basis. "But short term, getting flights to a place like LAX, we can make it work within the current footprint."
The city is applying for grants to renovate the terminal and rejuvenate the runway. SkyWest Charter sent its letter of interest to bolster that effort, City Manager Mark Sorensen said. The city seeks to raise $1.5 million to help an airline offset its start-up costs; Bahr said SkyWest is discussing a $1 million package, and Chico is approaching that with a $500,000 federal grant to establish service to LAX and $125,000 in fundraising. The city also would waive $250,000 worth of fees for the first two years.
The North Valley Community Foundation is collection contributions for this revenue guarantee fund, and Bahr continues to solicit funding and input from the community ([email protected] or 530-896-7216).
___
(c)2023 Chico Enterprise-Record, Calif
Visit Chico Enterprise-Record, Calif at www.chicoer.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
