Aug. 13—Nearly 10,000 more passengers flew out of Casper/Natrona County International Airport in July than did a year ago, airport officials reported Monday.
Airport director Glenn Januska said 9,938 enplaned passengers (passengers getting on aircraft) used the airport in July, a 30 percent increase compared to July 2023. To date, the airport is showing a 17.5 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023, Januska said.
"We are certainly excited about the growth in passengers we have seen this year," said Januska. "July's increase comes on top of a 29% increase in passengers in June."
The increase in travelers comes as welcome news for the airport.
In June, the Natrona County Board of County Commissioners voted to stop funding the minimum revenue guarantee that subsidized a SkyWest Airlines flight from Casper to Salt Lake City and back. A day earlier, the Casper-Natrona County Airport Board had voted to do the same.
For the airport's only other carrier besides United Express — which flies to and from Denver — local entities expressed disappointment and regret, but said that it is time to let it go.
SkyWest is a contract carrier that has partnered with Delta and United to offer flights from Casper to Salt Lake City and Denver, respectively.
SkyWest currently operates two Delta flights per day: one 76-passenger Bombardier CRJ900 in the morning outbound, and one in the evening inbound.
SkyWest also currently operates six departures from Casper daily as United Express: three in the morning, and three in the afternoon and evening. Those flights use the 50-seat CRJ200 used for the bulk of SkyWest's operations.
Delta has not announced if or when it plans to cease flying the Casper- Salt Lake City route.
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