The Rock Springs-Sweetwater County Airport recorded growth in nearly every metric in 2017. The growth was highlighted by 36,273 total passengers using the airport in 2017, a 11.7 percent increase compared to 2016. The passenger growth was fueled by a 11.1 percent increase in passengers utilizing United Airlines service to Denver and a 21.4 percent increase in passengers utilizing the Wendover Fun Casino flights.
The airport also saw improvement in commercial airline reliability with a flight completion rate of 98.6 percent compared to 97.1 percent in 2016.
“The airport has been working hard over the last year to continue providing an airport and services that the community needs and wants,” Airport Director Devon Brubaker remarked. “With incredible reliability and more affordable airfares in 2017 compared to prior years coupled with free parking and easy to and through convenience, our community began to see the opportunity to utilize our local airport.”
Indicative of the local economy, the airport also saw an increase in the amount of cargo being flown through the airport by 8.24 percent, from 1.2 million to 1.3 million pounds.
“Cargo growth is often a clear indicator of the local economy,” Brubaker continued. “2017 saw moderate growth for the local economy and that was seen in our cargo numbers as well.”
RKS stands to see continued growth in 2018 as the airport will undergo a name change to Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport on Feb. 1. The rebranding is meant to be more inclusive of the whole region in which it serves while positioning the airport better to market on a regional and national scale.
