Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Commissioners grant $400,000 to airport effort
COLFAX — A new airline may be flying into Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport in the near future.
During a meeting Monday, Dec. 7, Whitman County commissioners approved a $400,000 request for a profit guarantee for SkyWest/United Airlines to fly from Pullman twice per day to Denver.
In a four-year, ongoing process, the airport has garnered interest from the airline — SkyWest has a partnership with United — to add the route. The potential service was made possible by the Pullman runway realignment project that finished last year.
The airport would use a $780,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation and $1 million of its own money, combined with the $400,000 from Whitman County, to help the airline start service.
If the 50-seat regional flights are profitable, the revenue guarantee will not engage, meaning Whitman County will keep its $400,000.
“We didn’t want to be talking to the airline without having further solid backing,” airport Executive Director Tony Bean said. “We’re underwriting their profitability to get it to go for the first 1-2 years, until the service can stand on its own two feet.
“If it survives the first two years, we’ll keep it.”
The airport sought out Denver because of its access to more and different connections.
“Denver offers 32 additional one-stop connections you cannot get through Seattle,” Bean said.
He and staff will meet Dec. 10 with analysts from United Airlines.
Other contributors to the profit guarantee include Avista, Moscow Chamber of Commerce, Pullman Chamber of Commerce, private donors and individual businesses.
Whitman County’s contribution will come from its .09 economic development fund, funded by state sales tax.
The total does not affect the estimated $100,000 available each year that goes to community economic development projects.
Recent large .09 contributions by the county include $1 million to the Port of Whitman County for its fiber-to-home project, $1.5 million to build the new grandstand at Palouse Empire Fairgrounds and $600,000 to the Pullman-Moscow Airport runway realignment.
The county receives between $600,000-$750,000 per year in .09 money from the state.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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