SWEETWATER COUNTY – Due to an increase in cost in the new SkyWest contract, the Rock Springs/Sweetwater County Airport will be making some changes in service.

In a conversation with Airport Board Member Dr. Sigsbee Duck, he explained to SweetwaterNOW what some of these changes will be.

From now until Labor Day, the flights coming and going at the airport will remain the same. On the day after Labor Day, the airport will be cutting one flight to Salt Lake City.

With the renewal of the SkyWest contract in discussions now, Duck explained SkyWest has almost doubled the cost to keep things the way they are at the airport. To keep it the same, SkyWest is asking for $3.4 million dollars. Duck said by cutting one flight, it will drop the total amount of money SkyWest is asking for to around the same number as what is in the current contract.

Duck said they hope to continue to have one flight leaving to Salt Lake in the morning and one returning that night, while also keeping the Gillette flight in play as well. While this is what the airport would like to see happen, Duck said SkyWest will be the ones deciding on which flight will be cut.

During the summer, Duck said there are a lot of events around the county such as the National High School Finals Rodeo and the Sweetwater County Fair who rely on these summer flights. He said there are a lot of local businesses who also rely on these flights as well.

While making the decision to keep the flights the same through Labor Day, Duck said they did it this way so they would not be causing problems for these events. He added many residents have travel plans and summer reservations already made and the board did not want to interfere with those either.

“We appreciate the people who fly in and out of the airport,” Duck said. “We didn’t want to cause any problems for the residents or the businesses who are relying on these flights over the summer.”

The Wyoming Department of Transportation Aeronautics Division pays for most of the costs associated with the service as the contract is between SkyWest, the state and the county. The remainder of the costs the state does not cover filters down to Sweetwater County. Then through a memorandum of understanding, the remaining cost is split between the county, Rock Springs and Green River. This is broken down with the county covering 45 percent of the cost and the cities covering the rest.

Duck said they are sitting down on Monday to iron out the contract , the numbers and the changes.

This may all be a thing of the past next year as Duck explained they have been informed by the state aeronautics division to start transitioning and preparing for jet service at the airport. Duck said hopefully this will happen sometime next spring or summer but stressed the final details to bring jet service to Wyoming are still being worked on by the state.

Duck said if they do make the move to jet services next year, the airport or the board does not know what the flight schedule will be or how reservations will work.

“That will be all up to airline,” Duck said.

While many details and possible changes to jet service are still being worked on and debated, Duck wanted to community to know Sweetwater County, the cities and the airport board are working hard to provide the best service they can to the residents and businesses who use the airport.

“We are trying our best to secure good air services for this community,” Duck said.