YRA and CYAIR attend Airline Rendezvous in Jackson

Last week, Yellowstone Regional Airport and CYAIR attended the Jackson Hole Air Improvement Resources’ (JH AIR) yearly Airline Rendezvous in Jackson. JH AIR invites airlines that service the Jackson Hole airport and others to experience the area and discuss the state of the airline industry.

JH AIR was gracious enough to invite other airport directors in Wyoming and allow them to bring another local representative. Aaron Buck, Executive Director of Yellowstone Regional Airport (YRA), attended the event with Cody Yellowstone Air Improvement Resources (CYAIR) treasurer and Executive Director for the Cody Chamber of Commerce, Jennifer Thoma.

JH AIR is similar to CYAIR in Cody. Both nonprofits work as the fundraising arm and advocate for stronger airline service for their respective airports.

During the days of the event, there are several state meetings. In the evenings, there is time to mingle before the dinner meetings. The airlines (Delta Airlines, SkyWest Airlines, and United Airlines), Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT), Wyoming Aeronautics, and the Wyoming Airports collation present reports to the Air Transportation Liaison Committee for the state. Governor Gordon also gave a speech thanking United Airlines for their strong support of air travel throughout Wyoming. JHAIR also provides opportunities, mainly for the airline representatives, to experience the area through various excursions (kayaking, tours, hiking, horseback riding, etc.).

“Meeting directly with airline representatives allows us to communicate the strong demand for air service in our region,” added Aaron Buck, Director of Yellowstone Regional Airport. “We are optimistic about the potential for new routes and improved service that will benefit residents, visitors, and businesses throughout the Bighorn Basin.”

United Airlines

When asked about potential new routes, Buck said that United is considering expanding in Cody with a flight to Chicago. In its presentation, United Airlines focused on the customer experience and plans to improve that experience. United also touted having the best fleet and said it had the most planes to increase future growth. United currently serves 52% of the airline seats in Wyoming.

SkyWest Airlines

SkyWest returned to Cody on June 1, 2024. This was a significant step forward in giving Cody possible future access to destinations beyond Denver. SkyWest partners with United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, and Alaska Airlines, which utilize hubs other than Denver. This opened the door to different destinations while retaining our Denver flights.

In the meeting, SkyWest reported that, other than Jackson Hole, they provide all airline service in Wyoming. They also have the greatest number of orders for larger aircraft, which will make their flights more reliable in a more diverse set of weather conditions.

Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines expressed an interest in expanding to markets they previously left, but did not give a timeline. This would logically include Cody. While this meeting did not allow for formal interactions between Buck and the airlines, there were opportunities to visit. Buck is hopeful that deeper discussions can occur in the future.

MRG Needed

With the whole process of working to bring in another airline, CYAIR is already looking at how to fund the Minimum Revenue Guarantee (MRG) for another airline. These are funds are available to guarantee that expanding into a market like Cody won’t be a financial risk for them. Each flight in or out, such as the 1:00 pm flight, must fill a certain number of seats each quarter. The MRG funds are used if the average for the quarter drops below the agreed level. As discussed in an earlier article, MRGs cannot be provided by the airport itself, thus making CYAIR an important puzzle piece.

“Air service is essential to the economic vitality and accessibility of northwest Wyoming,” said Thoma. “This event was an invaluable opportunity to share Cody’s story, build relationships, and explore ways to strengthen our partnerships and future air service offerings.”

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