Despite Only Having 1 Carrier, Casper Airport On Pace For 100,000 Passengers

CASER — After the Natrona County Commission stopped opening its wallet to prop up the Delta SkyWest flight to Salt Lake City last year, passenger traffic at Casper/Natrona County International Airport continues to grow.

Airport Director Glenn Januska said though numbers are moving toward levels seen before the COVID-19 pandemic, too many people in the airport’s service area continue to drive to Denver to hop on a plane.

Still, as the last quarter of 2025 begins, he's optimistic about the future of aviation in central Wyoming.

“Last year at the end of the calendar year, we had 99,898 passengers, and to date this year through August we are up 4.1% over where we were last year,” he said. “So, I am fairly confident that we are going to exceed 100,000 passengers, which will be the first time since 2015.”

On Monday, the airport reported nearly 9,000 passengers in September, the highest number of fliers in that month since 1983.

But the optimism on increased numbers is tempered by continued concerns over access by those who are choosy about which airline they fly and even from people around the country and world trying to access medical treatment in Casper who find getting to the city much more complicated.

Following the county commission vote last year that ended the minimum revenue guarantee payments to Delta for the early morning SkyWest departure and late-night return, Casper’s airport gained one flight on its SkyWest United connection to Denver.

There are now seven departures and arrivals to and from the Mile High City daily.

Januska said he continues to have conversations with United and other carriers about adding services to attract more flyers and continue to draw down the number of locals who find it more convenient to head south.

In recent months, he believes the reason for more passengers locally revolves around lower airfares, more seats available, and potentially more business and tourist traffic from and into the region.

He can’t be sure, however, because there is no survey of those who fly.

Among the seven daily flights, SkyWest uses five 50-passenger aircraft and two 66 passenger jets, Januska said.

Cheaper Fares

While some people may argue there are now cheaper fares, the airport tracks air fares for several different markets over a period of time and fares have decreased, Januska said.

“The average is showing that our air fares are coming down. So, what I think that also tells us is that more passengers are choosing to fly out of Casper than drive to Denver,” he said. “In the past we had about 50% of our passengers who drove to Denver, now about 40% are driving.”

Natrona County Commissioner Peter Nicolaysen, who is the liaison from the county board to the airport board and was commission chairman during last year’s vote to stop funding the MRG flight which made its final departure Dec. 3, said he still believes the county made the right decision. 

The county had “finite” resources to offer and the flight that left early in the morning for Salt Lake City and arrived late at night was getting more expensive and Delta and SkyWest were promising less for the money being spent.

The Wyoming Aeronautics Commission also was expressing a “diminishing appetite” for the MRG program, Nicolaysen said. Under the program, the county paid a portion of the MRG payment, and the state paid the rest.

Nicolaysen said he has heard from people since the loss of the flight who wondered why the county ever spent the money for it and others who have asked why they let it go.

“I wish we did have a second carrier,” he said. “I think it would be a good thing in terms of having alternate routes or when (Denver) has delays due to weather or United system issues, some of which are outside their control. But in any event, our flying passengers only have one option.”

Nicolaysen said he has heard dissatisfaction with the current situation and people long for another option such as Dallas-Ft. Worth or Salt Lake City.

Medical Sector Impact

Banner Wyoming Medical Center CEO Lance Porter said the loss of the Delta flight had an impact at the hospital because the health system occasionally used the flight for specialists.

“We have successfully adapted our operations to work within the current flight schedule,” he said. “We do, however, believe additional flight options would benefit both our organization and the broader Casper community.

"A restored Salt Lake City connection or other additional routes would enhance our ability to serve patients and coordinate with medical partners across the region.”

McGinley Clinic Practice Director Candy Leggett said the clinic also has been impacted by the loss of the Delta connection.

“Sixty-five percent of our patient population comes from out of state, actually from all around the world. We have people who fly in from other countries,” Leggett said. “It’s definitely complicated the situation of getting patients here.”

Leggett said it’s hard to know the exact impact on the clinic because some patients may look at airfare and the travel experience before they ever call the clinic to set up an appointment. 

It has made things “more challenging” for the clinic.

Visit Casper CEO Annette Pitts said her agency’s Resident Sentiment Survey showed that lack of another airline option and consistent service is an issue for those considering flying out of Casper.

“I believe service and consistency are always improved when competition and choices are available,” she said.

Pitts said those traveling to the area appreciate the United option, but it is harder to book groups and attract some leisure and corporate travelers who fly with miles as well as those for whom United is not their carrier of choice.

Opportunity Cost

She believes the single carrier and destination continues to cost the region in terms of more visitors and potential business.

The visitors bureau CEO understands that to expand air service and attract another carrier means demonstrating more demand to air service providers.

“So, one thing we all can do is use our local airport and encourage our friends, family and other visitors to fly in and out of our airport, rather than driving whenever possible,” Pitts said.

Januska said he always tells people that adding another 20,000 to 30,000 people using the market would entice carriers who are looking at the Casper region.

In his ongoing conversations with airlines, he said he knows from his three decades of experience that any airline decision to begin service would occur quickly with little notice due to competitive reasons.

When Allegiant Air moved into the market years ago, Januska said he received two days’ notice that they were arriving to do a press conference. 

Typically, if an airline decides to fly into Casper, he will get a call that the airline will start loading tickets to Casper in its reservation system. Then there would be an announcement, and service would begin in six to eight weeks.

“They don’t really telegraph that they are going to come into the market until they actually start selling seats,” he said.

Dale Killingbeck can be reached at dale@cowboystatedaily.com.