St. George eyes flight to L.A.
A direct flight between St. George and Los Angeles could could be coming this fall, thanks to a push from local governments.
Officials with the City of St. George and Washington County agreed over the past week to split the costs on an interlocal agreement promising to cover up to $450,000 in startup-cost losses if SkyWest Airlines gives the new destination a try.
It’s a similar move to the one that helped attract a new flight to Phoenix last year, with the governments using funds set aside for economic development to help mitigate the risk for the airline.
The money that went unused in the Phoenix agreement was thrown back into the same economic development funds and were set aside to push for L.A.
“We think that’s a good, responsible use of those funds,” St. George Mayor Jon Pike said, noting the funding is generated by taxes charged for tourism and recreation.
A flight to L.A. would give St. George fliers a chance to depart to all four marks on the compass — north to Salt Lake City, east to Denver, south to Phoenix and west to L.A.
Under the signed agreement, SkyWest would need to start the flight by Sept. 6 with at least one daily round-trip flight on the 50-passenger CRJ-200.
The agreement also makes the subsidy funds available to maintain a second daily flight to Denver, which has in past years reduced to one daily flight during a slow season in the winter.
Profits and losses would be evaluated every quarter, with the subsidy agreement running through February of 2019.
In a meeting with the county commission on Tuesday, Greg Atkin, SkyWest managing director of Market Development, said no exact schedules for an L.A. flight have been decided, but it would likely involve a morning departure from St. George and an evening return so business travelers could easily make a same-day round trip.
Local governments have helped promote the airport as a more comfortable alternative to flying in and out of much larger airports in nearby Las Vegas or Salt Lake City, and adding new destinations has been a priority for encouraging economic development.
The city and county used a similar profit-guarantee arrangement to help attract the Phoenix flight last year, and previously local contributions were used to buoy a federal version of the guarantee to attract the Denver flight.
More on local travel:
8.7 percent jump in passengers at St. George airport
St. George Regional adds flight to Phoenix
Report: Zion, Bryce combined to bring $445 million to So. Utah
DXATC breaks ground on building for new campus hub
SkyWest spokesperson Marissa Snow said she could not confirm whether the L.A. flight would happen, but did say the St. George market has been strong this year.
Population growth,increasing tourism and astrengthening economy have helped fuel a surge in travel demand out of the St. George Regional Airport, which initially saw few travelers when it first opened in January of 2011.
In 2015 the Federal Aviation Administration counted a 17 percent increase year-over-year in passengers at the airport, with nearly 70,000 enplanements. The number was nearly double the numbers counted in 2010, the last year of operation at the former airport.
SkyWest hasgarnered attention as a local success story among the business community, having started more than 40 years ago with some humble beginnings.
When it opened, the company had 15 employees and struggled for years to overcome financial struggles. It’s grown into one of the world’s largest independent commuter airlines, with 11,700 employees and 359 aircraft.
Follow David DeMille on Twitter,@SpectrumDeMille, and on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/SpectrumDeMille. Call him at 435-674-6261.