(Riverton, Wyo.) – Eighty flights scheduled, 80 flights arrived. That was the report from Riverton Regional Airport Airport Division Manager Paul Griffin Friday morning on Denver Air Connection commercial flights into the city for September.
“We had one of those flights 16 minutes late due to an FAA issue in Denver, otherwise they were all on time,” he told the airport board at the Airport Fire Station Friday morning. “The airline boarded 656 passengers in September compared with 396 last year the same month,” he said. Total DAC airline boardings for the year now total 5,249. “We’re running behind last year when we had two airlines flying out of Riverton,” Griffith said, “and we’ll end the year close to last year’s total, but probably under 7,700 passengers.” Great Lakes Airlines stopped its Riverton service last fall and has since ceased operations.
In another good news report, Fremont Air Service Team Chair Missy White of Lander said the team was “Very pleased with September’s report. We’re loving the consistency and continued growth in boardings,” she said. “As of last week passengers have purchased 6,600 tickets for this travel so far his calendar year on DAC, so we’re still on the move.”
The Denver Air Connection flights serve both Riverton and Sheridan. “In overall tickets purchased, a year ago it was one-third Riverton passengers and two-thirds Sheridan folks,” White said. ” The ratio has now moved more in our favor, it’s improved to 40-60 or 45-55 as our boardings have grown.”
White did mention that FAST and Sheridan’s Critical Air Service Team plus the airline itself are all working to maximize revenue and minimize expenses on the flights, but aviation fuel continues to increase in price. “Fuel is taking a big bite out of our budget,” she said. “We are looking at all options to address this.”
It was noted that Riverton’s Fixed Base Operator, Jim’s Aircraft Service, has changed fuel suppliers and has now lowered his fuel cost which is now lower than what the airline can purchase at Denver International Airport. The airline also refuels its 30-passenger Donier Jet in Sheridan.
Airport board chairman Dean Peranteaux said he’s heard much positive feedback on the DAC flights. “Amazingly, it’s taken two years for some people to realize that we have a new airline,” he said.