By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
Jamie Salter is breathing a little easier these days. "It's good news," she said.
The Hays Regional Airport director confirmed last week that the Federal Aviation Administration has renewed for three years the Essential Air Service contract with SkyWest, operated by United Express.
"We've had their notice to terminate [the service] out there since March 2022. So we are very, very happy to continue that partnership with them," Salter said.
"They were the low bid as well, so that's always nice," she said.
"There was a time when we weren't sure of the future for SkyWest in Hays or the [Essential Air Service] program. In April 2020, we flew 29 passengers. ... There was so much turmoil in the travel industry," Salter said.
She considers SkyWest the frontrunner among the airlines participating in the Essential Air Service program.
"Even weathering the storm of the pandemic, they hung in there the best they could. They didn't want to leave any community they could manage," Salter said.
SkyWest is contractually obligated to fly 12 flights a week at Hays. They fly 14 flights, "so we've got the same schedule every day of the week."
SkyWest has been in Hays for 10 years.
Salter said the flight schedule has improved and is no longer tagged with Salina.
The early morning flight to Denver returned on April 2, leaving at about 6:30 a.m., with an evening flight arrival time in Hays at 11:06 p.m.
This summer, the daily flight to Chicago will be replaced with a second flight to Denver, departing at about 10:50 a.m.
The Essential Air Service was established to guarantee that small communities served by certificated air carriers before airline deregulation would have a minimal level of scheduled air service. The U.S. Department of Transportation subsidizes commuter and certified air carriers for about 175 communities.
The return of the early morning flight in Hays has been popular among business and pleasure travelers.
"In April, our boardings were just under 1,100 passengers, a 23% increase over last year. It was the best April we've had since pre-pandemic. In 2019, we flew just over 1,200 passengers in April," Salter said.
Early bookings for May and June are also up.
Hays' airport is classified as a primary non-hub airport.
If more than 10,000 boardings are flown in a year, Hays is eligible to receive a $1 million entitlement from the FAA. The money is typically used for safety, security, and passenger enhancement projects.
Boardings at the Hays Regional Airport are running about 20% higher than they were last year at this time.
Salter is confident enplanements will exceed the 10,000 threshold for 2024.
"Each month has been better than the previous year," she said.
She attributes the expansion of passenger numbers to increased marketing and advertising for the airport, the use of a seasoned airline consultant and the routine flight connections that are back in place for travelers since the COVID pandemic ended.
Salter expects bigger passenger numbers this summer.
"May is normally a big month as are the summer months," she said.
"Utilization [of the air service] is a key factor in maintaining and keeping a great schedule like this."
Flights from Hays to Denver may be booked online at flyhays.com.