Commercial flights to resume in Cheyenne after six months

Commercial flights to resume in Cheyenne after six months
 
CHEYENNE (WNE) — The Cheyenne Regional Airport Board announced Thursday that commercial airline flights to and from the Capital City are set to resume on Nov. 1.
The airport will service two United Express flights a day to and from Denver International Airport, and have more than 100 seats available on each trip. It was made possible by the completion of phase two of runway construction, which will continue over the next year.
“We are committed to having the runway open and safe at that point in time,” said CRA General Manager Nathan Barton.
Delays due to the pandemic and supply chain issues have been a major setback for the airport in recent months.
Tim Barth, director of aviation at Cheyenne Regional Airport, said this is because the construction of the runway has not been immune from nationwide inventory shortages. Throughout the year, the airport struggled to find concrete suppliers, and the eventual transportation of materials was impacted by a lack of truck drivers.
He said what was meant to be a three-month project quickly turned into six and a half.
But as phase two of the project is completed and commercial air service returns, the future of the airport is still at risk.
The Federal Aviation Administration has allocated approximately $60 million for the construction of the airport runway in Cheyenne, but it will be administered in doses over the next five years. With not enough funding up front to complete the project, the airport is in jeopardy for shutting down twice more and delaying its grand reopening.