New airport terminal to be named for late senator

POWELL (WNE) — The recently expanded terminal at Yellowstone Regional Airport will be officially named the "Senator Hank Coe Terminal" during a public event at the Cody airport Friday, June 7.

Coe had a long career in public service as a state senator for 32 years, Park County commissioner for eight years and member of the Cody airport board for many years.

Through his longtime advocacy in the Wyoming Legislature, Coe had a singular impact on the development of commercial airline service across the state. At the same time he worked directly with major U.S. airlines for more and better flights into Wyoming. He helped create CYAIR (Cody Yellowstone Air Improvement Resources) to boost airline service in Cody.

In 2016 he was honored by the Wyoming Airport Operators Association with its Lifetime Achievement Award.

Coe, who was president of the State Senate in 2001, died of pancreatic cancer at age 74 in 2021. He continued to work at home on Wyoming issues until just days before he passed away.

A statue of Coe (1946- 2021) will be placed inside the passenger terminal near its main entrance. Cody sculptor Gerald Shippen created the bronze statue, which was cast at Caleco Foundry in Cody and privately funded by Coe's children and a number of his friends. It is slightly larger than life-size.

The public seating area of the terminal was expanded by 9,000 square feet in a $6.5 million project. Additional improvements inside the terminal include an expanded TSA check area and new luggage and passenger X-ray equipment; additional seating in the passenger hold area; more space for ground and airline equipment; and two airline offices and additional space for future airline counters.

This story was published on May 30, 2024.