State accepting air carrier proposals

By Chrissy Suttles 
Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Via Wyoming News Exchange
 
CHEYENNE — Air carriers interested in serving rural Wyoming communities have until Dec. 20 to submit materials to the state for consideration. 
The Wyoming Aeronautics Commission released a request for proposals to potential bidders last month, after members of the Wyoming Air Service Improvement Council helped design the document earlier this year. 
During the council's latest meeting Wednesday in Gillette, Wyoming Department of Transportation Director Bill Panos said a number of airlines have already downloaded the RFP.
"We are on track in the first quarter of 2019 to go ahead and start selecting the airline and start negotiations," he said. 
Some of this information, including which carriers responded, will be public record upon this deadline. A selection committee comprised primarily of consultants and state officials is responsible for choosing which airline will move forward to negotiations. 
A short list of finalists will be developed by late January, with presentations, negotiations and final decisions being made in early spring. 
The council was established by the Legislature this year to find providers for community airports reliant on the Air Service Enhancement Program, which dissolves July 1, 2019. 
Council metrics included in the new state plan include long-term performance, reliability, average airfare costs and overall financial performance of airlines.
The chosen carrier would provide up to three daily flights to and from Denver International Airport from airports that join the agreement, which would cost the state $15 million over 10 years. Through the program, the state would offer minimum revenue guarantee funding for a capacity purchase agreement with an airline, prioritizing code-share agreements with other airlines that would ease travelers' ability to connect to other destinations.
Communities that opt in would share 40 percent of the cost and eventual profit with the state.
While the capacity purchase agreement would address markets in places such as Gillette, Riverton, Rock Springs and Sheridan, the council will recommend continued state funding for the Air Service Enhancement Program in the amount of $1.3 million annually for investment in growth markets.
In addition to these updates, the council made recommendations for a memorandum of understanding between the state and participating communities, as well as wrapping up airline auditing guidelines. 
The group decided officials should work to draft individual MOUs with those who opt in to best address particular needs. This would begin before the end of the year.
"The end goal is to try to improve service over time, fund it, get it up and work to provide better connectivity," said Joseph Pickering, senior consultant at Mead and Hunt. "What we want to write into the MOUs is simply a type of understanding, or plan over time that will work in that direction. If it's not working, we'll need to decide how we can help turn it around and track those metrics.”