In an unwelcome turn of events, the Cody airport recently learned it’s set to lose seasonal flights to Salt Lake City in 2022. It’s a significant loss for Yellowstone Regional Airport, as local residents, businesses and visitors have come to rely on Delta’s summer flights over the years.

Delta provided the service through SkyWest Airlines, and the company’s recent decision to end the flights from May through September “took everybody by surprise,” said Bucky Hall, a YRA board member who leads the nonprofit Cody-Yellowstone Air Improvement Resources.

The announcement underscores a tough reality: Though major corporations feel far removed from small towns, their decisions can have a significant impact on day-to-day life in our communities.

Delta indicated that a lack of business travelers in and out of Cody played into the decision. The airline gave a similar explanation for ending its long-running service between Salt Lake and Grand Junction, Colorado, in a decision publicized over the weekend.

“Unfortunately, our industry is facing a significant shortage of pilots, and airlines are facing hard decisions regarding their network and what routes they have enough crews to fly,” the Grand Junction airport director said in an email quoted by The Daily Sentinel. “While our flights are full, the airlines informed us that profitability on the route is trailing prepandemic levels driven by lagging recovery in business travel.”

For the Cody airport, the timing of this national trend is frustrating, as tourism is rebounding after the downturn of 2020. Looking at the record crowds of visitors flocking to Yellowstone National Park in recent months, it’s easy to make a case that tourism in northwest Wyoming is not just recovering — it’s booming.

With nearly 4.8 million visits in 2021, the park is wrapping up its busiest year ever. And 2022 promises to be bustling as Yellowstone celebrates its 150th anniversary. When America’s first national park has a birthday — with wildlife aplenty and geysers galore — the celebratory year is sure to draw huge crowds.

Meanwhile, when the gates open to the park next spring, travelers won’t be able to fly into Jackson Hole, as the airport will be closed from April 11 through June 28 while its runway is reconstructed. That could lead more Yellowstone-bound tourists to YRA, and Hall said he’s hoping to get some of the flights that will be diverted from Jackson.

While that could be a short-term boon for the Cody airport, Hall and fellow airport leaders are looking at other opportunities that could bring new flights to the area. Discussions have started with Alaska Airlines about the possibility of flights to Seattle or another location, Airport Director Aaron Buck said last week. Another possibility is to see if United Airlines is willing to send a larger plane from Denver to Cody during the busy summer months.

Additionally, YRA is in conversations with Delta to see if a deal could be reached with the corporate airline itself, rather than going through SkyWest. Salt Lake has been a reliable connection that some travelers prefer over Denver.

It’s important that Cody airport leaders consider all options and look at the possibility of bringing new or expanded flights to the area. Their hard work is worth the effort and investment, as the regional airport plays an important role in Park County’s economy and quality of life. Between 2013 and 2020, YRA’s total annual economic impact increased from $45.3 million to $65.7 million, according to a report from the Wyoming Department of Transportation. 

Cody is the third busiest airport for commercial flights in the state — behind Jackson and Casper — and in recent years, the airport has seen an influx of passengers. Between 2016 and 2019, Cody’s commercial enplanements nearly tripled from 12,440 to 34,446, according to the WYDOT report. As airlines consider their options, those strong numbers from recent years, and the potential for further growth, should be an encouraging sign that YRA is worth their investment.

The loss of summer service to Salt Lake would be a setback, so we hope Cody airport leaders and airlines can find a solution to provide flight options for local residents and visitors.