By Joey Gerardi
United Adds Ninth Wyoming Destination
While U.S. airlines brace for the impact Oct. 1 will bring when the CARES Act government funding runs out, United has announced plans to launch yet another new route pair and city. This one to the state of Wyoming.
United, via its regional partner SkyWest will be resuming flights to Cheyenne, Wyo. on Nov. 11, 2020, after almost an 18-year hiatus. The route will be flown once a day from its Denver hub onboard the CRJ-200 aircraft.
Although the United brand stopped flying to Cheyenne in 2002, the route pairing has only been unserved for the past two years. Great Lakes Airlines flew the Cheyenne to Denver sector from 1999 until the carrier’s demise in March of 2018.
Yet another feather in the cap of United, entrance into this small city in November will mark the first time the United brand will be present at all commercial airports in the state of Wyoming on a daily basis. Not only will United fly to all airports in the state of Wyoming, but it will each offer flights to the carrier’s Rocky mountain hub giving Denver access to every airport in Wyoming.
Two of the airports in the state of Wyoming are under the government’s Essential Service Program and hold a contract with SkyWest to serve there, including Cody and Laramie. The other airports in Wyoming which United serves via its regional partner SkyWest include Casper, Gillette, Jackson Hole, Rock Springs, Riverton, and Sheridan.
The Wyoming airport hasn’t been without air service since Great Lakes Airlines collapsed. There was a seven-month gap between the collapse of Great Lakes, in April of 2018, until the next carrier began service to the airport.
In November of 2018, American Airlines, also operated by SkyWest, began service once daily from the small airport to Dallas Ft. Worth with a CRJ-200. The carrier served the city for almost a year and a half, until COVID-19 hit.
Due to the dramatic decrease in air travel, American suspended service to Cheyenne on April 6, 2020, and announced no plans of restarting air service. This once again left the Cheyenne region without any service or knowledge if they would ever get service again, until United.
The announcement of the route to the Wyoming city once again shows the airline’s overwhelming commitment to grow its Rocky Mountain hub. Over the last two weeks, United has announced three additional routes to begin from the hub all to smaller cities.
Joe has always been interested in planes, for as long as he can remember. He grew up in Central New York during the early 2000s when US Airways Express turboprops ruled the skies. Being from a non-aviation family made it harder for him to be around planes and would only spend about three hours a month at the airport. He was so excited when he could drive by himself and the first thing he did with the license was get ice cream and go plane spotting for the entire day. When he has the time (and money) he likes to take spotting trips to any location worth a visit. He’s currently enrolled at Western Michigan University earning a degree in Aviation Management and Operations.
