Dec. 14 – The Lewiston-Nez Perce County Regional Airport will be limited to two destinations for commercial passenger flights in February.
United Airlines flights between Denver and Lewiston end in about seven weeks.
A United spokesperson made the announcement in an email to the Lewiston Tribune on Friday.
United will offer service from Denver to Lewiston through Jan. 31 and service from Lewiston to Denver through Feb. 1, Remy Zeigler (Milburn), a United consumer public relations specialist, said in the email.
“United will continue to serve Idaho with flights to Boise, Idaho Falls and Sun Valley,” Zeigler said. “We are working with affected customers to help them make alternative travel arrangements.”
Zeigler did not respond to a question from the Tribune about the reason for United’s decision.
Airport officials confirmed Friday that United had informed them of the decision.
“We thank United Airlines, Nez Perce County and the City of Lewiston for piloting this route during challenging economic times in the air transportation industry,” Airport Director Michael Isaacs said in a news release from the airport.
Airport officials have previously stated that the route has not been profitable for United since it launched in 2021 and was in need of subsidies.
Delta has direct service from Lewiston to Salt Lake City and Seattle, which is unsubsidized and will continue.
Lewiston Airport officials had warned that United would withdraw service if it did not receive financial support from the community.
They have also stated that United’s competition in the marketplace has reduced all Lewiston airfares.
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They asked for help from the city of Lewiston and Nez Perce County, the airport’s owners.
Nez Perce County agreed to contribute $500,000 toward a $4.9 million grant United applied for for a fiscal year beginning Oct. 1.
That money was considered a stopgap measure while community leaders figured out where to find the rest of the $4.9 million.
“Unfortunately, airport owners have been unable to allocate or reallocate the resources necessary to meet current minimum revenue guarantee requirements for communities of our size seeking to maintain or expand air service,” said the airport press release.
Nez Perce County supported the United flights in their first three years with $4 million of the county’s $7.8 million share of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money.
The city of Lewiston paid United just over $4 million for a year-long minimum revenue guarantee that expired on September 30.
The Lewiston City Council did not vote on the request for a new revenue bond in November, citing a number of concerns, including the draining of city reserves and the lack of anything in writing from United.
“If we want to be meaningful participants in the global community, we must continue to pursue and support air travel opportunities through (Lewiston),” Lewiston Mayor Dan Johnson said in a text Friday.
Nez Perce County is disappointed with the termination of United service, said Doug Havens, chairman of the Nez Perce County Commission.
“After three years of working with United, it is a shame that the service could not stand on its own,” Havens said.
The board that oversees the Lewiston Airport will meet Tuesday at 3 p.m. at the Airport Administration Building at 3632 Stearman St. in Lewiston. The United flights are scheduled for discussion.
“Air services are critical infrastructure that is essential for economic growth,” Isaacs said. “The Airport Authority board will continue to explore new service opportunities.”
You can contact Williams at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.
