Bad weather in Denver brings not only jets but also money to the Western Nebraska Regional Airport, so officials at the Scottsbluff facility have been working to expand the number of diversion flights they can handle.
Earlier this month, Airport Director Raul Aguallo told the airport board the diversion team has been expanded with the addition of employees who also work for Skywest.
Aguallo says even with a new billing structure, the desire among United and other airlines is to double the use of Scottsbluff’s airport when Denver-bound flights have to divert.
“This is the preferred site for pilots. I think they like it because we don’t have a tower, and they can kind of come and go as they need to. So, the hope is, in the near future, is to put 20 planes on the ground at one time instead of ten or eleven. If we had the space here, they’d fill us up, because they prefer us to Colorado Springs,” said Aguallo. “We’re hoping to turn 80 to 100 annual diversions to a couple hundred, and at $800 apiece, you can do the math, that’s a bunch of money.”
Aguallo says in addition to parking the aircraft, services provided has included ramps, fire standby, lavatory services if necessary, a sterile area for deplaned passengers and on several occasions this year, pizza.
He recalled one diversion that lasted more than 24 hours, and racked up a bill of more than $4,000 for services rendered.
