Conversations around fate of United deal continue

Nez Perce County Commission Chairperson Doug Havens said he will pursue making a $500,000 subsidy for United Airlines Denver flights not dependent on a match of the same amount from the city of Lewiston.

Today the commission will meet to figure out which budget line items the money will come from, Havens said at a Tuesday meeting of the Lewiston-Nez Perce County Regional Airport Authority board.

Last week, Havens was part of the majority of the county commission that approved the money to contribute to a minimum revenue guarantee for the direct Denver- Lewiston flights, contingent on the city pitching in an additional $500,000.

On Monday, the Lewiston City Council didn’t vote on the matter after a lengthy discussion. The city of Lewiston and Nez Perce County are joint owners of the airport.

The combined $1 million would have been a portion of a $4.9 million subsidy United is requesting for the fiscal year that started Oct. 1.

Providing a portion of the money now is seen by supporters of the service as a way to buy time to identify other potential sources of revenue.

United is seeking the help because the route isn’t yet profitable, airport officials have said.

The airline hasn’t provided the airport an update following Monday’s city council meeting, said the airport’s director, Michael Isaacs.

“Here we are,” said Gary Peters, the chairperson of the airport authority board. “We’re in no-man’s-land waiting for the email, waiting for the phone call when it should have been locked up. The fact (the city council) didn’t even take a vote (Monday night) shows you just how pathetic and weak the city of Lewiston is.”

Jessica Klein, the council’s liaison to the airport board, was the only council member at the meeting.

“We literally don’t have the money,” Klein said.

At the end of the present 2025 fiscal year that started Oct. 1, the city anticipates having about 90 days of cash on hand in its general fund reserves, the place its treasurer and finance director Aimee Gordon has identified the money would have to come from.

That compares with 164 days of cash on hand at the end of fiscal year 2023. If the city uses its reserves to help support the United flights, it would put the city in jeopardy of falling below the 90 days of cash on hand threshold it utilizes as a best practice, according to Gordon.

Peters asked Klein a series of questions about how the city was paying for various projects and other topics.

The city, Peters said, would have money available if it had used its share of the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) differently or paid for infrastructure upgrades with bonds.

Klein told Peters she would make sure city councilors know how he felt.

“The city will continue to work with the airport authority to maintain and expand air transportation services at (the airport),” Lewiston Mayor Dan Johnson said in a text to the Tribune. Johnson wasn’t at Tuesday’s meeting.

The United Denver flights have been subsidized with government money since they debuted in 2021.

In the first three years, they were backed by $4 million of Nez Perce County’s $7.8 million share of ARPA money. United has billed the city of Lewiston just more than $4 million for a yearlong minimum revenue guarantee that ended Sept. 30.

United is one of two airlines serving Lewiston. The other is Delta, which does not receive government subsidies. Its Seattle flights started last year. Its Salt Lake City service debuted in 2005 and initially was backed with a revenue guarantee agreement.

Next year, Havens said he will ask the city of Lewiston to give up its ownership in the airport.

“They don’t value it,” Havens said. “They don’t see it as an asset.”

Board members said they supported Havens’ idea.

Perhaps it’s time to look at Asotin and Nez Perce counties being the joint owners of the airport, Peters said.

“(The city of Lewiston) clearly does not trust us, and that’s extremely frustrating because this is a damn good board and this is a damn good director,” he said.

Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.