United fights to Denver end this winter

The Lewiston-Nez Perce County Regional Airport will be down to two destinations for commercial passenger flights in February.

Flights on United Airlines between Denver and Lewiston are ending in about seven weeks.

A spokesperson from United made the announcement in an email Friday to the Lewiston Tribune.

United will operate service from Denver to Lewiston through Jan. 31 and service from Lewiston to Denver through Feb. 1, said Remy Zeigler (Milburn), a United consumer public relations specialist, in the email.

“United will continue to serve Idaho with service to Boise, Idaho Falls and Sun Valley,” Zeigler said. “We’re working with impacted customers to help them make alternative travel arrangements.”

Zeigler did not address a question posed by 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 trying this route during challenging economic times in the air transportation industry,” said Airport Director Michael Isaacs in a news release from the airport.

Airport officials have previously stated the route has not been profitable for United since it started in 2021 and needed subsidies.

Delta has direct service from Lewiston to Salt Lake City and Seattle that is not subsidized and is continuing.

Lewiston airport officials had warned that United would withdraw the service if it didn’t receive financial support from the community.

They’ve also stated that the competition from United in the market lowered all Lewiston airline fares.

They asked for help from the city of Lewiston and Nez Perce County, the owners of the airport.

Nez Perce County was willing to contribute $500,000 toward a $4.9 million subsidy that United had requested for a fiscal year that started Oct. 1.

That money was considered a stop-gap measure while community leaders identified where to find the remainder of the $4.9 million.

“Unfortunately, the airport owners … were unable to allocate or commit the funds required to keep up with today’s demands of minimum revenue guarantees for communities our size trying to maintain or grow air service,” according to the airport news release.

Nez Perce County backed 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 more than $4 million for a yearlong minimum revenue guarantee that ended Sept. 30.

Lewiston’s city council didn’t vote on the request for another revenue guarantee in November, citing a number of concerns, such as draining the city’s reserves and an absence of anything in writing from United.

“If we are going 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 Friday in a text.

Nez Perce County is disappointed to hear about the discontinuation of the United service, said Nez Perce County Commission Chairman Doug Havens.

“After three years of working with United, it’s unfortunate the service wasn’t able to stand on its own,” Havens said.

The board that oversees the Lewiston airport meets at 3 p.m. Tuesday at the airport administration building at 3632 Stearman St. in Lewiston. The United flights are on the agenda for discussion.

“Air service is a critical infrastructure that is essential for economic growth,” Isaacs said. “The airport authority board will continue to search for new service opportunities.”

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