United flights up in the air

No decision has been reached on whether the city of Lewiston or Nez Perce County will contribute to the $4.9 million revenue guarantee to United Airlines for its Lewiston to Denver flights.

The deadline for the decision was Oct. 1 but it was extended to Oct. 15. Airport director Michael Isaacs told the board at the Wednesday meeting that because of the extension United was “expecting something” that day.

United was seeking the revenue guarantee because it will be using a larger aircraft with more seats, going from 50 seats to 70-76 seats. United had been receiving $4 million from Nez Perce County when it began providing service in 2021. The city of Lewiston began paying the $4 million guarantee in 2023 after the airline lost $5.5 million for that year.

Board chairperson Gary Peters asked Lewiston city councilor Jessica Klein and Nez Perce County Commissioner Don Beck, who were in attendance, when the next meeting for those entities were. Klein said the next city council meeting is Oct. 28 and Beck said he didn’t know when their next meeting to discuss airport issues would be. Klein said the issue wasn’t brought up at the city council meeting Monday.

Peters said they were running out of time but wanted to try to set up another meeting with the city and county to address the United flights. He asked that Klein and Beck talk with their colleagues for a meeting.

Peters wants the meeting to be public so the community could comment. He also suggests members of the community voice their concerns and opinions with elected officials. He said it’s up to the owners, the city and the county, “to decide what they want in an airport” because the airport isn’t able to raise the funds through a tax.

Peters said that the decision on the United flights will have a big impact on the future of the airport. He highlighted that the airport has worked hard the last five years to rebuild the flight services and this could make the airport lose momentum.

Airport board treasurer Laurie Wilson asked Peters what the meeting with the city and commissioners will discuss and how he plans to change their minds.

Peters wanted to go over the budgets of the two entities one more time to make sure there wasn’t any money available for the United flights.

“This is a generational decision that will impact this airport forever,” Peters said. “Maybe there’s somewhere we can scrimp and save.”

Another option would be to ask United if they can pay the $4.9 million in increments or partial payments rather than the full commitment.

“We’re going to give it everything we have,” Peters said.

Peters thanked Klein and Beck for attending the meeting and told them not to take the board’s comments about the city and county’s lack of financial support personally. He said it’s the board’s job to work hard to get flights for the airport and improve the facility for the community.

Beck told Peters that he had been trying to reach out to the cruise ships as a revenue option. Gary wasn’t optimistic about that option. In 2018, the city of Juneau, Alaska, attempted to collect fees from cruise ship passengers that a judge eventually ruled against, according to the Juneau Empire.

“To be honest, that’s probably not going to go anywhere,” Peters said.

Peters also said that the flights are a good investment in the local economy and can have $35-40 million in returns to the community. He argued that $5 million is a small price for the city and county to pay for that much return and the numbers in the flights will be worth it.

“We can go through powerpoints until we’re blue in the face,” Peters said. “I don’t know what more we can do.”

Brewster may be contacted at kbrewster@lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2297.