"Four Wyoming airports work to get new carrier"

Saturday, June 14, 2003

Four airports work to get new carrier
The Associated Press


ROCK SPRINGS (AP) -- Four airports may jointly apply for a small community
air service development grant as they try to bring a new airline to Wyoming.

The airports in Cheyenne, Cody, Laramie and Rock Springs would each receive
$250,000 to $20 million in federal money and state matching funds under the
grants in their quest to bring Rocky Mountain Airways to the Cowboy State,
Rock Springs/Sweetwater County airport manager Gary Valentine said.

The airline, meanwhile, has already secured one private investor and
reached, "in principal," an agreement for airline certification, CEO Richard
Fontaine said Monday.

Four airplanes have already been lined up and the company needs three or
four more to begin operating, Fontaine said.

The airline is proposing service to Denver from Casper, Cheyenne, Cody,
Gillette, Laramie, Riverton, Rock Springs and Sheridan. Flights to Salt Lake
City would also be offered in Rock Springs.

Rocky Mountain Airways has applied for state assistance to cover aircraft
lease payments and hull insurance. The Wyoming Business Council has $3
million in air service enhancement funds to give, beginning July 1.

Fontaine hoped to have Wyoming Business Council support by September, though
board member John Kauchich said it was too early to gauge support of the
plan.

"I think right now we're not going to jump into anything," he said. "We
definitely will not just go out and put out money and try this and try that.
... I just think we're a ways away from doing anything specific."

Dispersal of the grant money for the airports was still being worked out.
Some airports, such as Rock Springs, required approval from their governing
bodies, Valentine said.

"There's still a lot of hurdles that have to be crossed and by no stretch of
the imagination is this is done deal," he said.

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