The Uintah County Commission submitted a letter on Friday requesting that SkyWest Airlines be awarded the bid for the Vernal Regional Airport. The letter, submitted to the Essential Air Service Division in Washington, DC, says that the decision was reached after considerable review and that the vote taken on Friday supports the selection of SkyWest Airlines for service between Vernal Regional Airport and Denver International. SkyWest and present carrier, Boutique Airlines, both bid for the contract and both made presentations to local officials in a meeting held last week. In the letter issued Friday, Uintah County Commission Chair Bill Stringer refers to SkyWest’s “many attractive advantages” including the use of a CRJ-200 jet that they believe will lead to more enplanements. The letter also explains that the airport expanded runway project will soon be complete. “One of the appeals of this major investment was the ability to attract reliable jet aircraft service into Vernal such as SkyWest,” shares Chairman Stringer, who emphasizes that diligent work will be done to secure the return of TSA to the local terminal to enable convenient and attractive air travel to and from Vernal. Boutique Air’s contact is up in March 2018.
