Central Wyoming Regional Airport

Central Wyoming Regional Airport, formerly Riverton Regional Airport, is three miles northwest of Riverton, in Fremont County, Wyoming; it also serves nearby Lander, Wyoming. It is used for general aviation and sees one passenger airline. Service was subsidized by the Essential Air Service program until October 2006, when Great Lakes Airlines began providing subsidy-free service. Key Lime Air operating as the Denver Air Connection began serving the airport with regional jet aircraft on July 1, 2016.

Federal Aviation Administration records say the airport had 17,035 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2008, 14,186 in 2009 and 14,361 in 2010. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a ''primary commercial service'' airport (more than 10,000 enplanements per year).

Facilities

The airport covers 1,250 acres (506 ha) at an elevation of 5,528 feet (1,685 m). It has two asphalt runways: 10/28 is 8,204 by 150 feet (2,501 x 46 m) and 1/19 is 4,800 by 75 feet (1,463 x 23 m). The airport is an uncontrolled airport with no control tower.

In 2018 the airport had 4,547 aircraft operations, average 12 per day: 78% general aviation, 22% air taxi, and <1% military. 37 aircraft were then based at this airport: 86% single-engine, 11% multi-engine, and 3% helicopter.

History

Historic airline service

The original Frontier Airlines (1950-1986) served the airport for many years. In 1950 Frontier Douglas DC-3s flew to Denver, Salt Lake City, Billings, Casper, Cheyenne and other cities. By 1964 Frontier had introduced Convair 580s nonstop to Denver, Casper, Jackson, WY, and Rock Springs and direct to Salt Lake City, Albuquerque, Billings, Cheyenne, Laramie and Cody. Frontier Airlines predecessor Challenger Airlines served Riverton in the 1940s.

In 1979 Frontier Boeing 737-200s began serving the airport, along with Convair 580s. Frontier 737s flew direct to Denver via Casper; by 1985 Frontier had left the airport. Frontier was the only airline that flew mainline jets to the airport.

Frontier's service was replaced by Pioneer Airlines Swearingen Metroliners nonstop to Denver, code sharing flights as Continental Express for Continental Airlines. By 1989 Continental Express nonstops to Denver were Rocky Mountain Airways ATR 42s and Beechcraft 1900Cs. In 1995 the Continental Express code share service at the airport was being operated by GP Express Airlines with Beechcraft 1900Cs nonstop to Denver. By 1991 United Express ( Mesa Airlines) had joined Continental Express at the airport with Beechcraft 1900Cs nonstop to Denver flown via a code sharing agreement with United Airlines. Continental shut down its hub in Denver and by 1999 only United Express ( Great Lakes Airlines) served the airport, with nonstop Beechcraft 1900s to Denver. Great Lakes later lost its United Express designation but continued to serve the airport as an independent airline before dropping Riverton.

Recent developments

Great Lakes Airlines previously served the airport with Beechcraft 1900Ds. On November 1, 2016 Great Lakes introduced larger Embraer EMB-120 Brasilias on most of its flights to Denver. However, Great Lakes soon went out of business, ending service to Riverton.

SkyWest Airlines operating as United Express replaced Key Lime Air service to Denver on January 12, 2020 when they took over the subsidized air service contract for Riverton and Sheridan.

In 2020, the name changed from Riverton Regional Airport to Central Wyoming Regional Airport.

Airlines and destinations

Statistics

Top destinations

See also

* List of airports in Wyoming

References

Other sources

* Essential Air Service documents
Docket OST-2003-14536
from the U.S. Department of Transportation:
*
Notice (February 17, 2003)
of Great Lakes Aviation, Ltd. to terminate scheduled air service at Riverton, Wyoming. The effective date of this intended termination is May 17, 2003.
*
Order 2003-4-11 (April 15, 2003)
prohibiting Great Lakes Aviation, Ltd. (Great Lakes), from suspending its unsubsidized service at Riverton, Wyoming and requesting proposals from carriers interested in providing replacement at the community.
*
Order 2004-7-16 (July 20, 2004)
selects Great Lakes Aviation, Ltd., to provide essential air service with 19-passenger B1900D aircraft at Laramie, Riverton, Rock Springs, and Worland, Wyoming, for two years for annual subsidy rates of $397,400, $394,046, $390,488, and $797,844, respectively.
*
Order 2006-9-9 (September 11, 2006)
re-selecting Great Lakes Aviation, Ltd., operating as both a United Airlines and Frontier code-share partner, to provide subsidized essential air service (EAS) at Laramie and Worland, Wyoming, at an annual subsidy rate of $487,516 for Laramie and $972,757 for Worland, for the two-year period of October 1, 2006, through September 30, 2008. On June 14, 2006, Great Lakes notified the Department that it will continue its existing service at Rock Springs but on a subsidy-free basis as of October 1, 2006, the beginning of the new rate-term. On July 24, 2006, Great Lakes notified the Department that it will also continue to provide its existing service at Riverton on a subsidy-free basis beginning October 1, 2006.

External links

Riverton Regional Airport
official site

Aerial image as of July 1994
from USGS '' The National Map''
*
{{US-airport-ga, RIW

Airports in Wyoming
Buildings and structures in Fremont County, Wyoming
Transportation in Fremont County, Wyoming
Former Essential Air Service airports
Riverton, Wyoming