The Delta County Airport received good news recently that the number of those flying from the local facility is up over last year. This is good to hear and we hope this is taken into consideration by the federal government when funding time comes around.

The local airport is supposed to provide 10,000 passengers a year, but has fallen short in recent years. The last several years have been especially difficult because of circumstances beyond local control.

In 2008, the airport had to go several months without a carrier because the federal government awarded the contract to a different carrier than what was already in place. No matter though, it appears as though the wheels keep turning.

In these tough times, most airports across the region have seen a decline over last year. Such is not the case for Delta County as it has seen an increase of more than 100 over the same period last year. This may not seem like a lot, but it is.

Any time there is a disruption in service, it hurts the facility long into the future because people have to make other arrangements. They are hesitant to return locally because they do not want to be left stranded.

It takes time for these situations to repair themselves and it seems the facility is on the right track to make people aware there is a local airport and one does not have to drive and pay large fees for parking or overnight stays.

Airport Manager Connie Ness also has stated the facility may be looking at establishing some incentives for people who fly locally. We hope these talks continue. Running an airport these days can be a difficult situation with prices continuing to climb and airlines cutting back on service. We hope our local facility will continue its job in keeping rates as affordable as possible and giving local travelers the opportunity to fly from our facility.