Northwest Airlines has canceled a second Casper-Minneapolis flight it just recently announced would be reinstated for the summer months, said Glenn Januska, manager of the Casper/Natrona County International Airport.

While the cancelation means a direct loss of seats, the pending summer Casper-Minneapolis United Airlines flight will make up the difference, Januska said.

"Overall, it's not going to have much of a negative effect," he said.

Northwest uses its wholly owned subsidiary Mesaba Airlines for the Casper-Minneapolis connection. The planes are 50-passenger Canadair Regional Jets.

The current daily flight leaves at 9 a.m. and returns at 10:46 p.m., Januska said.

Northwest's passenger loads are low during the winter months and rise as summer approaches, so the lone Casper-Minneapolis flight may be fuller than splitting the passengers with two flights, he said.

The scheduled June 5 start of United's Casper-Chicago flights will offer another way for people to fly east, Januska said.

On March 5, the Wyoming Aeronautics Commission approved a request from the Natrona County International Airport for $400,000 to share the risk of United's offer to provide daily direct air service between Casper and Chicago.

The state will put up 80 percent, or $320,000 of that amount, and the Casper Area Economic Development Alliance - funded by the City of Casper and Natrona County - will put up the rest.

Reach Tom Morton at (307) 266-0592, or at Tom.Morton@trib.com.