Northwest Airlines officially announced on Tuesday that it will offer round-trip jet flights between Casper and Minneapolis/St. Paul starting Oct. 4.

The twice-daily flights will be operated by Northwest Airlink partner Pinnacle Airlines. Tickets for fall flights can be reserved now.

About 50 local legislators, business people and airport officials received the announcement enthusiastically in the Hangar Room at the Natrona County International Airport.

Many at the press conference had earlier agreed to invest money in a travel bank instituted by the Casper Area Economic Development Association (CAEDA). After the announcement, the investors were whisked off for a 40-minute flight on a new 44-passenger jet that served as a backdrop for the event.

James Porter, CAEDA board chairman, touted the arrival of Northwest as a historical event and economic development opportunity for the state.

The new jet service will put Casper on "a higher level of map" with the rest of the nation, he said.

"And CAEDA pledges to do whatever is necessary to provide support for this project," and with help from travelers in central Wyoming, it will be a success, Porter said.

CAEDA brought Northwest to Casper by offering two incentives.

It instituted the travel bank, an account created for businesses and community members who pledged to spend money on future travel with Northwest.

CAEDA and the Economic Development Joint Powers Board also set aside $425,000 in hopes of making a deal. The state's $1.8 million contribution, approved by the Wyoming Business Council, allowed the community to offer Northwest a $2.225 million revenue guarantee for 12 months of service. If Northwest does not make that amount in a year, the difference will come out of the guarantee.

Northwest is confident the service will succeed without the guarantee. It wouldn't have entered the market otherwise, according to Tom Bach, vice president of Northwest market planning and Airlink.

Casper is the first Wyoming city in which Northwest has agreed to offer year-round service, said Bach. The airline has seasonal service from Jackson Hole to Minneapolis.

"It'll be the only jet service in Casper and it'll be the only service to a hub east of the Rockies," said Bach.

If the airline does well in Casper, Bach said Northwest would eventually look at offering a similar service in Cheyenne.

Bach said the Minneapolis routes will cut flying time for many passengers.

For example, he said, "flying Northwest from Minneapolis will get you to Chicago an hour faster than going through Denver."

Phil Gee, spokesman for SkyWest Airlines, which flies Casper passengers to Denver and Salt Lake City, said the addition of Northwest to Casper will force airlines to offer competitive fares.

"Anytime another carrier comes and adds seats to a market, it has a possibility of diluting it," he said. "But I like to think of it in a positive manner - that it ultimately benefits the passengers and that ultimately benefits the carrier."

More options and lower prices typically bring more people to the airport, added Gee.

Bach said Casper ticket prices will be low enough to keep people in surrounding areas from driving to other airports.

"We're looking at pricing equal to some of the surrounding communities where people have historically driven, so there's no incentive to do any driving - we want people to fly from Casper," he said, adding that Northwest also intends to keep in line with any local competitor fare sale.

Reporter Tara Westreicher can be reached at (307) 266-0593 or

tara.westreicher@casperstartribune.net.

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