By Jen Beasley
If all goes well, the Logan/Cache Airport could be offering commercial flights to Denver and Las Vegas as early as October, according to Sandy Emile, the president of the Cache Chamber of Commerce.
The Cache Chamber is currently in negotiations with Vision Air, a company that has traditionally done charter flights for corporations and tourism, to provide commercial airline flights in and out of the Cache Valley.
Emile said because Vision Air is just getting into the commercial market, they are a good fit for Cache Valley.
"They come with no bad baggage," she said. "They come in with us as a priority. It gives us an added edge. It allows us to feel valued."
Emile said providing commercial flights to the Logan/Cache Airport would be a boon to local businesses.
"We want our people to have the kind of connectivity to get where they need to go as quickly and efficiently as possible," Emile said.
Commercial flights to Cache Valley could have a positive impact on tourism in the area, according to Julie Hollist, the director of the Cache Valley Tourist Council. Hollist said tour bus operators that usually fly into Salt Lake and then go through Logan on the way to Yellowstone could instead fly directly to the valley.
"Coming from a tourism perspective, the potential is huge," Hollist said. "People could fly in from big markets like Denver for the same price as flying to Salt Lake."
Emile said Denver and Las Vegas were chosen as the two initial hubs because of their high demand. She said that flying into Salt Lake City is not currently financially viable, because it is not a large enough center.
Vision Air is currently working on getting an Interline Agreement, which allows a small airline to rent or lease gate space from larger, already existing airlines. An Interline Agreement would allow Vision Air to get scheduled service to major, secured airport, and passengers' checked baggage would be sent to the end destination, instead of having to be rechecked at layovers.
Emile said if Vision Air does not get the Interline Agreement, it could be a deal-breaker.
"What we don't want to do is have service here that doesn't allow us to fly into a secure terminal," Emile said.
The Logan/Cache Airport is working with the Transportation Safety Administration and the Department of Homeland Security to meet security standards necessary for the transition to commercial service.
The TSA will provide all personnel, metal detectors, etc., for airport security.
Bringing commercial flight service to the Cache Valley could give Utah State's aviation program more consideration from major airlines, according to USU check airman Brandon Clark.
"Seeing bigger airplanes coming in, there could be potential for job opportunities for our alumni," Clark said. "I think there's a lot of speculation going on about internships. I'd be ecstatic if they got in by this fall."
