After a seven-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cheyenne Regional Airport welcomed back commercial passenger air service Wednesday night with the arrival of the new United Express flight from Denver.

Cheyenne Regional Air Focus Team (CRAFT) President Wendy Volk says the daily flights, which are being operated by SkyWest Airlines, will give travelers direct access to nearly 200 destinations around the world.

"It's really encouraging to have that direct connectivity to a major hub and an international airport like Denver," said Volk. "We're thrilled about it."

"This is going to help us economically restore Wyoming so we can get business up and running again and get our economy going," said Airport Director Tim Barth.

Barth says with the affordability and reliability of the flights, folks no longer have to contend with Interstate 25 traffic, parking fees and long security lines.

"If you're paying $100 round trip to fly down to Denver and all you have to do is drive your car here and leave it for free ... what is that worth to you?"

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