Author: Colin Tiernan, Times-News
TWIN FALLS — As expected, the City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a Denver flight out of the Magic Valley airport.
Joslin Field, Magic Valley Regional Airport only has a Salt Lake City flight right now. Once in Salt Lake City, travelers can fly direct to more than 100 destinations.
That gives fliers a lot of options, but the Denver flight will make traveling more convenient for some. You can fly to more than 200 cities out of Denver. On top of the added convenience, the Denver flight will likely bring more visitors to the Magic Valley.
Starting May 12, there will be a daily Denver flight. People can buy tickets starting Feb. 23 on United Airlines’ website. Each flight will have 50 seats.
Airport manager Bill Carberry told the City Council that the departing flight will leave Twin Falls at 2:15 p.m. and reach Denver around 4 p.m. The arriving flight will land at the Magic Valley airport at about 1:45 p.m.
Twin Falls officials have said for years they’d like to see a Denver flight.
“This has been a long time coming,” Twin Falls Area Chamber of Commerce CEO and council member Shawn Barigar said.
Many have touted the benefits a Denver flight could have for local businesses. Denver service could also be a boon for Magic Valley tourism.
“Denver itself is one of the top feeder markets generating traffic at visitsouthidaho.com,” Southern Idaho Tourism Executive Director Melissa Barry said in a press release. “We have great access to outdoor recreation, it’s affordable and we’re right in the sweet spot with Sun Valley to the north, Yellowstone National Park to the east and Boise to the west.”
If it hadn’t been for a U.S. Department of Transportation grant that the airport won last February, the Denver flight probably wouldn’t have come to Twin Falls so quickly. The $900,000 grant effectively ensures SkyWest Airlines — the company that will service the flight for United — won’t lose money. If too few people buy tickets at first, the grant money will cover SkyWest’s losses.
View this article on MagicValley.com