25 Years of Flight: SkyWest Celebrates a Quarter Century of Service

By Joshua Palmer, The Times-News, Twin Falls, Idaho

Apr. 2–The Twin Falls airport has seen airlines come and go, but SkyWest has stuck it out for 25 years — the last remaining commercial airline to provide service at the small regional airport.

So on Thursday afternoon, city officials, business owners and other residents of Twin Falls gathered at the Joslin Field, Magic Valley Regional Airport to thank SkyWest for keeping the community connected to airports elsewhere.

“Without SkyWest we wouldn’t have much. In fact, Twin Falls probably wouldn’t even be on the map,” Councilman Lee Heider said.

SkyWest has provided flight service in Twin Falls since 1983 when it started out with two employees. The airline now employs 37 people at the Twin Falls airport.

Despite difficulties in the airline industry, Russell ‘Chip’ Childs, president and chief operating officer for SkyWest Airlines, said small communities like Twin Falls are part of the airline’s business strategy.

“Our market is centered around small communities and small planes,” Child’s said. “And although we are in a brutally competitive industry, it works because of places like Twin Falls.”

SkyWest connects passengers to Delta Airline’s international flights via five daily round trips to Salt Lake City.

Joshua Palmer may be reached at 735-3231 or at jpalmer@magicvalley.com

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