The addition of new Delta Air Lines service from Lewiston to Seattle in October 2023, complementing existing flights to Salt Lake City and daily service on United Airlines to Denver, has allowed for airfares to decline at the Lewiston Nez Perce County Airport by 18% from that recorded by the Bureau of Transportation statistics for Calendar Year 2023 from an average fare of $298 to $243 each way.
According to a press release from the airport, on a relative basis, Lewiston one-way airfares were 33% higher than the national average in 2021. For the first quarter of 2024, they are 12% lower than the national average – – a 45-percentage point swing estimated to save travelers $6 million annually.
“The corporate community has responded well to having service to three major airline connecting hubs,” said airport director Mike Isaacs. Between United Airlines in Denver and Delta Air Lines in Seattle and Salt Lake City, the Lewiston Airport has flights to connecting hubs collectively offering 903 daily flights to 306 destinations, including 31 international cities – the most of any airport in the region.
According to the release, given three-hub connecting airline service, Connecticut-based American Cruise Lines was able to fly a record number of cruise passengers into Lewiston this season—8,300 inbound customers with over 4,000 hotel rooms booked in the area.
Isaacs continued, “A strong resurgence in commercial airline passengers would not have been possible without the vision and commitment from airport sponsors, the City of Lewiston, and Nez Perce County.”
United Airlines was attracted using American Rescue Plan Act funds through Nez Perce County and subsequent general surplus funding from the City of Lewiston through a Minimum Revenue Guarantee.
