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Airline to start offering flights between Scottsbluff, Lincoln

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By The Associated Press

Thursday, Mar 01, 2007 - 08:47:24 pm CST

SCOTTSBLUFF — The owner of Valley Airways said flights between Scottsbluff and Lincoln will start March 14 and cost $551.25 round-trip.

Dick Bosn held a press conference on Thursday, and said the “Scottsbluff-Capital Connection” will continue only if the community supports the flights.

“I have a break-even point of three passengers, and its only six-passenger airplane,” Bosn said. “This is not a welfare corporation. If I am losing money at this, I will quit doing it.”

The airline will offer three flights a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, leaving Scottsbluff at 5:30 a.m and returning around 7 p.m. The flight will take about two hours, depending on the weather.

Bosn said one of his two Piper Navajo, six-passenger planes would be used for the flights to Lincoln while the second would be for charter flights.

The former so-called “River Run” flights were first implemented by GP Express, which received federal Essential Air Service moneys.

That service continued until Scottsbluff’s hub was changed from Lincoln to Denver in 1995, taking away federal money.

In June 2004, Westward Airways began daily service from Scottsbluff to North Platte, Lincoln and Omaha.

Those flights also were subsidized, but ended because of company financial problems just 13 months later.

Valley Airways has received some state financial assistance for startup costs, but no federal funds.


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brian in Lincoln wrote on March 2, 2007 7:41 am:
" WOW, Great Job Lincoln Airport!!! you can now brag how you added a new airline for all the people of Lincoln to enjoy....the Lincoln "airbase" is a very big negative when it comes to recruiting people to our city. "

 Insanity wrote on March 2, 2007 9:55 am:
" Who in their right mind would pay $550 for a two hour flight to Scottsbluff??! "

 D wrote on March 2, 2007 11:03 am:
" If he would cut the price to like $100, I would consider it as I have family out that way and absolutely HATE the 7 hour drive. But $500 plus dollars is TOO MUCH!! "

 Orco wrote on March 2, 2007 11:09 am:
" It costs the same to fly from Omaha to Honolulu as it does from Lincoln to Scottsbluff. This is a poor investment of state financial assistance, as this business serves very few people and is not likely to be successful. What a waste! "

 panhandleite wrote on March 2, 2007 11:26 am:
" I about died laughing when I read this in our local paper. $551.25 wow what a joke. This must be for people that have more $$$$$ than brains. I drive to Lincoln just about once a month and it has never cost me close to $600.00 for a couple of days. So...I got to figuring. gas @ $2.50/gal X 25 gal = $62.50 ea way; so rt is $125.00. And actually that's more than it really costs me for gas. Don't know what kind of place this guy has ever stayed in in Lincoln but it must be a swanky joint. I always thought this would be great to have a flight to Lincoln/Omaha. But at this price I will continue to drive. "

 Marvin wrote on March 2, 2007 1:47 pm:
" This airline will thrive, not by the average citizen taking the flights, but the Federal and States bureaucrats using the service and the taxpayer paying their fare. Like the $600 toilet seat or the $1000 hammer, when it's taxpayer money and their self-importance, no big deal. "

 panhandler wrote on March 2, 2007 1:53 pm:
" They better be serving caviar and Cristal for inflight refreshments at that price. "

 jmg wrote on March 2, 2007 7:29 pm:
" “This is not a welfare corporation. If I am losing money at this, I will quit doing it.” Why does it sound like he's threatening us?? And...who really cares? Who, other than people who love to get ripped off, is going to pay for this service? "

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