YAKIMA, Wash.- A unanimous vote from the Yakima City Council at July 5’s meeting has set a plan in motion to bring in extra daily flights from the Yakima Air Terminal.
City Council passed a resolution that will allow the city to sign a contract with Alaska Airlines with a minimum revenue guarantee of $500,000. The fund for the guarantee has been provided through YKM partners and the community.
So far, $391,000 has been secured, but payment won’t be needed when the contract starts on November 17.
“Fortunately, the money is not due right away; it’s due at the end of the one-year service period,” said YKM Airport Director Robert Hodgeman. “We got some time. The city is accepting the risk, so we certainly like to get that all finalized as soon as possible.”
The City of Yakima agreed to foot the bill for any additional costs that cannot be raised to meet the minimum guarantee. As of now, that total would be $109,000, but the revenue generated for the area may be worth it.
The city tells me local organizations are pledging to the fund for the additional business it can bring to the Yakima Valley.
Yakima Valley Tourism pitched in $5,000 to bring the extra flights to Yakima.
“Our airport needs to be competitive,” said President and CEO John Cooper. “There are other airports that our residents can use and so we rather they choose to fly out of their hometown rather than drive to Pasco or over to SeaTac.”
The extra flights are planned to depart YKM before 8 a.m. and return after 8 p.m. The schedule will allow anyone with business in Seattle to travel, work and return home all in one day.
The first day with the additional flights is set for November 17.
