Pocatello airport recording consistent growth

The Pocatello Regional Airport is reporting an 18 percent increase in passengers in May, compared to May 2016.

It is the 15 th month in a row that passenger numbers have increased by 10 percent or more from the same month in the previous year.

For the year, passenger boardings total 30,465. That is up 28 percent for the same time period in 2016.

Airport Manager David Allen pins the improvement to March of 2016, when SkyWest Airlines, serving as the Delta Connection, added a third daily weekday flight. That increased the total number of seats available by 45 percent.

“It’s no coincidence that our double-digit growth began the same month that the capacity increased,” Allen said. “Our primary message to travelers continues to be that you can usually save money and time by flying from Pocatello compared to Salt Lake or Idaho Falls.”

Allen believes airport service also deserves credit for the improvement.

The airport offers free parking and a variety of other services. Those include free Wi-Fi, book sharing center courtesy of the Friends of the Marshall Public Library, shoe-shine station by Meyers Shoe Repair, a water refill station from Culligan Water Conditioning of Pocatello, complimentary coffee and a children’s play area from Pocatello Regional Airport.