Salt Lake To Cedar City Jet Service Will Begin June 1

The Federal Aviation Administration today approved a plan to allow SkyWest to offer jet air service between Salt Lake City and Cedar City beginning on June 1.

Scheduled air service using small planes has long been allowed to the southern Utah city. Private jets have also been allowed to use the municipal airport. Now scheduled jet service will make it quicker and easier to travel from Salt Lake to Cedar City.

TheSpectrum.com has this news article about the approval. Below are excerpts.

“People come to Cedar from around the world every summer for the Shakespeare Festival and to visit SUU, and scheduled jet service will make the experience for our guests even better,” Hatch said in a press release. “I appreciate the willingness of the FAA to listen to our concerns and applaud this important step forward.”

“Six years ago we built the new terminal. Two and a half years ago we finished the runway refurbishments, which will extend its life for decades,” Volk said. “Then this summer we finished the new fire station at the airport. We are ready for jets.”

A schedule change made a year ago in which SkyWest gave Cedar City more early morning flights helped increase the number of emplanements — paying customers who actually board in Cedar City — from about 6,000 in 2010 to more than 8,500 in 2011. Volk said this increase proved to SkyWest that jet service in Cedar City would be viable.