LEWISTON, IDAHO (KLEW) — The future of the United Airlines Lewiston-Denver flights remains up in the air for now.
Lewiston City Council members discussed the possibility of supporting the flights with up to a $500,000 match on Monday. This after Nez Perce County commissioners approved the same subsidy earlier this month.
According to the Lewiston Tribune, United Airlines has requested a minimum revenue guarantee of $4.9 million for the fiscal year that started Oct. 1 to help the route become profitable, according to airport officials. The money is being sought from the city and county because they are the joint owners of the Lewiston-Nez Perce County Regional Airport.
During Monday’s meeting, airport officials mentioned United Airlines’ willingness to stay in Lewiston providing more affordable airfare to Denver.
City Council member Hannah Liedkie expressed her thoughts on the funding.
“What I’d like for United to take from this meeting is that we are interested in keeping them, I would like us to at least express that we have an understanding that we need to keep an airport as viable as we can,” Liedkie said.
“I do think there are alternate routes to fund this, I certainly don’t want to come after the taxpayer, any more than we already have,” she said.
The council failed to vote on the matter during Monday’s meeting.