The addition of new Delta Air Lines service from Lewiston to Seattle – Tacoma International Airport
(SEA) in October 2023, complementing existing flights to Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) and
daily service on United Airlines to Denver International Airport (DEN), has allowed for airfares to decline
at Lewiston Nez Perce County Airport by 18% from that recorded by the Bureau of Transportation
statistics for Calendar Year 2023 from an average fare of $298 to $243 each way.
On a relative basis, Lewiston one-way airfares were 33% higher than the national average in 2021. For
the first quarter of 2024, they are 12% lower than the national average – – a 45-percentage point swing
estimated to save travelers $6 million annually.
“The corporate community has responded well to having service to three major airline connecting
hubs,” said airport director Mike Isaacs. Between United Airlines in Denver and Delta Air Lines in Seattle
and Salt Lake City, Lewiston Airport has flights to connecting hubs collectively offering 903 daily flights
to 306 destinations, including 31 international cities – – the most of any airport in the region.
Given three-hub connecting airline service, Connecticut-based American Cruise Lines was able to fly a
record number of cruise passengers into LWS this season—8,300 inbound customers with over 4,000
hotel rooms booked in the area, according to Bret Bullock, Director of Guest Experience with American
Cruise Lines.
Isaacs continued, “A strong resurgence in commercial airline passengers would not have been possible
without the vision and commitment from airport sponsors, the City of Lewiston, and Nez Perce County.”
United Airlines was attracted using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds through Nez Perce County
and subsequent general surplus funding from the City of Lewiston through a Minimum Revenue
Guarantee.
About the Lewiston-Nez Perce County Airport
LWS is a public-use airport two miles south of Lewiston, Idaho. The City of Lewiston and Nez Perce County own the
airport. The airport prides itself on dependability. “Fly LWS when it matters the most.”
