Barkley Regional Airport says the first flight from Paducah to Chicago departed ten years ago, on February 11, 2010. At the time, it was the first time jet service had served Paducah since the late 1970s.
On Tuesday, current team members, including two people who were working for SkyWest ten years ago, celebrated with a reception.
“We are pleased to celebrate this milestone with SkyWest and United, they have been a strong and important partner with us,” said Airport Executive Director Dennis Rouleau. “They have made it possible for everyone in our region to get anywhere in the world, and back home again, with just one stop. This level of connectivity is something that other communities wish they had, and is an important factor in the growth of the region both in the last 10 years and moving forward."
Since 2010, almost 30,000 trips and over 400,000 passengers have traveled between Paducah and Chicago, and the airline has completed 96% of scheduled flights.
Barkley shared an interesting fact, saying that 6-8 percent of annual traffic is international, which had not happened until United Express began flights to O'Hare International Airport.
SkyWest was recently awarded another three year Essential Air Service contract by the US Department of Transportation, ensuring that twice-daily flights to and from Chicago will continue until 2023.
Rouleau said, “We are excited about what lies ahead for Barkley and the region, from the new terminal to other improvements we are looking at to improve the experience for our passengers, we want to be the airport that everyone chooses to fly out of, no matter the destination.”
