Gillette’s Air-Service Switch Could be Sheridan’s Big Opportunity — if the Timing Works

A shake-up in Gillette’s commercial air service in 2026 might end up helping Sheridan County Airport — at least that’s the hope as Wyoming’s small-airport subsidy program starts running out of runway, Gillette News Record reports.

Earlier this year, Todd Chatfield, director of the Northeast Wyoming Regional Airport in Gillette, said United Airlines will take over management of the Gillette-to-Denver route in 2026, according to the Gillette News Record. The big deal there: Gillette can step away from a state-supported arrangement known as a capacity purchase agreement (CPA).

Under the CPA, Wyoming holds a contract with SkyWest on behalf of four airports: Gillette, Riverton, Rock Springs and Sheridan. SkyWest operates the flights, but they fly under United’s brand, giving these regional airports access to service they likely wouldn’t land on their own.

The catch is cost. The program includes a minimum revenue guarantee (MRG) that’s paid out quarterly — and the state and counties split the bill. The guarantee is tied to what it costs to run the airline per hour at each airport.

With United directly stepping in for Gillette, the government subsidy isn’t needed anymore — United covers those operating costs itself. And that’s exactly the kind of graduation story Sheridan Airport Manager Robert Gill wants to see happen next.

“United is taking over (Gillette), and they’re providing them with the flights they need,” Gill said. “Sheridan overall, as far as our ridership and performance, has performed really well. So that’s my big hope, is that we get picked up by a major carrier and then we’re able to get the capacity we need.”

A September WYDOT Aeronautics report laid out how the CPA airports performed from July 2024 through June 2025. Gillette led the pack with 56,902 passengers, and the average state cost was $19.40 per passenger.

Sheridan wasn’t far behind: 52,828 passengers, with a state cost of $36.66 per passenger. According to the report, Sheridan also posted its busiest year in 25 years.

Riverton and Rock Springs each topped 30,000 passengers, but their state costs were more than $65 per passenger.

Gill said Sheridan’s crunch time hits during June through September, and again during the holiday season, when flights fill up early.

“We do see a lot of need (in the summertime),” Gill said. “We have a lot of leisure travelers, and flights book out pretty heavy in advance.”

WYDOT says the whole point of the CPA program was to build markets until communities could exit — like Gillette is now doing.

But here’s the pressure point: the same WYDOT report also warns that funding for the CPA program will be exhausted by the end of fiscal year 2026.

So Sheridan’s moment might be coming… but the clock is ticking.