Laramie Regional Airport reports compliance, rising traffic and explores $9–$12M hangar and $41M runway extension

Amy Terrell, director of the Laramie Regional Airport, told the Laramie City Council the airport is in compliance with FAA Part 139 requirements after a recent inspection that produced three findings the airport has since corrected.

"We have zero safety issues, that the airport, your airport, is in full compliance," Terrell said, describing the findings as minor items — a cleaning plan for markings/lighting, replacing an ABC extinguisher with a BC type appropriate for aircraft, and fixing an obscured hazardous‑materials label on a fuel truck — all of which staff addressed and reported back to the FAA.

Terrell outlined passenger and revenue trends presented at the work session: she reported passenger boardings (enplanements) recorded in recent years as 18,197 in 2023, 19,277 in 2024 and 19,656 in 2025 (figures given in the meeting). She emphasized that maintaining at least 10,000 enplanements is important for federal funding formulas.

The director said airport operating revenue has grown since 2020 (figures stated in the meeting: about $1.3 million in 2020, $2.3 million in 2022, and a projection of about $3.1 million for the current year as presented) and cited a state aeronautics study that estimated roughly $38 million in direct and indirect annual economic impact and about $1.5 million in direct tax revenue for the community.

Terrell discussed plans to add revenue‑generating facilities, including a large hangar that would accommodate two large aircraft. "That price on that hanger is anywhere from 9 to $12 million," she said, and added the airport is pursuing an out‑of‑state investor and a SLIB loan rather than asking for all local funding. She estimated net annual revenue from a hangar in the range of about $300,000 to $500,000.

On unscheduled diversions — aircraft forced to land at Laramie because another airport cannot receive them — Terrell said the airport typically nets between $1,500 and $4,000 per diversion for fuel and services and is negotiating with carriers to encourage use of Laramie as an alternate. She also described a potential 2,500‑foot runway extension, which she estimated would be about a $41 million project and require external funding.

Terrell said the airport already has a $12 million apron project with matching funds set aside and staff plan to take core samples this summer to assess pavement rehabilitation needs. She described ongoing marketing efforts to attract hangar customers — nightly rentals, longer leases, and timeshare models such as those used by private charter services — and said a hotel, event center and restaurant at the airport business park would boost overnight stays and tourism.

Council members asked questions about schedule changes for a new 5:30 a.m. business departure; Terrell said the schedule is governed in part by the Essential Air Service (EAS) contract and operational routing, and that staff will monitor the new early flight closely.

Next steps described in the meeting included following up with potential investors, pursuing a SLIB loan application, conducting core samples this summer for pavement assessment and continuing negotiations with carriers about diversions and facilities. No formal council vote or budget appropriation on those projects occurred during the session.