Rent for Horizon Air at Pangborn Airport Will Likely Rise to Cover Airport’s Big Losses

The lone airline serving North Central Washington will likely see a big increase in its rent at Pangborn Airport.

The Chelan Douglas Regional Port Authority is currently paying $70,000 a year just to keep the airport from falling into debt.

Port Authority CEO Jim Kuntz says a recent survey shows Pangborn is charging far less in rent than any other airport in eastern Washington.

"Our major service tenant is commercial air service, Horizon Air," said Kuntz. "And so, they're likely to have a significant increase in their rent starting in January simply because we have failed in the past to do rental increases that probably should have happened."

The survey conducted for the Port Board Commissioners looked at four other eastern Washington airports that offer commercial airline service - Yakima, Pulman, Walla Walla and the Tri-Cities.

Kuntz says the survey found that both the rent airlines pay and the ticket they charge are far higher at those airports than at Pangborn.

The increase in rent will no doubt lead to a spike in airfare from Wenatchee, but Kuntz says it would simply bring Pangborn in line with what passengers already pay at other airports in the region.

He also believes higher ticket prices could actually attract more airlines to the airport.

"They pause about, what are average ticket prices in Wenatchee," Kuntz said. "They say it's a bargain which is good, that's great. But if a second airline comes in and they have to price it a little bit differently to break even, that's what they're concerned about."

Kuntz says the Port Authority is constantly trying to attract new airlines to Pangborn, which currently only one airline - Horizon - with one destination - Seattle.