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STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) -- Delta Air Lines' decision to start flights to the Yampa Valley Regional Airport will help the Steamboat resort compete with Utah ski areas, the resort's marketing director said.
Andy Wirth, vice president of marketing for the Steamboat Ski and Resort Corp., said Tuesday that Delta will launch a daily flight from Salt Lake City and a flight every Saturday from Atlanta this ski season.
The resort has been trying to get Delta to provide service to the Steamboat Springs area since 1986, Wirth said.
"We're taking on Utah directly with the flight," he said.
The resort is banking on Californians who fly to Utah to ski to instead head to Steamboat Springs.
A 128-seat Delta 737 will start flying to the area Dec. 18. Delta will also fly a 183-seat Boeing 757 from Atlanta to Steamboat during the ski season.
Wirth didn't specify the minimum revenue the resort will guarantee Delta to make the flights. But he said he believes when the contracts are settled in the spring, the resort might end up paying less than $250,000.
The cost likely would be comparable to the guarantees the resort has paid United Airlines for daily flights from Denver, he said.
(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
