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United Express Airlines is coming to Abilene Regional Airport this fall, giving customers a second carrier — this one offering service to Houston, city officials announced Tuesday.

"This gives us lots of opportunities," said Mayor Pro Tem Weldon Hurt, who represented city in place of Mayor Anthony Williams, who is in COVID-19 isolation.

The service begins Oct. 21, with two round-trip flights daily between Abilene and George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Hurt said.  

A check of the United website shows prices start at $179. 

American Eagle, with flights to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, has been Abilene's sole carrier since Continental discontinued service in October 2008.

More:Abilene City Council to vote on grant that could help bring Houston, Denver air service

Revenue guarantee grant

At a time when the coronavirus pandemic has reduced airline travels and flight services nationwide, the Abilene airport gate addition was made possible by a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of

Transportation's Small Community Air Development Program, Hurt said.

The city and Develop Abilene added a combined $200,000 to the cash reserve and will launch a marketing campaign to support the expanded service, said Don Green, Abilene's director of aviation. 

The $1.2 million will be used to guarantee revenue for the airline, based in part on quarterly passenger numbers, Green said.

"This revenue grant gives us a strong start, but ... it's up to us as the community and this entire region to support this endeavor to keep it going," Hurt said. 

Under the revenue guarantee agreement between the city and United, if the airline does not meet specified revenue expectations, the "city is going to be able to plug some cash in to make that quarter

profitable, where they break even," Green said.

Community support is the next vital component to the deal's viability, he said. 

"This community has to support the service, or it will go away when that $1.2 million runs out," Green said. 

In the best-case scenario, the flights are populated enough to not need the revenue grant. 

"That's not far fetched. That does happen in other communities. Columbia, Missouri is one of those. They did not use all their revenue guarantee funds, so I'm really hopeful that's where we will be this time

next year or so," Green said. 

If the agreement is successful, other destinations can be added, he added.

United Express regional jets that can seat about 50 passengers will serve Abilene, and the operation will be managed by SkyWest Airlines.

"Abilene has been – and will continue to be – well served by American Eagle," but this new carrier opens Abilene to a second major hub, said Larry Gill, chairman of the Airport Development Board. 

Brighter economic outlook

The SkyWest representative who visited the Abilene airport was impressed with the facility, Gill said. 

"We think we should use this opportunity to look beyond the virus and all the chaos in the world today and begin to think of a strong recovery," Gill said. 

City officials have been working to add a second airline since Continental's departure. Three years ago, an airline industry consultant was hired to help with the process, Green said. 

The airport's grant application was supported directly by Sen. John Cornyn, U.S. Rep. Jodey Arrington and State Rep. Stan Lambert, Hurt said. 

Lambert, dressed in a vibrant Houston Astros Hawaiian shirt accented with pink flamingos and orange hues, was among the 35 or so Abilene dignitaries at the news conference.

"This just builds on itself as the economy starts to return," Green said. "... We need to think recovery. We need to think pulling the economy out." 

Expanded flights to Houston and additional connector cities enhances efforts by the Development Corporation of Abilene to recruit businesses to the city, said President/Chief Executive Officer Misty Mayo.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for us to send a message to companies that Abilene is open for business, and it also helps support existing companies as well as our ability to attract new companies," Mayo said. 

She already has a target list of health care, manufacturing and logistics companies to promote the expanded flights as one more reason for them to begin operations in the city.

"Companies that maybe haven't imagined Abilene before now can envision that," Mayo said. 

Laura Gutschke is a general assignment reporter and food columnist and manages online content for the Reporter-News.  If you appreciate locally driven news, you can support local journalists with a digital subscription to ReporterNews.com.