C/NCIA understands the opaque nature of air travel, especially when it comes to the difference between airports and airlines. Oftentimes, people see the airlines and the Airport as one entity, but each has unique functions.
Let’s break down the different roles C/NCIA and airlines play in the aviation industry.
Casper/Natrona County International Airport
- Purpose: To provide the facilities that support aviation activities.
- Infrastructure: We provide the infrastructure for aircraft to take off, land, and park. Our team maintains runways, the terminal, parking lots, and other facilities that support airlines, passengers, businesses, and recreational flying.
- Operations: C/NCIA management maintains the infrastructure, manages staff, and ensures a safe and efficient environment for passengers, airlines, and aircraft. While the Airport does not conduct passenger processing such as passenger check-in or TSA screening, we do provide the facilities and space for those services, including check-in and ticket counters, space in the gate holding area for passenger boarding, passenger loading bridges, the baggage claim area, and aircraft parking.
- Services: We focus on both customer and airline service. From hangars and aircraft fueling to parking and service before and after your flight, we work hard to ensure clean facilities, ample parking, easy access to information, and an overall comfortable environment. C/NCIA is unique in that we also provide services beyond air travel, such as an event venue, business rental space, advertising avenues, rental car facilities, and more.
- Goal: Our goal is to ensure your experience before and after your flight is efficient and safe. We work diligently to ensure that runways, taxiways, and all aviation infrastructure is easy to traverse, the facility is well organized, and you feel welcome when you step through our doors.
Airlines
- Purpose: To operate aircraft for flight, including takeoff, landing, and parking of both passenger and cargo flights.
- Infrastructure: Airlines rely on the infrastructure provided by an airport.
- Operations: The airlines operate the aircraft that transport passengers or cargo, operating flights efficiently and safely, scheduling flight times, maintaining aircraft, and providing in-flight customer service. The airlines hire their check-in staff, flight attendants, and pilots, and are ultimately responsible for getting passengers and freight to their destinations.
- Services: Airlines sell their tickets and provide all in-flight services. At C/NCIA, the airlines also check in and board passengers, process and load/unload luggage, park the aircraft, operate the passenger loading bridges, and get luggage to the baggage claim area. Airlines are directly involved in customer interactions through booking, check-in, and in-flight service, while C/NCIA provides the physical space and facilities for these services.
- Goal: Airlines operate to provide safe and efficient flight service, and as businesses, their goal is to do so at a profit.
Simply put, airports provide the physical infrastructure that supports airlines, while airlines offer the transportation service. In that regard, the Airport is the landlord, and the airlines are the tenants. We hope this clears up a few common misconceptions that make your journey through C/NCIA as smooth as possible.
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