As Great Lakes Aviation gets ready to add two more flights to its Monday thru Friday Scottsbluff schedule beginning December 1st, its on time performance is improving. The airline has experienced difficulties getting enough planes into Scottsbluff, causing delays and even canceled flights. But the Scotts Bluff County Airport Authority was told Wednesday the airline has been on time or even early for ten straight days and has had only two non weather related canceled flights in the last 84.

Airport Authority Chair Don Overman says the improvement is due to the closing of the airline's St. Louis hub, which is giving the airline two more airplanes and 12 more pilots. Overman says that gives Great Lakes more flexibility in servicing its schedule, including improving its Scottsbluff schedule.

The additional flights are tied to flights going to and from Alliance, including another departure from Scottsbluff to Denver scheduled at 8 a.m. and another arriving flight from Denver at 7 p.m.

Even though the airport will still board less than the 10,000 passengers required to guarantee a million dollars federal funding in two years from now, November has been encouraging with 464 already flying out of the airport. Overman says the FAA Authorization bill that would place a moratorium on the 10,000 passenger requirement for the enhanced federal funding will not be considered until December.