Aero, a semi-private airline, announced that flights to and from the Wasatch Back and Los Angeles will now operate out of the Heber Valley Airport. The move is designed to get guests closer to their final destination: Park City ski resorts.
The airline’s CEO and first officer, Ben Klein, stated that the decision was made following feedback from their first season on the new route. The route to Park City was launched in January, originally flying in and out of the Salt Lake City International Airport, with transit options available up to the Wasatch Back. Being based in Salt Lake City was intended to give Aero customers more flexibility, Klein said. This allowed clients to use the airline for business travel or ski trips to any of the other ski resorts accessible from the Salt Lake Valley.
“(But) it became pretty clear that the majority of folks that were flying Aero were headed up to that sort of Park City, Deer Valley area,” he said. “So, (we’re) making the pivot to Heber to just get them closer to their destination and really provide that unique Aero experience — which, we’re going to be the only one operating on a schedule into Heber.”
Aero’s winter schedule runs every Friday and Monday from Jan. 9 through April 6. Afternoon flights depart from California’s Van Nuys Airport hub at 1:40 p.m. and flights leave at 5:20 p.m. from Heber City.
Holiday flights are scheduled to depart Van Nuys at 8:30 a.m. and from Heber City at 12:20 p.m. on Dec. 18, 22 and 29. One-way tickets start at $1,400.
Aero’s 16-passenger jets operate from private terminals and offer per-seat bookings that are pet-friendly and include catered, complimentary food and beverages. Prices are set as a premium alternative to first class, with the added convenience of private terminal access and upscale in-flight amenities.
When the airline first launched in 2021, it ran scheduled flights to Aspen, Colorado, and Los Cabos, Mexico. It later added Sun Valley, Idaho, as another ski destination.
Klein said when it comes to weather concerns, the airline’s familiarity with other mountain towns should make the shift to the Heber Valley Airport extra smooth.
“We have a lot of experience operating in mountain airports — Aspen, Sun Valley — and Heber presents a lot of similar challenges, and they can easily be mitigated,” he said. “Aspen in the winter, 10% of the time you’re diverting because of weather, Sun Valley’s the same. Heber, my guess is it’ll be a similar percentage, and we’ll have a really robust plan in place when we do divert to make sure our guests are accommodated with transportation.”
He also said that compared to those other towns, Utah’s weather patterns aren’t as bad — there’s a reason the state is known for its bluebird days.
Liz Mazzei, Aero’s head of marketing, said another perk of the new Heber Valley base is the ease of transportation.
“Heber is so much closer, especially to the Deer Valley East community that’s building. When you’re going from Salt Lake to Park City, it’s a major highway; It’s four lanes of traffic, and the traffic can stack up, too,” she said. “That’s something you’re not going to have to experience when you’re traveling from the private airport in Heber.”
With Deer Valley Resort and Stein Eriksen Collection as the airline’s two primary partners, the proximity will further tie everything together. Mazzei said a few new partners will also be announced soon.
“We’re really looking forward to this ski season, especially with it (being) Sundance’s last year. I think it’s going to be a great ski season for us,” she said.