The Future of Flight in the Desert
New government plans for an air mail route between Pasco and Elko, Nevada, promise to put the region on the map for high-speed transit.
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According to the postoffice department, plans are moving forward for a new air mail route between Pasco and Elko, Nevada, with bids expected within three weeks. To ensure profitability, the department will encourage contractors to carry passengers and express cargo alongside the mail. The Pasco-Elko route is expected to become the premier contract service in the Northwest, connecting transcontinental mail lines for Spokane, Portland, and Seattle. Postmaster W. R. Cox of Pasco noted that the route is ideal because it allows for daylight flying and efficient connections, potentially shaving 24 hours off delivery times compared to traditional rail routing.
“The department calculates that any contractor, to make an attractive profit out of this air mail route, must equip his planes to handle passengers or express.”
The vision of turning the Tri-Cities area into a major air-transit hub was a central pillar of early 20th-century boosterism. While the route was designed for mail, it seeded the infrastructure that would eventually transform Eastern Washington into an aviation and logistical center.
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