World Photo by Lou Sennick State Rep. Arnie Roblan, far left, and state Sen. Joanne Verger talk about the new airline providing flights to Portland at the Southwest Oregon Regional Airport on Wednesday. They were attending a ceremony celebrating the new carrier service.

Talk about red carpet treatment.

Passengers who stepped off the SkyWest’s United Express plane Wednesday afternoon from Portland were treated to personal greeting and a walk down a red carpet to the terminal at the Southwest Oregon Regional Airport in North Bend.

Area residents, airport officials and politicians attended a gathering at the airport to celebrate SkyWest’s new commercial air service north.

Partnership was the key to acquiring the flights between the North Bend and Portland airports. Speakers, including Coos County Airport District Chairman Mike Lehman, Sen. Joanne Verger, D-Coos Bay; Rep. Arnie Roblan, D-Coos Bay; and Daniel Clem, director of the Oregon Department of Aviation, thanked the city of Portland for pledging $213,000 to help guarantee revenue for the first year of the flights and the Port of Portland for its donation of $100,000 for marketing the flights.

“Today is a time we are so appreciated,” Verger said. “At a time we needed help, we got that help.”