RAPID CITY - The first Frontier Airlines flight to Rapid City will touch down Friday morning, and airport officials are planning lots of fanfare.

The celebration will include a water-cannon salute, an open house and a news conference with airline officials and community leaders.

But in some ways, Frontier's arrival has already been heralded by area air travelers.

Friday's first departing flight, at 10:30 a.m., is completely full. Saturday's morning flight is, too.

Renovations have been under way for weeks at the new Frontier ticket counter, which is next to the escalators on the first floor of the terminal.

Earlier this week, the ticket counter was completely empty except for the big stainless steel Frontier Airlines sign on the back wall. But the back room was full of computer equipment, furniture and other gear, and crews have been busy this week setting up the new station for Friday's launch.

"We're going to be ready, one way or another," said Scotty Stephens, Frontier's Rapid City station manager. He and his newly hired staff of seven have been working out computer glitches and other last-minute items this week.

Frontier Airlines, the Denver-based low-fare carrier, announced in July that it was adding a Denver-Rapid City route. The effect on local airfares was immediate. The other carriers serving the Rapid City market immediately matched Frontier's prices to a number of destinations, and local fares for travel after Oct. 5 fell by as much as 50 percent.

Frontier will offer two flights a day from Rapid City to Denver. In all, the airline serves 60 destinations throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and Central America.

Stephens is a familiar face at Rapid City Regional Airport. He has previously worked for Air Wisconsin when it was the United Express carrier here. He ran the Great Lakes Aviation station during the year it operated a Rapid City-Denver route. More recently, he worked for the Allegiant Air station in Rapid City.

He first came to Rapid City in 1959 with the U.S. Air Force. He retired from the Air Force at Ellsworth Air Force Base in 1979, and began a 24-year airline career. He spent 13 years with United Airlines in Denver, took early retirement and returned to Rapid City.

"I was tired of the rat race (in Denver) and wanted to get back to wide-open spaces," he said.

Friday's open house begins at 8:30 a.m. The first Frontier flight from Denver arrives at 9:30 a.m., and the first departure is at 10:30 a.m. On both arrival and departure, airport fire trucks will aim their water cannons skyward as a salute to the new Frontier aircraft, Mason Short, executive director of the airport, said.

The public is invited to the open house. During the event, airport parking will be free, Short said. Visitors must get their tickets validated at the Frontier desk.

Contact Dan Daly at 394-8421 or dan.daly@rapidcityjournal.com