STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

Claire Bowman normally spends more than 24 hours flying across the country to Sun Valley from Philadelphia where she works for a management risk firm.

On Saturday it took just eight hours to join her family for Christmas, as Bowman was able to connect to the inaugural Chicago-Sun Valley flight.

“It’s so great to be able to pick someone up at the airport at noon instead of 11 at night,” said Claire’s mother Patti Lousen, who was on hand with her husband Tom Bowman and daughter Julia Bowman to greet Claire.

There was a little fretting earlier in the day that the four-hour flight from O’Hare might be diverted due to a snowstorm. But the flight touched down right on time at 11:50 a.m., enabling its 76 passengers to disembark before the airport was shrouded in a sun struck snow flurry.

“It’s very exciting. Exciting for the community. Exciting for the airport,” said Airport Manager Chris Pomeroy. “And, luckily, we had a window of weather.”

McKayla Lein was enthusiastic as she greeted Michael and Barbara Wilkinson.

“It’s the first time I’ve flown directly to Sun Valley from Chicago! It was so easy,” she said as she stepped into the waiting area, holding a big giant cookie from Bigwood Bread and other goodies provided by valley merchants.

“It’s the first flight ever to Sun Valley from Chicago,” they told her.

DeAnn Rosenberg’s guest Andrew of New York had flown in for Christmas after visiting family in Boston first.

“This is my fifth or sixth year coming to Sun Valley for Christmas,” he said. “I can’t give up Christmas in Sun Valley. Usually, snow is a big part of it. And movies--I can’t wait to see ‘Star Wars.’ And eating-- The Pioneer Saloon, Knob Hill Inn, Roundhouse…definitely the Roundhouse, with a big fire going in the fireplace, perhaps an accordion player….”