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Passengers will again fly to Minneapolis from Marquette Sawyer Regional Airport in January

SAWYER, MI— Flights to and from Minneapolis are returning to Marquette Sawyer Regional Airport.

Officials made the announcement Monday morning. They said the new schedule begins January 3, 2025.

The new Delta Connection flights will be operated by SkyWest Airlines, a Utah-based regional carrier that currently operates flights to Detroit.

Lake Superior Community Partnership CEO Christopher Germain and Marquette Sawyer Airport Director Duane DuRay met with SkyWest earlier this month to make a business case for expanded service, including a route to Minneapolis and expanded/better-timed service to Detroit.

“Over the past nine months, the LSCP has been working with key partners, including the county, airport staff, economic development partners, private sector businesses, and others on a multifaceted strategy for enhancing the overall quality of service at Marquette Sawyer Regional Airport,” said Germain. “Expanding service as soon as possible was a key prong of that strategy. We know that convenience is a major factor in the decision on where to fly from. Adding direct access to another major Delta Hub and

improving the timing of flights to allow same-day travel will drastically improve the convenience of flying out west to meet clients, friends, and family. We’re appreciative that the airlines are supportive of our business case and are able to expand service.”

The MQT-MSP route will be supported by a Minimum Revenue Guarantee approved by the Marquette County Board of Commissioners on September 17th. An MRG allows an airport to limit the financial risk of establishing a new service by committing to filling a limited gap if revenues do not meet expectations. When a route is successful, funds remain in the MRG and are not transferred to the airline. The MRG is funded via a grant from the Michigan Department of Transportation.

The previous route to Minneapolis was discontinued in 2022 due to industry-wide challenges that reduced air service nationwide, especially in rural communities. In 2023, the LSCP reconvened its Transportation Taskforce to begin strategizing and collecting data to make a case for the route’s return. Later that year, the LSCP joined forces with another air service group hosted by InvestUP to coordinate short- and long-term efforts. Since then, two major studies, a survey and a strategic review of airport operations, have been completed. Information on these efforts can be found at www.marquette.org/airservice.

Nicole was born near Detroit but has lived in the U.P. most of her life. She graduated from Marquette Senior High School and attended Michigan State and Northern Michigan Universities, graduating from NMU in 1993 with a degree in English.