NORTON SHORES, Mich. — Last month the Department of Transportation selected Denver Air Connection as Muskegon County Airport’s essential air service provider. Airport officials hope the new carrier will take off in more ways than one.
Denver Air Connection arrived in Muskegon on Tuesday with a fire truck water salute.
“We celebrate the beginning of a new chapter in the storied 97-year history of our airport,” said Muskegon County Airport Director Ken Efting.
Denver Air Connection will replace Southern Airways Express as the airport's primary airline.
“The return to a reliable jet service in Muskegon has been the number one demand of the public here,” said Efting.
He says the airport needed to replace Southern Airways Express because of reliability problems, saying, “A change had to be made. It wasn't a good fit for Muskegon. So, for the last 12 months, we've worked with many stakeholders on this to get this done.”
One person who helped make the switch was Congresswoman Hillary Scholten.
“The first step was canceling the contract with the former air service provider, and then the logistically bureaucratic challenge of getting a new air service provider selected; I was relentless,” said Rep. Hillary Scholten.
Denver Air Connection says travelers will now experience fewer cancellations and delays. Senior Vice President Jon Coleman said, “The partnership with the community comes from the fact that we recognize how important reliable air service is for a community. Whether it's business or leisure, they have to trust that the airplane is going to be there when we say it's going to be there.”
Most days the airline will have two flights to Chicago O’Hare and passenger Joanie Oegema couldn’t wait to book a flight, saying, “I'm looking forward to flying locally. I'm looking forward to not having to drive to Grand Rapids to sit for two hours to wait.”
Airport officials say it will be a good time to fly out of Muskegon with the soon-to-be-finished inside renovations and having a reliable airline.
“Making it meet the needs of our community, it's all about the air service. So, getting this solid foundation built allows us to really expand in so many other ways in the future,” said Efting.
Denver Air Connection will start their daily flights from Muskegon to Chicago O’Hare on Nov. 1.
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