BY DAN NIELSEN dnielsen@record-eagle.com
TRAVERSE CITY — Commercial passenger traffic at Cherry Capital Airport nearly triples in summer compared to winter.
The seasonal difference will get even larger this year. A new daily direct flight between Traverse City and Dallas/Fort Worth will begin June 2 and run through Aug. 21. It is just the latest several direct flights Cherry Capital has added in recent years.
"It’s been, really, like one new flight a year," said airport director Kevin Klein. "It's just a little at a time."
What had been a weekend-only jaunt between Traverse City and Newark, New Jersey, last year became a daily trip last summer. All three major airlines that serve Traverse City will add extra non-stop flights to faraway destinations this summer. The extra connections peak during July and August.
Cherry Capital handles about 24,000 passengers in January, Klein said. About 72,000 either boarded or disembarked on a commercial flight there in July 2016.
American Airlines offers daily flights from Cherry Capital to and from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. American this year will add seasonal daily flights to and from Dallas/Fort Worth between June 2 and Aug. 21.
Delta Air Lines offers daily connections to Detroit Metro Airport. Delta's service to Minneapolis St. Paul will be daily between May 1 and Sept. 3 in 2017. Delta will offer weekend-only service, on Saturday and Sunday, to Atlanta between June 17 and Aug. 20. And it will offer weekend-only service, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, to La Guardia Airport in New York City between June 16 and Sept. 3.
United Airlines offers daily flights to Chicago. It will offer seasonal daily flights to Newark Liberty International Airport between July 1 and Sept. 5. United also will offer seasonal Saturday-only flights to Denver between July 1 and Aug. 12.
"The biggest growth has been Newark and Atlanta," Klein said. "Now that we add Dallas, the opportunity to go south, to South America, is just great."
He believes the future holds potential for more passenger growth at the airport.
"The word is just really getting out," he said, about Traverse City's breweries, wineries, festivals and recreational opportunities.
"People vacation with us, then they start thinking second home ownership," Klein said.
