Resumption of air service to the Gogebic-Iron County Airport  on Sunday will give area residents reason to celebrate.

Daily air service is a convenience to individual travelers and vitally important to businesses. Businesses wanting to expand or locate here often will take into account reliable air service.

Great Lakes Airlines, under a contract with the U.S. Department of Transportation, will be the new carrier for our area.

We have been without service since early April when Skyway Airlines, also known as Midwest Connect, pulled the plug on passenger service.

Now Great Lakes has pledged to provide the service here. Great Lakes representatives, in meetings with airport and area officials last week, expressed enthusiasm and a willingness to work with the local airport to make the venture a success.

Under the federal government's Essential Air Service program, flights here will be heavily subsidized with federal tax dollars. (The annual subsidy in 2007 for Skyway was $710,000). At the same time, there needs to be sufficient traffic and patronage to justify the service.

Gogebic-Iron County Airport is conducting an aggressive marketing program to encourage local individuals and businesses to use the Great Lakes service. Now that gas prices have made car and truck travel so expensive, air service pricing might look more attractive.

We welcome the Great Lakes operation and wish the company a long and successful stay. Reliable air service will help support efforts to bring in more people and attract companies offering good-paying jobs.