Community welcomes Denver Air

By TOM LAVENTURE

tlaventure@yourdailyglobe.com

Ironwood — The lobby of the Gogebic-Iron County Airport terminal was more full than most people could remember on Monday.

There were several passengers arriving from Chicago, along with 22 passengers ready for  the return flight. There were just as many people present for the grand opening celebration for Denver Air Connection taking over the Essential Air Service and bringing jet service to Ironwood. 

Passenger numbers for the first few days equaled nearly a month of flights with the previous EAS airlines that operated smaller planes with fewer than 12 seats. It is a little soon to make projections, but passenger numbers in the 20s and 30s is a good sign that 50 passenger jets are attracting more flyers to and from Ironwood.

“I’m impressed,” said airport board chair Patrick Hanson. “Their count has gone up all weekend, so that’s a big improvement already.”

Jon Coleman, director of business development for Denver Air Connection, told the crowd present that he was overwhelmed by the support and confidence in the company to serve. 

“We’re honored to serve the community. We really are,” he said.

The sales are currently very good, particularly for Chicago, Johnson said. The Minneapolis passenger numbers are just breaking into double digits and they expect those numbers to grow. 

“I know that our loads right now are really good,” Coleman said. 

Starting operations in Ironwood was about as easy as it gets, he said. There are experienced staff in place who understand the airline business.

“Those people are sharp,” he said. “I just can’t say enough about that. They’re on the ground telling us things that we need to look at and be aware of, and so that that helps us an awful lot.”

The EAS contract effort started with early conversations with airport board member Brandon Snyder and airport manager Mike Harma, he said. It was clear the airport had done a lot of work to establish capacity for jet service, he said.

The work started in 2013 with building a parallel taxiway that would be a requirement for regional jet service down the road, said airport manager Michael Harma. The next steps were to upgrade the fueling progra, and purchase a broom truck and de-icing spray rig and the airport rescue and firefighting vehicle.

“That was all part of getting ready to make the surface better for jet service,” Harma said. 

To keep up with anticipated growth in passenger numbers the airport is currently expanding the parking lot for long-term parking. The airport terminal remodeling will follow later this year. 

“The flights are so close together that you get an overlap and we just don’t have enough seating at this point,” Harma said. 

The ultimate goal for a terminal expansion will have to wait for a year or longer, he said. Additional baggage agreements that Denver Air may add with major airlines may speed that effort if it will require more room than the current check-in area in Ironwood provides.

“It’s a little soon for that, because we can still grow inside this building before we add on,” Harma said. “I would like to see it go for a year and see what the numbers do and see how the airport is getting used.”

Snyder said the jet service is a step forward but that the airport improvements are just as important for general aviation. He said it was unfortunate that the new EAS agreement had to follow the cancellation of the agreement with Boutique Airlines Inc, he said.

“I think this is a huge step forward for our community and for bringing people here, and for bringing businesses here,” Snyder said. “We’ve had some missteps along the way, and I’ve been the first to admit those, but I think this is a good move forward.”

Airport board member James Lorenson said that just a few months ago the board was very concerned about the status of passenger traffic. When Denver Air indicated an interest and presented the successful bid for the EAS contract there was hope for passenger service but it wasn’t until this first weekend that some reassurance was delivered.

“We’re very pleased with the ridership,” Lorenson said. “This is a good day for Gogebic County and for Iron County.”

Airport board member Dan Siirila said that when Denver Air experienced a mechanical issue with a plane in Chicago, it was Coleman, who is also a pilot, who got the replacement plane in time to avoid the cancellation. That is an indication that Denver Air was a good choice, he said.

“That just shows what kind of company we are working with,” Siirila said. “I really believe these guys are the real ticket. I really do.”

Michael Meyer, director of the Ironwood Area Chamber of Commerce, said jet service will have an enormous impact. For the first time in a while, there are jets large enough to hold groups of people and their skis, so that entire clubs, school teams and families can come together for a weekend trip. 

“They can come up here during the wintertime or during the summer to stay at a resort or campground up here for a week or something,” Meyer said. “You can get a whole group to come up and now you can fly together.”

Jean Rogers, a Wakefield resident, said she used to fly up with the other airlines but likes the idea of jet service to visit family at her former home of McHenry, Illinois. She prefers a fast, cheap flight to driving whenever possible.

“It beats being on the road for five and a half hours,” Rogers said. “So it’s an awesome flight.”

Teresa Cox, a Bessemer resident who is also from Illinois originally, said the new service is convenient and will allow her to catch a bus from O’Hare International Airport to Rockford, where family can pick her up at the station.

“It’s gonna be a real convenience on a bigger plane that is so much faster to get there,” Cox said. “So, I am looking forward to it.”

Rod and Brenda Hannu, who live near the airport, said they will appreciate the quick flight to Chicago for a connection to visit their children out east. More importantly, they said it will save them time on the road when the family flies in through airports in Duluth or the Twin Cities. 

“It’s four car trips,” Brenda Hannu said, adding that the jets are large enough for the family to fly together from Chicago to Ironwood.