Airport Board Tables Vote on Denver Air Connection Flight Time Changes

The Gogebic-Iron County Airport Board pumped the brakes Monday on a Denver Air Connection proposal that would reshape departure and arrival times for both Minneapolis and Chicago routes beginning May 1, choosing instead to request passenger data and flight numbers from the airline before casting any formal vote.

The proposed changes would move the Minneapolis arrival significantly earlier, shifting what is currently a noon departure to 10:45 a.m., with a corresponding arrival in Ironwood at 11:45 a.m. Chicago service would move in the opposite direction: an inbound arrival would land around 2:10 p.m., and the outbound departure to Chicago would push from 1:30 p.m. to 2:40 p.m.

That later Chicago departure drew pointed concern from board member Jim Lorenson. "It strikes me that the later we go, the less options you have if you miss a flight," Lorenson said, highlighting how an afternoon departure compresses travelers' ability to recover from delays and still reach connecting hubs. Lorenson also noted that flight schedules have changed "three or four times" in the past year, a pace of revision that creates real planning headaches for business travelers, medical patients, and tourists relying on the western Upper Peninsula's only commercial air link.

The board's core question was whether the adjustments would serve outbound passengers as effectively as inbound ones. Members asked Denver Air Connection to supply data on ridership patterns and flight loads before the board takes a position, a standard of evidence the proposal did not yet meet.

Airport Manager Jeremy Busch used the meeting to raise a longer-term infrastructure question tied directly to the schedule discussion: the possibility of constructing a hangar large enough to house commercial aircraft overnight, which could eventually enable an earlier morning departure. Busch estimated such a structure would measure approximately 150 feet by 100 feet and carry a price tag exceeding $1 million, underscoring that improving Ironwood's air service is not simply a scheduling matter but a capital investment question with significant implications for county planning.

The board approved routine items including financial reports, aviation reports, and meeting minutes before adjourning. With the vote tabled, the region's commercial flight schedule remains unsettled pending Denver Air Connection's response to the board's data request.