Airport officials say the new carrier has flexible times and competitive prices
IRONWOOD -- Frontier Airlines’ first jet landed at the Gogebic-Iron County Airport in Ironwood Monday afternoon.
The flight touched down just after 4:15 central time and made its way to the terminal as an excited crowd watched.
Business owners, community leaders and many local passengers witnessed the new carrier's landing--the beginning of what many say is a welcome change.
"To have a 35 passenger jet coming into our airport is exciting,” says Donna Scorse, Executive Director of the Ironwood Chamber of Commerce. “We hope to fill the jets in the first few months, and there’s a lot of community interest in flying on Frontier."
Frontier has a six million dollar, two-year contract through Essential Air Service--a government program that subsidizes small airports that wouldn't make a profit on their own.
Frontier's bid includes service to both Ironwood and Manistee with 12 flights each week.
"They’re bringing a new schedule from the schedule we had previously,” says Joseph Bonovetz, chairman of the airport board. “We'll have an early 5:30 a.m. flight, an afternoon flight and then a return flight at 11 p.m. These are times that, in the past, have proven very successful, so it's very exciting."
In addition to flexible times, airport officials say Frontier offers competitive prices and reliability; the airline reportedly runs on schedule 98 percent of the time.
"We want to reach a long ways away front here," Bonovetz says. “We have free parking, and with the price of gas, it really does pay to look for good rates."
The Ironwood flights go to Frontier's Milwaukee hub, where passengers have 70 connection options.
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