Duluth International Airport Awarded Grant for Direct Service to Denver, CO

We’re thrilled to announce that the Duluth International Airport will receive funding to fulfill a long-term strategic goal – direct service to Denver, Colorado — thanks in part to a $750 thousand Small Community Air Service Development (SCASD) grant from the Federal Department of Transportation. 

As​​ a major travel hub and a gateway to more U.S. and International destinations, direct flights to Denver will benefit both our leisure and business travelers, as well as help satisfy the growing demand in our region for more flights and access to more destinations.

Next Steps 

Over the next few months, Duluth Airport Authority staff will be working to secure air service with prospective airlines with the hope of launching the new route in 2022. 

Thank You

DLH would like to thank our:

  • Congressional delegation for their support and advocacy 
  • Our elected officials, and community and business leaders for their letters of support
  • Our business community for pledging matching funds of just over $250 thousand, which was crucial to the success of our grant application

Stay Tuned

More details about the service will be announced as soon as possible, so check back often!



Duluth International Airport – Aviation Activity Forecast

The aviation activity forecast in a Master Plan documents existing activity levels and projects future activity levels. This includes the change in annual aircraft operations (a takeoff or a landing at an airport), expected passenger enplanements (how many passengers get on a plane at an airport) and the number of based aircraft. The forecasts prepared for this master plan document baseline and forecasted activity levels for the 20-year planning period, through 2040. Forecasts developed for airport master plans and/or federal grants must be approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The forecast developed for the Vision 2040 Master Plan was approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in June of 2021.

Developing a forecast of aviation activity helps plan for existing and future needs. The forecasting efforts for the Master Plan began in late 2019. The most recent full year of data (2018) was used as the base year.

The Master Plan forecast development was nearing completion right before the Coronavirus pandemic nearly halted air traffic globally. The forecast for the Duluth International Airport (DLH) we re-evaluated in winter 2020/2021 as the ongoing pandemic continued to impact air travel. It was determined that the forecasted five- and ten-year projected activity levels remained realistic projections of likely future activity levels. The forecasts also identify potential scenarios that may occur, such as the addition of air service to a new destination.

For some airports in the US, particularly those with heavy leisure travel, passenger levels are returning to normal levels. The long-term impacts of the pandemic on air travel remain unknown.  With the introduction of several effective vaccines in 2020, travel is expected to rebound in the coming years. Air service is forecasted to return to pre-pandemic levels in some markets by 2023. Additionally, Domestic air travel will likely reach pre-pandemic levels before international travel.

Forecast Data Sources

Various data sources are used to develop the aviation activity forecasts. Air travel demand is typically correlated with a region’s demographic and economic characteristics. The economic strength of a region can have a major impact on the aviation activity at an airport. Data used to develop the forecast include local and regional economic and population data, airline ticket data and historical passenger and aircraft operations provided by the FAA. Since DLH has a 24-hour air traffic control tower (ATCT), a count of aircraft operations is available from the FAA. The FAA also publishes annual passenger enplanements (the number of revenue passengers boarding an aircraft); this data helps identify trends.

Chart 1 shows annual passenger enplanements since 1991. Passenger enplanement numbers are important when developing facility recommendations for the terminal building and the landside facilities (parking, vehicle access and transportation).

When developing airside recommendations related to the runways, taxiways and aircraft parking aprons, the number of aircraft operations (a takeoff or a landing) by each size of aircraft is important. Chart 2 shows the historical number of operations of general aviation aircraft at DLH. General aviation operations account for roughly 77% of all operations at DLH! The remaining operations consist of commercial operations (15%) and military operations (9%).

Aviation Activity Forecasts

To develop the aviation activity forecasts, historical data, forecasted socioeconomic data, aviation trends and other aviation activity forecasts published by the FAA and the Minnesota DOT Office of Aeronautics were analyzed. Considerations for COVID-19 were incorporated into the forecasts as was the departure of American Airlines from the Duluth market in early 2020. Because the base year was 2018 (2019 was still an estimate when the forecasted effort began), the base year forecast is more conservative than the record year seen in 2019 when American Airlines was flying into DLH.

The aviation activity forecasts included in the Master Plan project passenger enplanements, aircraft operations and based aircraft. Table 1 below shows the activity forecasts through the 20-year planning period.

Table 1 – Approved Aviation Activity Forecasts
Year Airport Forecast
Passenger Enplanements
Base Yr. 2018 140,485
Base Yr. + 5 Years 2023 145,000
Base Yr. + 10 Years 2028 152,710
Base Yr. + 20 Years 2038 177,720
Total Operations
Base Yr. 2018 62,600
Base Yr. + 5 Years 2023 67,046
Base Yr. + 10 Years 2028 71,026
Base Yr. + 20 Years 2038 78,739
Base Aircraft
Base Yr. 2018 68
Base Yr. + 5 Years 2023 72
Base Yr. + 10 Years 2028 76
Base Yr. + 20 Years 2038 85

Airport Design and the Critical Aircraft

Why do these forecast numbers matter? They help identify the critical aircraft. The critical aircraft is a representation of a grouping of the most demanding similar sized aircraft that has over 500 operations in a calendar year. The critical aircraft, along with stakeholder input, is a key element to informing the master plan process. It guides how airport facilities should be designed to ensure safety requirements are met. It justifies project funding to funding partners.

The forecast numbers were analyzed to identify the largest, most demanding, aircraft with more than 500 annual operations. The Airbus A319 was identified as the existing and future critical aircraft. This aircraft is representative of a family of aircraft of similar size and performance.

This information will continue to guide the recommendations of the taxiway network, runways, aircraft parking areas, terminal and landside facilities as the Master Plan is completed.


Sun Country Expands Service at Duluth International Airport

The Duluth International Airport today announced that Sun Country Airlines, the airport’s newest carrier, will expand their seasonal air service to Phoenix, Arizona and Fort Myers, Florida by one additional week through April 25th, 2022.

Sun Country recently announced the addition of the new nonstop service from Duluth International Airport (DLH) with service beginning on December 17, 2021. This expanded service will give more sun-seeking travelers the chance to fly south this winter and next spring.

“The additional one-week expansion shows how committed Sun Country is to their partnership with us and our local travelers,” said Natalie Peterson. “They listened to the community’s request to extend flights to cover these schedules, and they responded with service that continues through area spring breaks, which is a real bonus for those who choose to fly local.”

The new Sun Country service will operate twice weekly on Mondays and Fridays and tickets are on sale now at SunCountry.com.


Sun Country Announces New Nonstop Service from Duluth

Sun Country to begin new service just in time for sun-filled winter getaways

Sun Country Airlines today announced the addition of a new nonstop service from Duluth International Airport (DLH) to Fort Myers, Florida and Phoenix, with service beginning on December 17, 2021. Introductory fares are as low as $79* one-way and Sun Country Rewards Members can earn 2x points when booking the new flights.**

Today’s announcement is part of a larger expansion by the airline, as it announced 18 new nonstop routes and welcomed nine new airports to its growing network.

“Every day we are seeing increased excitement from folks who are eager to resume traveling, and we’re excited to be able to offer them two great destinations to enjoy a warm, sunny getaway just in time for winter travel,” said Sun Country Airlines Chief Revenue Officer Grant Whitney. “We know there is pent-up demand for convenient, affordable travel, and we’re here to help folks enjoy the vacations they’ve been dreaming about.”

From Duluth International Airport (DLH), Sun Country will offer the only nonstop flights to both Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX).

With today’s expansion, Sun Country Airlines will operate a total of 93 routes across 69 airports in the United States, Mexico, Central America and Caribbean.

“We’re excited to welcome Sun Country Airlines to our airport community,” said DLH Executive Director, Tom Werner. “Sun Country is well known throughout Minnesota and we’re grateful that they’ll be offering our region direct flights to Fort Meyers, Florida and Phoenix, Arizona from Duluth International Airport.”

Sun Country’s customer experience includes free in-flight entertainment, a new mobile-friendly website with more self-service tools, and new interiors on each aircraft. Sun Country provides safe, reliable, hassle-free flights at affordable prices with warm and friendly service. The airline’s mission is to connect guests to their favorite people and places, to create lifelong memories and transformative experiences.

Additionally, Sun Country and its partner Landline currently offer daily motorcoach service between DLH and MSP as well as Landline Select, a private door-to-door vehicle service connecting travelers in Duluth from their doorstep directly to MSP. Customers can book these services now on suncountry.com. Beginning May 15, 2021, Sun Country and Landline will increase the frequency of the DLH-MSP motorcoach service from twice daily to five times daily, seamlessly connecting greater Minnesota to even more vacation destinations.

Sun Country Rewards members who book one of the new routes before 11:59 p.m. CT on Monday, May 3, 2021 will earn two points per dollar on their bookings. These routes are on sale now at suncountry.com.

The new seasonal routes:

From Duluth International Airport (DLH)

  • Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW)
    • Service begins December 17, 2021
    • Operates twice weekly on Mondays and Fridays
    • One-way fares as low as $79*
  • Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)
    • Service begins December 17, 2021
    • Operates twice weekly on Mondays and Fridays
    • One-way fares as low as $79*
  • Fares are valid for one-way travel and are inclusive of all government taxes and fees.
  • Must be purchased by 11:59 pm CT (Central Time) on May 4, 2021.
  • Additional baggage and other service fees may apply.
  • Seats are limited and fare may not be available on all flights or dates within the travel range.
  • Valid for new bookings only.
  • Fares, routes and schedules are subject to change without notice.
  • Restrictions apply.
2x point multiplier only valid on itineraries booked to/from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP), Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (AZA), Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN), St. Pete-Clearwater (PIE), Punta Gorda Airport (PGD), Owen Roberts International Airport (GCM), Providenciales International Airport (PLS), Duluth International Airport (DLH), Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW), Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), General Mitchell International Airport (MKE), Cancun International Airport (CUN), McCarran International Airport (LAS), Rochester International Airport (RST), Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport (GRB), and Dane County Regional Airport (MSN). Multiplier promotion valid through 11:59 pm CT (Central Time) on May 3, 2021. Sun Country Rewards number must be added to the Sun Country reservation to receive extra bonus points. Bonus points will be posted to members’ accounts within 14 days of completing qualifying travel. Points are only reflected in total balance. 2x point multiplier only applies to the Sun Country Rewards base earn rate of 2pts per $1. When providing a Sun Country Rewards number, bonus points will be awarded for flights qualifying during the booking period and booked directly on suncountry.com. All reservations must be issued by Sun Country Airlines. All bonuses must be earned and used according to the terms and conditions of the Sun Country Rewards program. Additional rules and restrictions may apply. Sun Country Airlines is the final authority on interpretation of these rules.



New Year, New Reasons to #FlyLocal

Thanks to you, there are blue skies ahead.

A total of 130,994 passengers flew through the Duluth International Airport in 2020. While that’s a 59% decrease compared to 2019, we actually retained 20% more passengers than the national average in 2020. The thanks goes to our hardworking team, and to you, our passionate passengers who, time and again, make the choice to #FlyLocal.

Both United and Delta — our two major carriers — have responded to this good news by offering our passengers dual-class service as well as additional flights and larger planes. (Note: These changes vary month-by-month with the airlines responding to the airport’s demand and pre-bookings.)

“Our incredible team worked hard all year to ensure that, when our passengers were ready to fly, we were ready to help them have safe travels,” said Tom Werner, Executive Director of the Duluth International Airport. “We’re very pleased to see that our mitigation policies and procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic have meant that our passengers felt safe flying local.”


The DLH mitigation plan

  • Paper or cloth masks are required for all airport employees and airport tenant employees when interacting with the public.
  • Plexiglass barriers have been installed at all person-to-person contact areas, including transportation desks, ticket counters, TSA and passenger boarding gate counters.
  • Thorough disinfecting all seating areas, wheelchairs and touchpoints in the public areas of the terminal multiple times a day.
  • Custom signage and floor spacing decals have been installed to remind passengers to keep socially distant, as well as to take additional precautions such as wearing face coverings and washing hands.

The plan also includes a reminder of DLH’s Above and Beyond Service Pledge, which states: “No matter where you are going or coming from, we believe it’s our job to welcome you or send you off with a great experience. Every team member. Every flight. Every guest. Every time.”

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