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Consultants report airline meetings, headquarter visits planned in bid to add Denver service and restore fourth Delta flight
Summary
Meehan Aviation Group briefed council on airline outreach that yielded planned site visits and headquarters meetings with United and SkyWest and continued talks with Delta and Allegiant; staff urged continuity in implementation and business development to maintain momentum.
City consultants from Meehan Aviation Group and airport staff briefed the Grand Forks City Council on June 16 about recent airline outreach and next steps to expand commercial air service.
Sonia Murray of Meehan Aviation Group told council members the consultants attended the recent Jumpstart industry conference and met airline representatives from Delta, Allegiant, United, SkyWest and Frontier. Murray said the meetings led to planned headquarters visits with United and SkyWest this summer to present a business case for nonstop service to Denver, and that the firm is continuing conversations with Delta about restoring a fourth daily flight to Minneapolis.
Why it matters: City officials have pursued a strategy of active airline engagement and grant funding for small community air‑service development to increase nonstop routes and improve connection banks. Consultants said the city’s consistent outreach, the airport’s small community air service development grant and a proactive business‑development approach have helped build airline rapport.
Consultants highlighted two specific goals: restoring a fourth daily Delta flight to improve banked connections at Minneapolis, and securing a new “home market” nonstop (United/SkyWest) to Denver. Murray said Allegiant’s systemwide declines in Canadian traffic have affected winter services and seasonal destinations, but that markets such as Las Vegas and Phoenix remain strong.
Council members thanked the team and emphasized the need for continued city engagement to keep airlines focused on Grand Forks. City staff urged the council not to abandon the commercial air‑service implementation plan as progress has required continuous coordination and business development.
Quotes: "We are preparing for those headquarter visits," Murray said. "We know we're headed in the right direction." Mayor and staff members commended the consultants and encouraged continued follow‑up.
Next steps: The consultants will report back after headquarters meetings and after the planned July SkyWest visit; airport staff and city economic development partners will continue to market the route case and manage grant coordination.
