Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Airport Operations topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Brainerd airport director reports passenger gains, runway work and $3.8 million IIJA hangar funding opportunity
Summary
Jennifer Roche told the Brainerd City Council the airport is seeing a 35% passenger increase April–June over last year, regular commercial service to Minneapolis, and is evaluating $3.8 million in IIJA funds for new hangar construction while scheduling fall airfield maintenance projects.
Jennifer Roche, the airport’s director, told the Brainerd City Council on July 6 that Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport has seen a notable uptick in activity this spring and summer and is moving ahead on several airfield projects.
Roche said the airport provides the primary commercial air service for central Minnesota, with 12 weekly flights to Minneapolis and seasonal service such as Sun Country’s monthly Laughlin nonstop. “We are at a 100% capacity for those flights this week,” she said, and reported passenger volumes were up about 35% in April through June compared with the same period last year.
Why it matters: increased passenger traffic boosts passenger facility charge credits and grant leverage, which the airport can use to help pay local shares on FAA or MnDOT-funded projects. Roche said the airport receives a $4.50 passenger facility charge (PFC), of which the airport nets about $4.39 after other fees.
Roche outlined near-term capital work: a taxi lane and helipad reconstruction slated to begin in September or October and expected to run about 30 days, LED lighting and navigational upgrades already completed, and a four‑phase fence replacement to meet security compliance. She also said the airport has approximately $3,800,000 in remaining IIJA grant funds that could be used for hangar construction and that October is the deadline to submit initial grant paperwork to the FAA.
On operations and tenants, Roche described a busy general‑aviation and business aviation community, growing hangar demand (just over 80 hangar spaces with only two vacancies), occasional UPS overnight service via Bemidji Aviation, flight training, and on‑field businesses including a fixed‑base operator and ground‑handling services. She said additional tenants — including a black‑car service and car-rental agencies — contribute non‑aeronautical revenue.
Council members pressed staff on details: Chair Erickson asked whether the PFC remains $4.50; Roche confirmed it is, and explained the airport’s net share of that fee. Councilmembers also discussed tracking gross receipts for the airport café and the potential to expand hangar capacity to meet demand.
What’s next: staff and the airport will continue work with FAA and MnDOT on grant submittals and capital scheduling. The council did not take any formal action during the presentation; Roche fielded questions and the discussion concluded with council appreciation for the airport’s operations and planning.
