Frontier Airlines announced it will be adding service to small airports in Michigan and Wisconsin from its Milwaukee hub, and that includes daily flights to and from Manistee.
The flights will begin April 18, and are available for purchase starting Feb. 6. All the Manistee flights will go to and from Milwaukee, where they connect with Frontier's main hub, and can be connected to 70 destinations in North America.
Frontier's service will replace the current turboprop service provided by Great Lakes Airlines, according to Manistee County Blacker Airport manager Barry Lind.
"For the first time, we will have an airline bringing competitive fares to Northern Michigan," says Lind. "Frontier has positioned themselves as a reliable, value-based airline."
The flights offered at Manistee consist of 13 nonstop trips each week, including an early morning commuter flight to Milwaukee and weekend arrivals and departures.
Lind says the substantial options for flying out of Manistee is expected to draw customers from across northwest Michigan.
"We already see many passengers from throughout the region utilize the Manistee Blacker Airport. With free parking, ease of access at both the Manistee and Milwaukee airports, and now with Frontier's competitive pricing and regional jets, flying from Manistee becomes a very attractive travel option," says Lind. "We are really looking forward to the jet service. It will be a big improvement and a boost for the local economy."
Frontier is a subsidiary of Republic Airways of Indianapolis, and will be using a 37-seat Embraer 135 jet aircraft for the flights. The addition brings its service locations in Michigan and Wisconsin to five, with the other two new locations being Ironwood, Mich. and Rhinelander, Wis.
Writer: Sam Eggleston Source: Barry Lind, Manistee County Blacker Airport
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