KINGSFORD — Dickinson County’s Ford Airport is on pace to exceed 20,000 commercial boardings this year and possibly surpass the record of 22,980 enplanements set in pre-pandemic 2019.

Facing the need for more terminal space, the idea of building a new two-story structure will be scrapped due to cost, but plans are in the works for an expansion.

Airport Manager Tim Howen gave the county board an update on a five-year plan this week, saying that a decade ago he “never dreamed we’d be where we are now.”

Boardings on SkyWest Airlines flights through September totaled 15,263 and if holiday traffic is brisk the airport could see “probably our best number ever,” Howen said. The 2023 total for the year was 18,486, down slightly from 20,622 in 2022.

Prein & Newhof of Grand Rapids was hired in 2022 to conduct a $140,000 federally paid study on the airport’s needs. The consultant confirmed the need for a bigger terminal, but acknowledged it was unlikely to be built using federal dollars alone.

Initially, the county discussed with consultants a proposed two-story building of about 35,000 square feet, including a second-floor restaurant. Under that plan the existing Fontana Terminal, measuring about 12,000 square feet, would serve only as office space.

But with a cost roughly estimated at $36 million, county officials believe even a 10% local share would be too much. Howen said plans now call for a three-phase expansion that would double the terminal’s square footage and “cut the price probably in half.”

The expansion’s first phase would start to the north and include a boarding bridge, he said. Construction is likely a year or two away, as architects at Minneapolis-based Alliiance continue to work on the drawings.

Ford Airport remains popular with passengers because of its reliability and a dedicated staff, Howen said.

Also, construction was recently completed on a $1.7 million hangar for lease as the base for a private jet. That follows completion in 2023 of a $1.3 million county hangar that houses an aircraft display, offices and a conference room where Tuesday’s airport committee meeting took place.

Notably, Ford Airport is home for CSA Air, a cargo-based airline that provides services with 25 aircraft throughout the upper Midwest. Todd Silverstone, general manager and director of operations for CSA Air, thanked county board members at Tuesday’s meeting.

Silverstone said he has “seen more growth here than I ever could have imagined.”

Federal dollars will be key to the airport’s future and it remains to be seen if a change in Washington’s leadership will affect the county’s plans, including the status of commercial air service.

SkyWest, operating under the Delta brand, has served as Ford Airport’s Essential Air Service carrier since 2012. In December, the U.S. Department of Transportation renewed its contract at a much higher rate through Jan. 31, 2026. The previous annual federal subsidy of up to $3,868,146 now stands at $7,068,428, according to the DOT order. Next year, it could rise to $7,563,218.

SkyWest formerly used 50-seat aircraft for daily flights to Detroit or Minneapolis but is now mostly flying larger regional jets. Its Bombardier CRJ700 seats 65 to 69 passengers, while the Bombardier CRJ900 allows 76 passengers. The airline in some cases takes out seats in the larger aircraft to provide “dual-class” flights with more room for first-class service, Howen said.

In December, the airline plans to alter its flight timing. Tentatively, Howen said, arrivals from Minneapolis will be at 9:30 a.m., with departures at 10 a.m.; arrivals from Detroit will be at 2:30 p.m., with departures at 3:30 p.m. It’s not known if any change will be permanent or temporary, he added.

SkyWest’s latest DOT contract is part of a five-airport EAS order that also includes Sault Ste. Marie; Rhinelander, Wis.; and Brainerd and International Falls, Minn.

EAS is designed to fund a minimal level of scheduled air service to small communities that would otherwise be unprofitable for airlines to serve. In May, President Joe Biden signed legislation reauthorizing FAA funding, including EAS, through 2028.

The EAS program has been a target of some conservatives who say the subsidies are too expensive. During his previous White House term, President-elect Donald Trump called for eliminating them.

Airports are also entitled to a certain amount of Airport Improvement Program funding each year, based on passenger volume. If their capital project needs exceed their available entitlement funds, then the FAA can supplement entitlements with discretionary funding. For 2024, the FAA lists $1.125 million in AIP aid to Ford Airport for snow removal and pavement needs.

In addition, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that Biden signed in November 2021 provided $15 billion in airport infrastructure funding nationwide spread out over five years.