Sawyer Surpasses CY-2012 Passenger Counts

Posted by on January 13, 2014

MARQUETTE, MI – Marquette County and Sawyer Airport are very pleased to report an increase in the
total number of passengers traveling to and from Sawyer in CY-2013.

During 2013, a total of 83,799 passengers traveled to (or through) the airport. This is an overall increase
of 7,798 passengers or 10.26% over 2012 when 76,001 passengers used Sawyer in their business or
leisure travel.

For air service in the region to be successful, airports need to “capture” as many passengers as possible.
Sawyer currently maintains a 40% market share of passenger travel in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
Fares are extremely attractive (based on a recent air fare study) encouraging passengers to use their
local air service rather than travel to nearby airports.

American Airlines and Delta Air Lines continue to remain cooperative with Sawyer and its future growth
needs. Negotiations are currently underway with both regional airline carriers. “If we can continue this
trend, and maintain our load factors, we are optimistic that we will be in a position to attract additional
service,” states Airport Manager, Duane DuRay.

In addition to air travel, slightly over 1,586,000 pounds of inbound and outbound cargo was realized at the
airport – nearly half of the cargo reported in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The amount of cargo handled
was down in 2013 as compared to 2012; as well as general aviation traffic as a whole. Marketing plans
for 2014 include efforts to spur activity in the form of corporate, charter, and general aviation operations.

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