March 29, 2021 at 12:49 p.m.
Airport gains additional carrier, hub destination
United will add daily round-trip summer flight to O'Hare
Airport gains additional carrier, hub destination
Leitner was set to announce today that United Airlines will begin offering a round-trip flight to and from Chicago O'Hare International Airport starting July 1 and run through Sept. 30. This is in addition to Delta Airlines increasing the number of round-trip flights to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport for the third straight summer from June 2 through Aug. 30.
"One a day, everyday to start with, and it starts July 1" Leitner said. "Tickets we understand will be on sale April 1 (online through United)."
The new flight will depart O'Hare at 9:20 a.m. and arrive in Rhinelander at 10:35 a.m. Departure for the return trip to Chicago will be at 11:15 a.m. Due to precautions concerning COVID-19, there will be only 50 seats available each way.
"With those two hubs, I think we have the world covered," Leitner told the River News.
All the flights will be operated by SkyWest, who also provides the Delta service to Rhinelander.
Leitner also said that Delta has already committed to bringing back a third daily round-trip flight from June 2 through Aug. 30, as well as adding a fourth flight on Saturdays from June 5 through Aug. 14.
Once the summer schedule begins, flights will arrive from Minneapolis at 9:45 a.m. (Saturdays only), 12:05 p.m., 4:55 p.m. and 10:35 p.m. Departures for Minneapolis will be at 6:15 a.m., 10:45 a.m. (Saturdays only), 1 p.m. and 5:40 p.m.
If summer traffic on Delta matches last year, SkyWest could bring in additional planes on each run as they did last summer, Leitner added.
Demand for additional seats, beyond the 50 that will be available on United to Chicago, could result in more flights being added there, too.
"It could happen," he said. "I'm confident that this is going to be very popular and they're going to fill those airplanes because we receive 170,000 visitors every year from Chicago, the majority of whom come in the summertime," Leitner said. "That's 100 seats (50 each way), I don't see that being a problem when you have that volume, that many people coming from the Chicago area, northern Illinois."
Pat Marquart, chairman of the Rhinelander-Oneida County Airport Commission, agreed the summer service to Chicago is a chance for the airport to tap into a demand for service. That the new route is coming in the middle of a global pandemic shows how much the area is favored as a getaway destination.
"We're excited, very excited to be able to offer the additional service to Rhinelander and the surrounding Oneida County community," Marquart said. "The demand to come here is way, way up. It was crazy pre-pandemic, but now with the pandemic, it's really become crazy."
"Throughout the pandemic, we've done very well," Marquart added.
With the addition of the United flight, Leitner said the Robert G. Heck Passenger Terminal might be a little more congested on Saturdays.
"On Saturdays it's going to get close to that additional Delta flight," Leitner said. "So that ought to be interesting. We may have two of them on the ground at the same time. But we can certainly accommodate that with the new secure area."
The ticket counter will be rebuilt, upgraded and expanded to accommodate the second airline.
"There's going to be two stations for each airline and digital signage behind, like they have at the big airports," Leitner said. "Then there will be informational displays for each airline on the rafter like there is now."
He said it is hoped the upgrade can be ready by mid-April. The airport will pay for the upgrade, but will make the money back in the increase in the passenger facility fees paid by the increased passenger traffic.
Leitner said he has been trying to attract a second carrier to the airport for a couple years.
"It's been a two-year initiative, maybe two-and-a-half, and it was stopped by the pandemic. We were so close, if I recall correctly," Leitner said.
Delta was just awarded a 3-year renewal of the Essential Air Service (EAS) contract in December 2020. Passenger traffic into and out of the airport has remained relatively steady, with SkyWest having to add additional and larger planes last summer, bucking the downward trend in passengers during the pandemic.
Leitner said the increase in demand for travel to and from Rhinelander on Delta played a part in attracting United.
"I think that (increased traffic) substantiated what we were trying to convey (to United) when it comes for the need for additional capacity, the need for additional markets, the need for additional flights," Leitner said. "Because we've seen a meteoric rise, since my time here for sure."
Leitner noted the increase in passengers will translate to an increase in demand for rental cars.
"I've worked with both companies - they have several franchises over there - to let them know, in a vague sense, what is going on, and to reiterate that we need cars and we need agents to help with the passengers because that is going to be a lot of demand over at those counters," Leitner said.
He said the people coming through the airport on the way to an area vacation destination represents money for the area, with more people meaning more money.
"There is going to be demand for visitor's services around the region," Leitner said. "I mean economically, it's a great thing."
He said that since his arrival in 2018, he has been pushing airlines to look at what Rhinelander is capable of, in terms of moving passengers. The flights to Chicago are an example of that paying off, just as the demand for seats on airplanes has borne out his faith in his hometown.
"As I've been saying, the only way we can do this is through the support of the people in the community and region. People flying out of here think it's a formula that works," Leitner said. "We look forward to taking advantage of that kinetic energy and furthering it along."
Marquart said while the airport commission gets the accolades for the new service, he attributed the majority of the work in convincing United to try the summer service to Leitner and assistant airport director Sherrie Williamson.
"Matthew doesn't give himself and Sherrie enough credit. They did all the legwork, they did the research, they did the down and dirty stuff to open United's eyes, to say 'hey, you might want to look at this area here,'" Marquart said. "And they're the ones who really got the ball rolling."
Jamie Taylor may be reached via email at [email protected].
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