Duluth airport to add third Chicago flight
Aug. 8—DULUTH — United Airlines announced Monday it will add a third daily flight to Chicago O'Hare International Airport to its schedule starting Sept. 6. The additional flight will operate during the afternoon, enabling passengers to better make connections for ongoing travel.
"Regional communities around the country have felt the impact of pilot and crew shortages through the loss of air service. We're excited United is in a position to add another daily flight out of DLH," Tom Werner, executive director of Duluth International Airport, said in a written statement. "Demand is strong in this region and flights are operating with very strong passenger loads. We are working with our airline partners to advocate for more flight capacity, and this is a step in the right direction."
In a June study, the Regional Airline Association reported that 188 communities had lost at least 25% of their airline service from 2019 to 2022. What's more, 106 communities lost more than 25% of their airline service in the same time period.
Werner said it is more important than ever that regional travelers fly locally to continue to show airlines that there is sufficient local demand to retain and grow regional air service.
United Airlines offers daily nonstop flights from Duluth to Chicago and Delta offers daily nonstop flights to Minneapolis-St. Paul. Local airport officials continue their efforts to secure service to Denver in the future.
