New GFK Terminal

[bincitysioux]

I have read that Jamestown & Devils Lake have the flights they do because of the Essential Air Service program.  In fact, that is the same program that funded United the last time they did serve GFK about 10 years ago or so.  GFK lost the EAS grant and JMS & DVL was awarded it.

According to recent Jamestown Sun articles, United (or their subsidiary) appears to be trying to pull out of both airports but the government won't let them while the subsidy is still in place.

But I agree, it is somewhat bewildering that GFK apparently can't get just one daily flight to Denver when some of those other airports can.  I had no idea until searching yesterday that Minot has such better air service than GFK.  That really kind of surprises me.

[Kab]

It’s like anything else

use it or lose it

and when it’s lost people will say

why didn’t THEY use it so WE could still have service 

I think Jamestown and devils lake get service because of federal subsidies to have that service , not sure about devils lake

williston and minot are probably more because of the oil industry 

I am surprised that the university with its aviation department isn’t more involved with this, maybe they are 

 

[ksixpack]

6 hours ago, Kab said:

It’s like anything else

use it or lose it

and when it’s lost people will say

why didn’t THEY use it so WE could still have service 

I think Jamestown and devils lake get service because of federal subsidies to have that service , not sure about devils lake

williston and minot are probably more because of the oil industry 

I am surprised that the university with its aviation department isn’t more involved with this, maybe they are 

 

I don’t like the use it or lose it mantra…nobody is going to spend 50% more and waste an additional half a day trying to get to their destination because they don’t want to “lose it”…to me it’s already lost and until they “fix it” it will remain lost. I prefer build it and they will come mentality…a better mousetrap always outsells a plea for charity which asking us to spend more for slower service and less choices amounts to.

I agree that Williston and Dickinson have better service because of proximity to oil patch.  Using same argument should GF not have better service with the foundation of aviation we have at our doorstep and the aviation school and UND in general along with proximity to Canada and Winnipeg?  Allegiant brings a lot of folks from Winnipeg down to GF for its Vegas flights so why wouldn’t they do the same for Denver flight.

 

[Vegas_Sioux]

On 12/5/2023 at 9:57 AM, Kab said:

Get another carrier with similar flight destinations and delta will decrease their price 

minot has more flights and Bismarck is only 30 miles further than from GF to Fargo 

williston has more carriers than grand forks, partly because of oil 

The 5x larger air base plus oil helps sustain Minot. But really MOT only has one extra DL flight and that goes away Jan 7. When United was in GFK for the 14 months between Oct 2012 and dec 2013 no one flew on them unless a great west conference team was coming in as United was travel sponsor for the big sky conference. 
 

Williston has always had United. Delta only added ISN then kept XWA because of oil and actually dropped service from April 2020 until June 2021 and it’s only 2 flights a day. 

[Vegas_Sioux]

11 hours ago, bincitysioux said:

I have read that Jamestown & Devils Lake have the flights they do because of the Essential Air Service program.  In fact, that is the same program that funded United the last time they did serve GFK about 10 years ago or so.  GFK lost the EAS grant and JMS & DVL was awarded it.

According to recent Jamestown Sun articles, United (or their subsidiary) appears to be trying to pull out of both airports but the government won't let them while the subsidy is still in place.

But I agree, it is somewhat bewildering that GFK apparently can't get just one daily flight to Denver when some of those other airports can.  I had no idea until searching yesterday that Minot has such better air service than GFK.  That really kind of surprises me.

12 flights a week to Denver that are the first canceled if there is any chance of a problem. 

[Vegas_Sioux]

16 hours ago, ksixpack said:

I don’t like the use it or lose it mantra…nobody is going to spend 50% more and waste an additional half a day trying to get to their destination because they don’t want to “lose it”…to me it’s already lost and until they “fix it” it will remain lost. I prefer build it and they will come mentality…a better mousetrap always outsells a plea for charity which asking us to spend more for slower service and less choices amounts to.

I agree that Williston and Dickinson have better service because of proximity to oil patch.  Using same argument should GF not have better service with the foundation of aviation we have at our doorstep and the aviation school and UND in general along with proximity to Canada and Winnipeg?  Allegiant brings a lot of folks from Winnipeg down to GF for its Vegas flights so why wouldn’t they do the same for Denver flight.

 

DIK has 2 United to Denver and 1 each ups and FedEx feeder to far. 

[Hawkster]

On 12/5/2023 at 11:04 AM, Kab said:

I called them once 0n an issue with Allegiant cutting flights and talked to an assistant and got no where, I also asked them to get a carrier to Denver also

Devils Lake and Jamestown have Denver flights 

May be a Denver flight that stops in Rapid City on the way, not all flights are non stop 

years ago the minot flight to Denver stopped in Bismarck on the way 

seems like Williston and Minot have better people running their airports 

 

Those flights out of Jamestown and Devils Lake are heavily subsidized by the taxpayers too.   I consider EAS to be a total scam.

[Cratter]

Spend the entire day at Hector last night.

Flights kept getting delayed because of the wind.

Then when it died down. Rumors were there was barely any ground crew working because they sent them all home earlier in the day.

Saw Schmaltz and his famous "Forks" hat.

Hector had a sign showing their big expansion plans.

IIRC, Nine total gates after completion. 

 

[SIOUXFAN97]

1 hour ago, Cratter said:

Spend the entire day at Hector last night.

Flights kept getting delayed because of the wind.

Then when it died down. Rumors were there was barely any ground crew working because they sent them all home earlier in the day.

Saw Schmaltz and his famous "Forks" hat.

Hector had a sign showing their big expansion plans.

IIRC, Nine total gates after completion. 

 

would hector go to a vote like the fargodome expansion?

[Frozen4sioux]

5 hours ago, SIOUXFAN97 said:

would hector go to a vote like the fargodome expansion?

Yes but it would pass cause it helps those people get OUT of Fargo.

[NeutralObserver]

On 12/6/2023 at 8:15 AM, Kab said:

It’s like anything else

use it or lose it

and when it’s lost people will say

why didn’t THEY use it so WE could still have service 

I think Jamestown and devils lake get service because of federal subsidies to have that service , not sure about devils lake

williston and minot are probably more because of the oil industry 

I am surprised that the university with its aviation department isn’t more involved with this, maybe they are 

 

The United flights for Jamestown and Devil's Lake are their only flights, they have no Delta flights, so they really aren't ahead of Grand Forks in any way. They are also bundled together, the Jamestown flight goes up to Devil's Lake before going on to Denver.   Which that kind of flight path isn't real common right now but must help make the flights financially work. Dickinson had Delta flights during the height of the oil boom but those are gone, the United flights there I believe still have EAS subsidies.

[bincitysioux]

Viewpoint: With Grand Forks airline service, is it the chicken or the egg?

Quote

Which comes first, the chicken or the egg? The same question can be asked as to what comes first: Economic development or airline service? This question has been answered time and time again, yet Mayor Bochenski and Keith Lund think that somehow, they can rewrite the facts that say airline service follows economic development. Airline service does not create economic development.

 

[Nodak78]

11 minutes ago, bincitysioux said:

Viewpoint: With Grand Forks airline service, is it the chicken or the egg?

 

Damn that going to leave a mark.

[bincitysioux]

Mayor Bochenski spoke briefly about the air service issue on KNOX radio the other day.  He said a "study" is in and that Delta's route between GFK & MSP is the third most expensive route in Delta's system.  They have spoken with Delta about that and indicated that Delta is going to "help them out on that".

He also mentioned several times the appeal of a Denver connection, and kind of made it seem like they are still actively trying to make that happen again. 

[forksandspoons]

1 hour ago, bincitysioux said:

Mayor Bochenski spoke briefly about the air service issue on KNOX radio the other day.  He said a "study" is in and that Delta's route between GFK & MSP is the third most expensive route in Delta's system.  They have spoken with Delta about that and indicated that Delta is going to "help them out on that".

He also mentioned several times the appeal of a Denver connection, and kind of made it seem like they are still actively trying to make that happen again. 

Glad GFK to MSP prices are being addressed. That’ll be a major help to GFK. 

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

2 hours ago, bincitysioux said:

Mayor Bochenski spoke briefly about the air service issue on KNOX radio the other day.  He said a "study" is in and that Delta's route between GFK & MSP is the third most expensive route in Delta's system.  They have spoken with Delta about that and indicated that Delta is going to "help them out on that".

He also mentioned several times the appeal of a Denver connection, and kind of made it seem like they are still actively trying to make that happen again. 

Good to hear because that price always makes you consider driving to MSP

[gfhockey]

Just now, InHeavenThereIsNoBeer said:

Good to hear because that price always makes you consider driving to MSP

Or to Fargo 

[hky]

Wish the early morning flight could be a bit later too. Have to get up in the middle of the night to make the 5 am to connect at MSP 

[Kab]

9 minutes ago, hky said:

Wish the early morning flight could be a bit later too. Have to get up in the middle of the night to make the 5 am to connect at MSP 

Most of ND airports have those early flights

don't know why, there are enough connecting flights from MSP to still get you where you want to go if the flight was 7am 

 

[NoiseInsideMyHead]

There will always be the predawn flight to the hub in the hub-and-spoke system, but the problem at GFK is that there are now only three daily flights, so if you don't take the earliest one, you are effectively missing a ton of flights out of the hub to your ultimate destination. 

Bring GFK back up to five flights, and those who want or need to get out early still can, but there will be midmorning options for those who don't.

The key is flexibility, which is sorely lacking. 

[gfhockey]

17 minutes ago, NoiseInsideMyHead said:

There will always be the predawn flight to the hub in the hub-and-spoke system, but the problem at GFK is that there are now only three daily flights, so if you don't take the earliest one, you are effectively missing a ton of flights out of the hub to your ultimate destination. 

Bring GFK back up to five flights, and those who want or need to get out early still can, but there will be midmorning options for those who don't.

The key is flexibility, which is sorely lacking. 

The airport head hasn’t don’t a thing except loose flights since he got here

[HoopsFan03]

51 minutes ago, gfhockey said:

The airport head hasn’t don’t a thing except loose flights since he got here

Too busy golfing

[bincitysioux]

Grand Forks moves forward with air service consultant
 

Quote

 

The Grand Forks City Council on Monday approved a contract with Meehan Aviation Group to explore expanding air service at Grand Forks International Airport.

The Meehan Group has worked with other small and mid-sized markets in places like Spokane, Washington; Provo, Utah; and Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Their goal is to have an air service action plan by late summer.

 

 

[Kab]

Love the part where they say watch out Fargo

lets hope this comes to pass 

[Bison Dan]

41 minutes ago, Kab said:

Love the part where they say watch out Fargo

lets hope this comes to pass 

LOL   Fargo has 5-6 times the traffic and is adding 4 more gates and a parking ramp.