File Photo

ALPENA — The Alpena County Regional Airport boosted its chances of reaching 10,000 enplanements this year and earning a $1 million subsidy from the federal government through the Essential Air Service Program.

An enplanement is a paying passenger who boards an aircraft at an airport.

Airport Manager Steve Smigelski said an increase in cargo coming into Alpena from air service provider SkyWest Airlines also added a bump to airport revenue.

Each year, the airport aims to get a minimum of 10,000 paying passengers to earn the government subsidy, which the airport uses for operations and equipment.

At the beginning of July, the airport was walking a thin line as to whether it would reach the goal by the end of the year. But, last month, the airport recorded a whopping 1,554 enplanements, which will bolster the airport’s chances of reaching its target.

So far this year, Smigelski said, the airport has seen 6,089 enplanements, which means the airport will need to average 783 paying passengers a month for the rest of the year to reach the 10,000 mark.

Smigelski said that should be achievable because, typically, the airport has well over 1,000 enplanements in August and September and comes close to that total in October.

Last year, the airport did not meet the 10,000 enplanement goal because a large runway reconstruction project forced SkyWest to pause all commercial flights. The airport closed its main runway from May until late July, but SkyWest Airlines didn’t resume flights until August.

Smigelski said last month that the airport has filed a waiver with the federal government and should still receive the $1 million for 2023.

Smigelski said the Federal Aviation Administration could wait until the end of the year to rule on the waiver request. He said the feds may want to see if the airport reaches the 10,000-enplanement plateau this year to be sure things are back on track.

“There has been an awful lot of full parking lots at the airport, and a lot of good days,” he said. “With Northern Strike in town, the military is going to have to have their people home, so I think August will be very good, too. It looks good for reaching 10,000.”

Northern Strike is a military training exercise that takes place at the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center.

Smigelski said he was shocked to see in a recent report from SkyWest the number of people getting off the jet and remaining in Alpena. He said 1,364 people flew into Alpena last month as a destination for one reason or another.

Those inbound passengers aren’t counted in the enplanement total.

“That number is not one that we usually track, but, when I saw it, it really popped out to me,” he said. “There are many people coming to Alpena for work, vacation, or other visits, and that certainly can help our local economy.”

Last month, SkyWest hauled more than 3 million pounds of cargo to Alpena. That weight included passenger baggage but also other airfreight that the airline delivers.

Smigelski said the airport’s landing fee requires an aircraft to pay a fee for its weight, which increases with added luggage and product. That revenue, he says, only helps the airport’s bottom line.

Earlier this year, the airport was recognized as the 2024 recipient of the Air Carrier Airport of the Year Award. The award was announced on Feb. 22 at the Michigan Airport Conference held in Lansing.