256 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 10, ISSUE 10 travel restrictions imposed during the pandemic. Hedrick speaks kindly on Denver Air’s success against such towering odds, saying, “I would say 2022 was the first full year of no travel restrictions… so we finished that year at a twenty-four-year high. So it was very, very successful.” That success has allowed the airline to carry out a stable yet substantial twelve round-trip flights per week. A Track Record of Earned Federal Support The presence of Thief River Falls’ regional airline was generated by the consistency of their cargo operations, which drew considerable attention to their eligibility for federal aid. The longevity of its air travel services was also supported by the 1978 Essential Air Service Program, a federal subsidy program that provides air transportation to isolated communities and covers the deficits of the air carriers that provide the service. Even today, the airport authority has done so well with its airline that it qualifies for an increased level to the federal entitlement program organized by the FAA. Because they have met the entitlement requirement of enplaning over eight thousand passengers, Thief River Falls is granted $600,000 in federal support every year. This speaks to the airport’s tremendous airline growth, as it has doubled its total passenger traffic since 2019. Hedrick confirms that consistency of growth, stating, “there’s another level after you enplane ten thousand people; your entitlement goes to one $1 million per year… right now… we’re hovering around [nine thousand]... and we like where we see ourselves.” Their strong performance has also earned Thief River Falls Airport much consideration when communicating with federal legislators about their most challenging issues. This provides them with a roadmap to gain the experience and official certifications they need to reach the regional level, where they can find larger-scale commercial flight opportunities. Accommodations For Key Workers It’s not just federal support that has allowed Thief River Falls Airport to serve its region well; it also emphasizes prioritizing partner-passenger accommodations. Much of its financial support has been focused on completing a twenty-year master plan of overhauls and upgrades led by Hedrick himself. “We completed an LED lighting upgrade for our main runway, the parallel taxiway, and the apron… New wires and conduit in the ground, new regulators, so the entire system… has been replaced on the airfield,” Hedrick says, referring to the difficulties on the airfield when facing harsher weather conditions.
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