Partnerships with the Downtown Development Authority and Traverse City Tourism help to promote the airport and the community.“As a small airport, we don’t have a large marketing budget, so we match it with co-op funds that come from the tourism bureau,” he outlines. “As much as it’s important to bring people in to stay in our hotels, when someone flies in, they stay longer. The average stay of a person that flies in is about five days, compared to less than two for someone that would drive in.” BUSINESS, INNOVATION, AND MIGRATION Along with its importance as a tourism driver, Cherry Capital Airport also strengthens business growth in the region. “We are the hub traffic for Northern Michigan for air service,” Klein details. “Our legacy carriers, Delta, United and American, see that business traveler. We see all different kinds of things, from tech firms, engineering firms, and our medical fields. We are very strong in all of those areas, and we continue to see that growth.” The airport’s connectivity was also a factor during the pandemic trend that saw people migrating to preferred areas to work from home.“People wanted to work now where they could live and play,” he explains. “We saw that influx of people moving to our area. One of the reasons people chose Northern Michigan to live is because of the air service.” Klein points to the demographic shifts that are also shaping Cherry Capital Airport’s growth, noting that the Traverse City area is home to a high concentration of millennial millionaires. “That generation really wants to be able to travel for work and fun, so having an airport with seven airlines and 20 non stop destinations is very attractive to that age group,” he asserts. “It’s also very attractive for developing new businesses and we have lots of entrepreneurs in that millennial range.” INFRASTRUCTURE AND EXPANSION With growth exceeding forecasts, the airport is now investing in infrastructure to carry it forward. “Our current terminal was designed for about 350,000 annual passengers. In 2024 we had 787,114 total passengers,” says Klein. “We’re already growing in 174 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 09
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTI5MjAx