(From left) Jim Quinnell, Chippewa County EDC Board Member; Tom Ewing, President of the CCEDC; Tami Beseau, Airport Manager; Tim Gregory, Airport Maintenance Supervisor and Mike Trout, Executive Administrator, MDOT Office of Aeronautics. Photo by Marsha Ewing
The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) Office of Aeronautics has named Chippewa County International Airport as Michigan Airport of the Year. The annual awards recognize outstanding service to Michigan aviation. This is the 24th year that the MDOT Office of Aeronautics has presented the awards.
In presenting the award to Chippewa County International and the CCEDC that manages the airport, MDOT Aeronautics Commission Director Michael Trout said that the people at Chippewa International have performed in an exemplary manner in the continuous improvement of their airport for many years. Airport Manager Tami Beseau, in accepting the award said the airport’s success would not be possible without its dedicated and knowledgeable staff and the support of the Board of Directors.
The award in part salutes the airport’s recent runway rehabilitation, a 3.5 million dollar project that included a three week interruption in commercial service. The massive paving project, done by Payne and Dolan took 52 days of coordination and was done ahead of schedule.
Passenger counts to and from Chippewa County International continues to increase and now totals 40,000 passengers a year enjoying non-stop jet service to Detroit, twice a day, seven days a week.
The Chippewa County EDC has managed the airport since 1987, and also operates the Chippewa County Air/Industrial Park, 23 industrial buildings, 2.5 miles of railroad connecting to the main CN line, and hosts winter automobile testing programs.
