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Marquette Sawyer Regional Airport

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Marquette Sawyer Regional Airport
USGS 2006 orthophoto
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerMarquette County
ServesMarquette, Michigan
LocationGwinn, Michigan
Opened1999; 27 years ago (1999)
Elevation AMSL1,204 ft (367 m)
Coordinates46°21′13″N 087°23′43″W / 46.35361°N 87.39528°W / 46.35361; -87.39528
Websitewww.sawyerairport.com
Map
MQT/SAW is located in Michigan
MQT/SAW
MQT/SAW
Location of airport in Michigan
MQT/SAW is located in the United States
MQT/SAW
MQT/SAW
MQT/SAW (the United States)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
1/19 9,072 2,765 Asphalt/concrete
Statistics (12 months ending June 2026 except where noted)
Passenger volume122,960
Departing passengers62,320
Scheduled flights1,626
Cargo (lb.)800k
Aircraft operations (2022)17,889
Based aircraft (2023)41
Sources: FAA,[1] MDOT[2]

Marquette Sawyer Regional Airport (IATA: MQT, ICAO: KSAW, FAA LID: SAW) — previously named Sawyer International Airport — is a county-owned, public-use airport in Marquette County, Michigan, United States. Located 17 nautical miles (20 mi; 31 km) south of Marquette,[1] it is included in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2021–2025, in which it is categorized as a nonhub primary commercial service and general aviation facility.[3]

Although many U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and International Air Transport Association (IATA), Marquette Sawyer Regional Airport is assigned SAW by the FAA and MQT by IATA (which assigned SAW to Sabiha Gökçen International Airport in Istanbul, Turkey).

Facilities and aircraft

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Facilities

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The airport is located near Gwinn on a portion of the former K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base, which closed in September 1995. The airport opened for passenger service in 1999. It replaced the former Marquette County Airport, which closed the same year. Although many U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier for the FAA and IATA, Marquette Sawyer Regional Airport is assigned SAW by the FAA and MQT by IATA (which assigned SAW to Sabiha Gökçen International Airport in Istanbul, Turkey).

In 2022, the airport distributed a survey asking for public input in a rebranding effort. Despite public effort to include local native and renowned aeronautical engineer Kelly Johnson's name in the rebranding,[4] the Marquette County Board of Commissioners instead voted to rename the airport to Marquette Sawyer Regional Airport as part of the $20 million renovation and re-imaging initiatives.[5]

Telkite Technology Park[6] is adjacent to the airport, with 1,000 acres (400 ha) of land and 1,500,000 square feet (140,000 m2) of space in a Michigan Renaissance Zone, which exempts the tenant or owner from the majority of state and local taxes. The airport is home to the Marquette County Aviation Wall of Honor, which features many influential pilots and engineers.[7]

Aircraft statistics

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Marquette Sawyer Regional Airport covers an area of 2,100 acres (850 ha). It has a single asphalt/concrete runway, numbered 1 and 19, 9,072 by 150 feet (2,765 by 46 m),[1] originally constructed in 1959 to accommodate B-52 bombers and KC-135 tankers. The airport is capable of handling aircraft as large as a Boeing 747-8 or a 777-200.

For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2022, the airport had 17,889 aircraft operations, an average of 49 per day: 56% general aviation, 35% air taxi, 1% scheduled commercial service and 8% military. In November 2023, there were 41 aircraft based at the airport: 36 single-engine, 4 multi-engine and 1 jet.[1]

Upgrades

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The airport received $18 million from the US Department of Transportation in 2020 as part of the CARES Act, which was intended to help mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic[8][9] by providing funds earmarked for immediate spending to sustain operational expenses, generate loans, tax credits and paycheck protection to small businesses,[10] along with additional protections and benefits to individuals. The airport instead opted to use those funds for airport rebranding, consulting services, art installations, hangar renovations and fire suppression system upgrades, terminal expansion, demolition of multiple buildings not currently part of airport operations and other initiatives not related to COVID-19 impacts,[11][12][13][14][15] which will continue years after the end of the pandemic.

In 2022, the airport received a $2.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to repair hangars.[16][17] The airport is undergoing significant renovation which began in 2023. $20 million in funds are being allocated toward the project which includes a new fire suppression system in an aircraft hangar, expansion of the terminal building, and new taxiway asphalt. The air traffic control tower was recently upgraded, along with additional aircraft parking spaces and security upgrades to allow for larger commercial aircraft.[18]

Terminal upgrades will include an upgraded entrance and facility expansion as well as new art installations. The FAA will fund part of the project and will include money from the federal CARES Act from the Covid-19 pandemic.[19] Several buildings are being razed as part of the project.

Airlines and destinations

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Passenger

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AirlinesDestinations
American Eagle Chicago–O'Hare[20]
Delta Connection Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul[21]

Cargo

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AirlinesDestinations
Ameriflight Lansing
FedEx Feeder
operated by CSA Air 		Milwaukee
PACC Air Appleton

Statistics

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Carrier shares (July 2025 – June 2026)[22]
Carrier Passengers (arriving and departing)
Envoy Air
69,470(56.50%)
SkyWest
53,490(43.50%)
Top destinations from SAW (July 2025 – June 2026)[22]
Rank Airport Passengers Carriers
1 Chicago, IL (ORD) 35,030 American
2 Detroit, MI (DTW) 14,730 Delta
3 Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN (MSP) 12,560 Delta

Accidents and incidents

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  • On January 5, 2015, a Cessna 172 Skyhawk veered off the runway while attempting a takeoff. The plane was substantially damaged, but the pilot was uninjured.[23]
  • On September 3, 2019, a small plane impacted trees while attempting an emergency landing. After an engine failure, the aircraft overshot a field it was aiming for and landed on a nearby road before veering into trees. The pilot and his son were uninjured.[24]

See also

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References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 "FAA Airport Form 5010 for SAW" (PDF). FAA. . Federal Aviation Administration. effective November 2, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Measures of Michigan Air Carrier Demand". Michigan Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on January 29, 2013. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
  3. ↑ "List of NPIAS Airports" (PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. October 21, 2016. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
  4. ↑ DeLadurantaye, Stephen (March 7, 2023). "Marquette County Board considers new airport name suggestion from public". Upper Michigan's Source. Negaunee, Michigan: WLUC-TV. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  5. ↑ Ledy, Terese (March 21, 2023). "Marquette County Board of Commissioners Approves Airport Rebrand". Upper Michigan's Source. Negaunee, Michigan: WLUC-TV. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Telkite Technology Park". Telkite.
  7. ↑ Hoyum, Kim (April 13, 2008). "Airmen Added to Wall of Honor". The Mining Journal. Marquette, Michigan.
  8. ↑ "USDOT announces nearly $23M for Upper Michigan airports in response to COVID-19". Upper Michigan's Source. Negaunee, Michigan: WLUC-TV. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
  9. ↑ Hall, Jack (April 14, 2020). "Upper Peninsula Airports To Receive Financial Aid". Radio Results Network. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  10. ↑ Whitaker, Michael. "Report to Congress on the Airport Improvement Program for FY 2020 and FY 2021" (PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  11. ↑ Johnson, Taylor (April 19, 2022). "KI Sawyer Airport gives community update". The Daily News. Iron Mountain, Michigan. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  12. ↑ Champion, Brandon (March 28, 2023). "Upper Peninsula airport gets new name after $20M upgrade". MLive. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  13. ↑ "June 2020 Minutes - Sawyer International Airport Airport Advisory Committee" (PDF). Sawyer International Airport. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  14. ↑ Trout, Mike; Budds, Bryan. "2020 – 2021 Federal Pandemic Assistance for Michigan Airports" (PDF). Michigan House of Representatives. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  15. ↑ Sawyer International Airport Airport Advisory Committee. "March 2021 minutes" (PDF). Sawyer International Airport. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Sawyer International Airport to get $2.7M to repair hangar". Upper Michigan's Source. Negaunee, Michigan: WLUC-TV. August 26, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Envoy Air joins LSCP for ribbon cutting on hangar expansion". Upper Michigan's Source. Negaunee, Michigan: WLUC-TV. August 9, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  18. ↑ "Sawyer International Airport gives tentative plan for renovation project". Upper Michigan's Source. Negaunee, Michigan: WLUC-TV. April 14, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  19. ↑ "Sawyer International Airport has major upgrades in the works". Upper Michigan's Source. Negaunee, Michigan: WLUC-TV. January 21, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  20. ↑ Walton, Nicole (March 20, 2024). "Marquette Sawyer Regional Airport adding Chicago flight". Public Radio 90. Marquette, Michigan: WNMU-FM. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  21. ↑ Walton, Nicole (September 30, 2024). "Passengers will again fly to Minneapolis from Marquette Sawyer Regional Airport in January". Public Radio 90. Marquette, Michigan: WNMU-FM. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  22. 1 2 Bureau of Transportation Statistics. "Marquette, MI: Marquette Sawyer Regional (MQT)". Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Retrieved September 29, 2026.
  23. ↑ "Update: Cessna airplane crashes at Sawyer". ABC 10 News. Ishpeming, Michigan: WBUP-TV. January 5, 2015. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  24. ↑ Trick, Greg (September 2, 2019). "Update: Pilot, son OK after emergency landing near Sawyer International". Upper Michigan's Source. Negaunee, Michigan: WLUC-TV. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
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