Duluth airport sets flight record in September — and makes push for funding

DULUTH – There were 17,000 flight operations at the Duluth International Airport in September 2024 — setting a record for the busiest month on record, the Duluth Airport Authority announced earlier this week.

It was a fresh record to break: The previous high was from August 2024, but that was exceeded by 2,000 flights to set the new record. Airport executive director Tom Werner touted the importance of the space as a point of connection to the world — while also throwing in a pitch for the need to replace its aging control room.

“To sustain growth and ensure our facilities meet future demands, we need further assistance from both state and federal sources to replace our 70-year-old air traffic control tower,” Werner said in a news release.

The current tower was built in the mid-1950s and the DIA has described it as the third-oldest in the country and said it doesn’t meet Federal Aviation Administration standards for line-of-sight requirements. The airport authority received $10 million from the FAA as part of an Infrastructure and Jobs Act grant. It is looking to the state and the FAA for more, according to an earlier news release.

In addition to passenger flights, the Duluth International Airport is used for cargo operations, flight training, military operations, medical flights and test flights.