More flights will be going in and out of the Capital Regional International Airport in Lansing this spring, which means more options for travelers looking to get out of town.
Today, the airport announced the return of United Airlines after a four year hiatus.
The company left the Lansing market in 2022 because of the pandemic and a pilot shortage. But now the airline is back in Mid-Michigan with four daily flights to its hub at Chicago O’Hare International Airport starting in May.
Right now, American Airlines hosts a couple flights each day to the Windy City, but the airport’s director of marketing Katherine Japinga said the expansion will give local passengers more choices.
“The flight is 45 minutes from Lansing,” Japinga said, “and then you can get virtually anywhere you need to go, both domestically and internationally.”
Japinga said the added flights are “a huge win for Lansing” because they make the airport more competitive.
“We want people to fly Lansing and always check Lansing first, especially if they're from this community – and not waste their time driving to neighboring airports, spending an hour and a half on the road and then having to pay a lot for parking,” Japinga said. “You don't have to do any of that when you're here. You're here in 20 minutes. You park virtually next to the terminal, and you're on your way pretty quickly.”
The airport is looking to bring in more customers, and Japinga said expanding services helps that.
Last year, the Lansing airport served nearly 250,000 passengers.
Tickets for the new Chicago service will go on sale Friday.
