Direct United Airlines flights to Chicago successfully debuted last summer and will return with an expanded schedule in 2017. Tickets went on sale this week for the new flights, which will operate on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday from June 10th until Labor Day weekend.
The direct Chicago flights provide an important boost to the Great Falls tourism market. Last year nearly 2,500 passengers used the new service. Chicago itself contributed the most passengers, making up approximately 40 percent of the inbound traffic, while other large east coast cities composed the remaining traffic. With the addition of a new Wednesday flight, Great Falls will have an additional 1,000 Chicago seats this summer. The new flights also help keep airfare competitive for local traffic. Tickets to some east coast cities were available last summer at a discount of 20 percent over the previous summer.
The new Chicago flights were made possible by a partnership between the Airport Authority, Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce, the Great Falls Tourism Business Improvement District, and dozens of local businesses and individuals who invested in the Low Cost Airline Initiative. The Montana Office of Tourism has also contributed marketing dollars to help make the new flights a success. We would like to thank each contributor for helping Great Falls spread its wings this summer.
