Sawyer International Airport

Airport in Michigan, United States

Sawyer International Airport

USGS 2006 orthophoto

* IATA: MQT
* ICAO: KSAW
* FAA LID: SAW

Summary
Airport type| Public
Owner| Marquette County
Serves| Marquette, Michigan
Location| Gwinn, Michigan
Elevation AMSL| 1,204 ft / 367 m
Coordinates| 46°21′13″N 087°23′43″W﻿ / ﻿46.35361°N 87.39528°W﻿ / 46.35361; -87.39528
Website| www.sawyerairport.com
Map

MQT

Location of airport in Michigan

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MQT

MQT (the United States)

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Runways
| Direction | Length  | Surface

|
|

ft  | m
1/19  | 9,072  | 2,765  | Asphalt/concrete
Statistics
| Departing passengers (12 months ending August 2023)| 38,700

|

Aircraft operations (2022)| 17,889
Based aircraft (2023)| 41

Sources: FAA,[1] MDOT[2]

Sawyer International Airport (IATA: MQT, ICAO: KSAW, FAA LID: SAW) is a county-owned, public-use airport in Marquette County, Michigan, United States. It is located 17 nautical miles (20 mi; 31 km) south of the central business district of the city 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 non-hub primary commercial service facility.[3]

This commercial and general aviation 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 September 1999, serving Marquette and the surrounding area. It replaced the former Marquette County Airport (IATA: MQT, ICAO: KMQT, FAA LID: MQT), which closed the same year.

Although many U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and International Air Transport Association (IATA), this airport is assigned SAW by the FAA[1] and MQT by the IATA[4] (which assigned SAW to Sabiha Gökçen International Airport in Istanbul, Turkey).[5] The airport's International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) identifier is KSAW.[6]

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.[7]

In 2022, the airport distributed a survey asking for public input in a rebranding effort. Despite significant public desire and effort to include local native and renowned aeronautical engineer Kelly Johnson's name in the rebranding,[8] the Marquette County Board of Commissioners instead voted to rename the airport to Marquette Sawyer Regional Airport on March 21, 2023, as part of the $20 million renovation and re-imaging initiatives.[9]

## Facilities and aircraft[edit]

### Aircraft statistics[edit]

Sawyer International 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 re-designed in 1959 to accommodate B-52 bombers and KC-135 tankers. This 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 this airport: 36 single-engine, 4 multi-engine and 1 jet.[1]

### Facilities[edit]

There is an industrial park, the Telkite Technology Park,[10] 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.[11]

In 2022, the airport received a $2.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to repair hangars.[12]

### Upgrade plans[edit]

The airport is undergoing significant renovation 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 will be upgraded in 2024, new aircraft parking spaces will be added, and there will be security upgrades to allow for larger commercial aircraft.[13]

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. The airport is collecting final funds in order to begin the project.[14]

The airport has already renovated a hangar to support airline operations.[15]

A number of unusable buildings will be torn down as part of the project.

## Airlines and destinations[edit]

### Passenger[edit]

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

|

Airlines| Destinations

|

American Eagle |  Chicago–O'Hare
Delta Connection |  Detroit
Destinations map

Marquette

Chicago–O'Hare

Detroit

class=notpageimage|

Destinations from Sawyer International Airport

### Cargo[edit]

Airlines| Destinations

|

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

## Statistics[edit]

Carrier shares (September 2022 – August 2023)[16] Carrier  | Passengers (arriving and departing)

|

Envoy Air |

32,530(42.42%)

Endeavor Air |

31,780(41.44%)

Air Wisconsin |

7,460(9.73%)

SkyWest |

4,920(6.42%)

Top destinations from SAW (September 2022 – August 2023)[16] Rank  | Airport  | Passengers  | Carriers

|
|
|

1  | Detroit, MI (DTW) | 21,230  | Delta
2  | Chicago, IL (ORD) | 17,470  | American

## Accidents and incidents[edit]

* On January 5, 2015, a Cessna 172 Skyhawk veered off the runway at Sawyer while attempting a takeoff. The plane was substantially damaged, but the pilot was uninjured.[17]
* On September 3, 2019, a small plane impacted trees while attempting an emergency landing near Sawyer. After an engine failure, the aircraft overshot a field it was aiming for and landed on a nearby road before veering into trees. The aircraft was towed to a hangar at the airport for investigation. The pilot and his son were uninjured.[18]

## See also[edit]

* List of airports in Michigan

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e FAA Airport Form 5010 for SAW PDF. 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. ^ "Sawyer International Airport (IATA: MQT, ICAO: KSAW, FAA: SAW)". Great Circle Mapper. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
5. ^ "Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (IATA: SAW, ICAO: LTFJ)". Great Circle Mapper. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
6. ^ "Sawyer International: SAW (KSAW)". Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
7. ^ "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.
8. ^ 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.
9. ^ 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.
10. ^ "Telkite Technology Park". Telkite.
11. ^ Hoyum, Kim (April 13, 2008). "Airmen Added to Wall of Honor". The Mining Journal. Marquette, Michigan.
12. ^ "Sawyer International Airport to get $2.7M to repair hangar". Upper Michigan's Source. Negaunee, Michigan: WLUC-TV. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
13. ^ "Sawyer International Airport gives tentative plan for renovation project". Upper Michigan's Source. Negaunee, Michigan: WLUC-TV. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
14. ^ "Sawyer International Airport has major upgrades in the works". Upper Michigan's Source. Negaunee, Michigan: WLUC-TV. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
15. ^ "Envoy Air joins LSCP for ribbon cutting on hangar expansion". Upper Michigan's Source. Negaunee, Michigan: WLUC-TV. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
16. ^ a b "RITA BTS Transtats - MQT". www.transtats.bts.gov. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
17. ^ "Update: Cessna airplane crashes at Sawyer". ABC 10 News. Ishpeming, Michigan: WBUP-TV. January 5, 2015. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
18. ^ 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.

## External links[edit]

* Official website
* Sawyer International Airport at Michigan Airport Directory
* FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective February 22, 2024
* FAA Terminal Procedures for SAW, effective February 22, 2024
* Resources for this airport:
* FAA airport information for SAW
* AirNav airport information for KSAW
* ASN accident history for MQT
* FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
* NOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three days
* SkyVector aeronautical chart, Terminal Procedures
* Photos of the closed Marquette County Airport

* v
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* e

Airports in Michigan

Primary|

* Charlevoix
* Houghton County
* Detroit Metropolitan
* Bishop
* Gerald R. Ford
* Kalamazoo/Battle Creek
* Capital Region
* Sawyer
* Muskegon County
* Pellston
* MBS
* Chippewa County
* Cherry Capital
* Alpena County
* Delta County
* Ford

Non-primary|

* Gogebic–Iron County
* Manistee County Blacker

Relief|

* Canton–Plymouth Mettetal
* Grosse Ile
* Willow Run
* Livingston County–Hardy
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General aviation|

* Abrams
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* Wexford County
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Military|

* Selfridge ANGB
* CGAS Traverse City
* Grayling AAF

* List of airports in Michigan
* List of airports in Michigan's Upper Peninsula

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Central cities|

* Escanaba
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* Marquette
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* St. Ignace

Counties|

* Alger
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Geography|

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* Menominee River
* Mount Arvon
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Transportation|

* Chippewa County International Airport
* Delta County Airport
* Ford Airport
* Gogebic–Iron County Airport
* Houghton County Memorial Airport
* International Bridge
* International Rail Bridge
* Mackinac Bridge
* MarqTran
* Portage Lake Lift Bridge
* Sawyer International Airport
* Soo Locks

Economy|

* Cleveland-Cliffs
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* Verso Corporation

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