A Florida Keys airport that has not had commercial air service for almost 20 years is looking to restart regular scheduled flights.
In May, Monroe County applied for a grant of $1 million through the Department of Transportation’s Small Community Air Service Development Program for Florida Keys Marathon Airport. The money would make up part of a roughly $2.5 million minimum revenue guarantee for an airline that opts to start service at Marathon.
The airport is located along the Overseas Highway, in the Middle Keys.
Revenue guarantees are often used by small or expanding airports to help reduce the financial risk for potential partner airlines. In most cases, the airport covers the difference if ticket sales for a specific route or routes fall short of an agreed target.
According to Monroe County officials, Marathon has had no commercial service since Cape Air ended operations there in 2009. The last major airline to serve the airport was Delta, which pulled out in 2007.
The county is looking to partner with United, Delta, or American, and envisions different routes for each.
For United, it would make the most sense to link Marathon with Washington Dulles, the county said in its SCASD application, because the Washington, D.C.-Baltimore region is the third-largest source of travelers by air to the Florida Keys. For Delta, Atlanta would be the logical choice due to the size of the airline’s operation at Hartsfield-Jackson, and because Atlanta was a top market for Marathon when the airline provided service in the 2000s. American, meanwhile, would likely use Miami to funnel travelers from markets where the Keys are in high demand, including Boston, New York, Chicago, and D.C.
Monroe County disclosed that it has already begun discussions about air service with American. The county included a letter of support from Jason Reisinger, managing director of global network planning at American, in its application to the DOT.
“As you know, air service development is important for the economic health of a region and is critical to connecting a community to the world,” Reisinger wrote. “The region surrounding Marathon has a goal of initiating its first air service in almost two decades with flights to American’s Miami hub. Marathon’s approach to initiating air service fits well with American’s network, given Miami is one of the largest hubs in our network.”
While noting that new flights are not guaranteed even if the grant money comes through, Reisinger said the funding could “significantly bolster the case for the proposed service.” He said American will continue discussions with Marathon.
If the community is unable to secure flights to a major hub, officials said, other destinations could be considered. Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Ohio, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Orlando, Florida, Raleigh, North Carolina, and Nashville, Tennessee, among other cities, were mentioned as alternatives.
The remaining $1.5 million of Marathon’s minimum revenue guarantee is being provided by community and business organizations, including the Monroe County Tourist Development Council and Visit Florida.
Monroe County said the airport’s terminal could be made ready for commercial flights by early 2027.
