Come fly with us
Residents of southern Saskatchewan need look no farther than Minot when planning their winter get away. Of course, Minot itself offers a wealth of shopping and other attractions. But, for prairie residents looking to travel to warmer climates this winter, or to other destinations throughout the year, the Minot International Airport (MOT) can be their jumping off point. While there are currently no direct flights from Regina to Minot, Rick Feltner, airport director says many Canadians drive down to catch their holiday or business flights. The airport serves the United, Delta and Allegiant airlines, offering connecting flights to the two major carriers’ hubs in Minneapolis (United) and Denver (Delta), while Allegiant provides direct flights to Las Vegas, Phoenix, Miami and other hot spots. “We’ve really got something for everyone, whatever your vacation plans are; whether it’s business or vacation, we can definitely get you there,” says Feltner. He says many Canadians head down to Minot a day or so before their flight and stay an extra day or two when they get back. “As Minot continues to progress and have things for people to do, it makes a lot of sense for [Canadians] to come down. So, come in the day before your flight and stay at a hotel and go out for dinner and have fun downtown, then get on your plane the next day. Same thing on your trip back. If you’re tired and take one more day to kind of relax before you head back north, there’s plenty to do here,” he says. Felton adds that they definitely welcome northerners to take advantage of that option. “Our Canadians are very special to us and we see quite a few of them.” Driving from Saskatchewan to Minot is an easy afternoon trip, and making connections to elsewhere is now even easier and more pleasant than ever before with the opening of the new passenger terminal in 2016. Almost three years after the grand opening of the new terminal, the Minot International Airport still gleams. “We’re really proud of the new facility and we’ve worked really hard to ensure it stays sparkly and new,” Feltner says. Work on the multi-million dollar new facility was completed in Feb. of 2016. With approximately 125,000 square feet, it is the newest and largest terminal building in the state of North Dakota. It has been welcoming increasing numbers of travellers since it opened; in 2017, the airport served more than 298,600 passengers. “It’s really a state-of-the-art facility in many ways,” says Feltner. In addition to its six gates, the new terminal also offers numerous amenities, including a restaurant and bar, free wireless Internet, more than 1,400 parking spaces with plug-ins available in the long term lot, and even a video arcade.