Michigan Travel · Muskegon
Muskegon County Airport gets its first nonstop Florida flights: Saturdays to Orlando Sanford from Jan. 9, with $199 fares on sale Nov. 10
MUSKEGON — Travelers on the Lakeshore will be able to fly nonstop from Muskegon to Florida this winter for the first time in Muskegon County Airport’s history.
Denver Air Connection will begin weekly Saturday flights between Muskegon County Airport (MKG) and Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB) on Jan. 9, 2027, the airport and the airline announced Monday, Nov. 2. One-way fares start at $199, and tickets go on sale Tuesday, Nov. 10.
MLive reported that it is the first scheduled nonstop commercial service to Florida in the airport’s 97-year history.
How the flights will work
The route is seasonal and runs once a week, every Saturday, on the airline’s 50-seat Embraer ERJ-145 regional jet, according to the announcement released through the Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce. A Saturday schedule is aimed at weeklong vacations and family trips.
Tickets will be sold on the airline’s own site, denverairconnection.com, and on booking sites including Expedia, Kayak and Travelocity. Travelers should search for the airport codes MKG and SFB.
Orlando Sanford sits northeast of downtown Orlando, within driving distance of Central Florida’s theme parks and Atlantic beaches.
“This is a historic milestone for MKG and the communities we serve,” Airport Director Ken Efting said in the release, pointing to “affordable fares and low baggage fees, free parking, and the convenience of starting your trip close to home.”
Not part of the subsidized contract
Denver Air Connection already flies daily between Muskegon and Chicago O’Hare, where passengers can connect to United, American and Delta. That Chicago service runs under the federal Essential Air Service program, which pays carriers to serve smaller airports.
The Florida route does not. Aviation news site AirlineGeeks reported that the Orlando flights fall outside the airline’s Essential Air Service contract, meaning Denver Air Connection carries the financial risk of filling the seats. At about 1,030 miles, AirlineGeeks said, it will be one of the longest scheduled routes flown by an Embraer 145 in the country.
“Every passenger who chooses to fly from Muskegon helps make opportunities like this possible,” Efting said. Denver Air Connection CEO Cliff Honeycutt said the airline has seen “tremendous progress in Muskegon” and called Orlando “a natural destination.”
What it means for West Michigan fliers
AirlineGeeks noted that the route will compete indirectly with Allegiant, which has a sizable operation and a base at Grand Rapids, about 45 minutes east. For Muskegon-area families, the new flights are a once-a-week option closer to home with free parking.
U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten, who represents the area, said in the release that she pushed to bring Denver Air Connection to Muskegon in 2024. Orlando Sanford CEO Nicole Martz said the airport looks forward to greeting Muskegon travelers in January.
Sources:
Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce, “Denver Air Connection Announces Nonstop Flights from Muskegon to Orlando” (Nov. 2, 2026; joint announcement, quotes, schedule, fares, ticket sales), https://www.muskegon.org/denver-air-connection-announces-nonstop-flights-from-muskegon-to-orlando/
MLive, “Muskegon airport to offer direct flights to Florida” (Nov. 2, 2026; first Florida service in 97 years), https://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/2026/11/muskegon-airport-to-offer-direct-flights-to-florida.html
WZZM 13, “Muskegon County Airport to offer nonstop flights to Florida” (Nov. 2, 2026), https://www.wzzm13.com/article/news/local/muskegon-county-airport-nonstop-flight-orlando/69-9eb21fae-aa7c-4c74-9001-e5e20e827d4e
AirlineGeeks, “Denver Air Connection Plans First Florida Service” (Nov. 2, 2026; route outside the Essential Air Service contract, 1,030 miles, Allegiant at Grand Rapids), https://airlinegeeks.com/2026/11/02/denver-air-connection-plans-first-florida-service/
Photo: Nenyedi, “Muskegon County Airport, Main passenger terminal,” Wikimedia Commons (Attribution), https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Muskegon_County_Airport,_Main_passenger_terminal.jpg
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