Regional airports in Minnesota are once again on a path of resurgence. This good news has made the fliers in the region happier than ever. Earlier, the travelers had to drive to the Twin Cities for taking flights to Chicago and onward destinations. This worrisome phase would soon be over, according to aviation industry experts.

Starting from May this year, the travelers will not be required to drive to the Twin Cities for taking flights to Chicago. SkyWest Airlines will now start operating direct flights from St. Cloud to Chicago. The regional airport at St. Cloud was inoperable for the past three years.

The authorities at St. Cloud succeeded in convincing SkyWest Airlines and pledged revenue guarantees worth $1 million. The airline has been assured that there would be enough fliers and it would be viable to start daily flights services out of here. SkyWest Airlines has now decided to begin service from St. Cloud from May 6, 2014. The airline will now be offering two daily flights services to Chicago.

An airline industry analyst said that an emerging trend is now being witnessed in under-served communities to woo carriers by making significant financial promises. He said that more such experiments might be on the way. However, one cannot guarantee for how long this will sustain. The resumption of flights from St. Cloud is though good as the airport and people of this area suffered for past few years.

Delta Air Lines was operating flights out of St. Cloud. The airline however stopped operating from here five years after it purchased Northwest Airlines. Duluth, another regional airport in Minnesota, will also begin fourth flight to Chicago in June this year.