A major shift possible for Cape airport travel

The Cape Girardeau Airport Advisory Board is hoping the city airport soon will be able to offer flights to and from Chicago.

It’s only a first step, and there are several more hurdles to jump before this becomes a reality.

The concept of a Chicago flight appeals to those needing connection flights. There are many more opportunities to fly directly to destinations from Chicago than St. Louis.

The Chicago service would require a switch from Cape Air to Utah-based SkyWest Airlines.

According to reporting by Mark Bliss, the airline would operate as United Express and would provide one direct flight to Chicago and another flight that would make a stop in Quincy, Illinois.

There are pros and cons and a lot of variables to such a decision, and it ultimately will be made by the federal Department of Transportation, which pays subsidies to smaller airports to drive down the cost of tickets. For SkyWest flights from Cape to Chicago, a one-way ticket would cost about $87.

Again, there’s a long way to go, but the advisory board unanimously concluded this is the right direction for Cape Girardeau. Now it’s on to the city council, the city of Quincy and the federal government to agree.

If it does, this would be a major shift in the transportation landscape in Cape Girardeau.