[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 139 (Tuesday, August 27, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1081]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    RECOGNIZING THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF SAWYER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JACK BERGMAN

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, August 27, 2019

  Mr. BERGMAN. Madam Speaker, it is my honor to recognize Sawyer 
International Airport upon the occasion of its 20th Anniversary. 
Through its outstanding service and commitment to excellence, Sawyer 
has become an indispensable part of Michigan's First District.
  With the expansion of the U.S. Air Force following World War II, a 
small airstrip near Marquette, Michigan, was chosen as the site for a 
new base. After signing a 99-year lease on the land, the K.I. Sawyer 
Air Force Base officially opened on May 8, 1959. For nearly 40 years, 
the base hosted thousands of airmen until its eventual closure in 
September 1995. In its place opened Sawyer International Airport, a 
public-use airport owned and operated by the County of Marquette. Its 
first incoming commercial flight landed on September 22, 1999.
  Since that first flight, more than two million commercial airline 
passengers have been served by Sawyer, with more than a hundred 
thousand flyers going through the airport each year. Sawyer has also 
constantly worked to improve and expand over the last two decades--
shaping the airport into the first-rate option for businesses and 
travelers that it is today. In addition to its passenger air service, 
Sawyer's campus is home to over five dozen businesses with more than 
1,200 employees. It should be no surprise that Sawyer was named the 
2019 Airport of the Year by the Michigan Department of Transportation, 
while Airport Manager Duane DuRay was named Airport Manager of the 
Year. Day after day, Sawyer International Airport demonstrates its 
commitment to connecting those in the U.P. with the rest of the world, 
while allowing those from around the globe to visit and experience the 
best that Michigan has to offer.
  Madam Speaker, it's my honor to congratulate Sawyer International 
Airport for 20 years of success and service. Michiganders can take 
immense pride in knowing that the First District is home to such an 
outstanding institution. On behalf of my constituents, I wish Sawyer 
all the best in its future endeavors.