The Situation
Central Wisconsin Airport (CWA) has been without nonstop service to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport since Delta Air Lines discontinued the route in late 2022 or early 2023 amid pilot and aircraft availability constraints.
CWA currently offers commercial flights through Chicago O’Hare on American Airlines and Minneapolis–St. Paul on Delta Air Lines. However, losing Detroit service eliminated an important eastern hub connection, limiting travel options for central Wisconsin residents and businesses.
What Is the “Fix,” and How Does It Benefit the Community?
Restoring nonstop service to Detroit is one of CWA’s top air-service priorities. As a major Delta Air Lines hub, Detroit offers connections to destinations throughout the United States and internationally.
Reestablishing the route would give central Wisconsin travelers another major hub connection, potentially reducing travel times and offering more scheduling flexibility. The expanded service could also benefit regional businesses and leisure travelers by improving access to destinations along the East Coast and beyond.
What Makes the Investment Possible?
CWA has been awarded a $950,000 federal grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Small Community Air Service Development Program to support efforts to restore nonstop service to Detroit.
The award was part of nearly $12 million in federal grants announced in September 2026 for 14 communities nationwide. The program helps smaller airports improve air-service connections through initiatives such as airline recruitment, revenue guarantees, and marketing support.
For CWA, the funding provides an additional tool to help attract an airline willing to restore the Detroit route and make the service financially viable.
What’s Next?
Although the grant is an important step forward, flights will not resume immediately. CWA must finalize its federal grant agreement and continue working with airline partners to secure service.
No start date has been announced. If successful, the effort would restore a major hub connection lost nearly four years ago, expanding travel options and strengthening central Wisconsin’s connections to the national and international air transportation network.
