(From the City of Joplin)The City of Joplin and SkyWest Airlines have officially submitted their separate requests to the U.S. Department of Transportation proposing that one of the Joplin Regional Airport’s connecting hubs be changed from Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) to the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston (IAH).
The recommendation follows a Joplin City Council presentation Sept. 22, in which Jeremy Hagerman, assistant director of Public Works - Engineering, outlined the changes Joplin travelers will experience for flights to and from Chicago, as well as hub alternatives.
With the support of City Council, the City of Joplin (through its consultant Volaire as well as Skywest), will now consult with the Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration, and await their decision.
While these conversations don’t guarantee the change to Houston, the formal recommendation moves the Joplin airport one step closer. Starting December 1, flights to Chicago will leave Joplin at 5 a.m., and flights returning from Chicago will depart O’Hare at 7:40 a.m.
These early-morning flights are a result of current conditions at O’Hare, including construction work that is complicating flight schedules and an order from the FAA requiring that fewer flights travel in and out of Chicago at peak times.
Flights to and from Denver, Joplin’s other connecting hub, are not affected.
While the Joplin Regional Airport Board and City Council could opt to stay with Chicago as the eastern flight hub and adapt to the new flight times, the opportunity to request Houston as a new hub was recommended by SkyWest and makes sense due to more flyers traveling for leisure, Hagerman said.
“After looking at the data, we do believe Houston will be an attractive hub for our flight population,” he told City Council. “The conversations have also included negotiations about better flight times coming in and out of Joplin, which makes it easier for travelers who need that morning connection to Houston before traveling into Joplin.”
Hagerman said that while Joplin travelers will see those earlier flight times to and from Chicago beginning December 1, the timing for a potential hub change to Houston is estimated to be March 2027.
The proposed departure times (seven days a week) would be 7:40 a.m. from Joplin to Houston, and closer to mid-day from Houston to Joplin.
With the City’s formal recommendation now in place, the hub decision will be made by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The City will share updates regarding flight schedules to and from JLN as we receive word from the relevant authorities.
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