Great Lakes Airlines History
Great Lakes Airlines permanently ceased operations in 2018. This page is a historical and informational record — there are no current fares or flights to book.
Great Lakes Airlines Has Ceased Operations
Great Lakes Airlines permanently stopped flying on March 26, 2018. It is a defunct airline — there are no current routes, fares, or flights to search or book. This page exists purely as a historical and informational reference.
The shutdown followed a multi-year pilot shortage crisis triggered by 2013 FAA rules that raised the required flight-hour minimums for co-pilots. Great Lakes, which relied on small 19-seat turboprops and a large roster of first officers, was unable to staff its fleet adequately, and progressively shrank its network for roughly two years before the final shutdown.
About Great Lakes Airlines
Great Lakes Airlines (IATA: ZK) was a US regional carrier headquartered in Cheyenne, Wyoming, that operated small Beechcraft 1900D turboprop aircraft connecting rural and small communities across the Midwest and Western United States. Much of its network was flown under the federal Essential Air Service (EAS) program, which subsidizes commercial air service to communities that would otherwise be difficult for airlines to serve profitably.
At its peak, Great Lakes connected dozens of small airports to larger hub cities, with Denver International Airport (DEN) serving as one of its most important connecting points. The airline's reliance on a large number of first officers to crew its fleet of small aircraft ultimately made it especially vulnerable to the 2013 federal pilot-hour rule change, and the resulting staffing crisis led directly to its 2018 shutdown.
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Former Hub & Base Airports
Great Lakes Airlines operated from these bases before it ceased flying in 2018.
Cabin Class (Historical)
What flying Great Lakes Airlines looked like before the airline shut down in 2018.
Single-Class Economy
- ✓Operated on small Beechcraft 1900D turboprops
- ✓19-seat, single-class cabin layout
- ✓No premium cabin or seat-selection tiers
- ✓Short regional hops of well under 1 hour typical
- ✓Flights often booked as codeshares under EAS contracts
Baggage Policy (Historical Reference Only)
Great Lakes Airlines has not operated since 2018. This information is retained for historical interest only and has no bearing on any current travel.
| Bag / Policy | Historical Economy |
|---|---|
| Carry-on bag | Historical: 1 small item due to limited turboprop cabin space |
| Checked baggage | Historical: weight-restricted due to small aircraft payload limits |
| Note | This information is retained for historical reference only — Great Lakes Airlines no longer operates or sells tickets |
What Flying With Great Lakes Airlines Was Like
Small-Town Gateway
For many rural communities, Great Lakes Airlines was the only scheduled commercial air service available, operating under the federal Essential Air Service program.
Turboprop Cabin
Flights were flown on 19-seat Beechcraft 1900D turboprops — small, single-class cabins with no seatback entertainment or premium seating.
Short Regional Hops
Most Great Lakes routes were short connections of under an hour, typically feeding passengers into a larger hub like Denver for onward travel.
How Great Lakes Airlines Wound Down
2013 Pilot-Hour Rule Change
Root CauseNew FAA regulations raised the minimum flight hours required for co-pilots, sharply shrinking the pool of pilots eligible to fly for small regional operators like Great Lakes.
Progressive Network Shrinkage
2016–2018Unable to adequately staff its Beechcraft 1900D fleet, Great Lakes cut routes and reduced frequencies across its Essential Air Service network for roughly two years before shutting down entirely.
Final Shutdown
March 26, 2018Great Lakes Airlines ceased all flight operations on March 26, 2018, ending scheduled commercial service to the small communities it had connected to the national air network.
No Independent Booking Today
DefunctGreat Lakes Airlines has no website, reservation system, or active fleet today. There is nothing to book, cancel, or check in for.
Looking for Flights Instead of History?
- 1.Great Lakes Airlines is defunct — if you're researching it for historical, aviation, or Essential Air Service policy reasons, the details above reflect its real operating history.
- 2.If you need to actually book a flight to or from a small community that Great Lakes once served, check the current Essential Air Service carrier for that airport via the U.S. Department of Transportation, since coverage has changed multiple times since 2018.
- 3.For travel through Denver International Airport (DEN), search active carriers like United Airlines or Southwest Airlines on FareOptic for current fares.
- 4.Regional US flying today is typically operated by carriers such as SkyWest, Air Wisconsin, or CommutAir under partner brands like United Express, Delta Connection, or American Eagle — search the mainline brand to find live fares.
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Frequently Asked Questions
The history and status of Great Lakes Airlines, a defunct US regional carrier
Is Great Lakes Airlines still operating?
No. Great Lakes Airlines permanently ceased all flight operations on March 26, 2018. It is a defunct airline and does not sell tickets, operate flights, or maintain a functioning booking system today.
Can I book a flight on Great Lakes Airlines today?
No. There is no current fare, schedule, or route to book. Great Lakes Airlines shut down in 2018 and has not resumed operations since. Any site or listing suggesting otherwise is inaccurate.
Why did Great Lakes Airlines shut down?
Great Lakes Airlines was a small regional carrier flying 19-seat Beechcraft 1900D turboprops, largely under the federal Essential Air Service (EAS) program connecting small communities in the Midwest and West. A 2013 FAA rule change raised the required flight-hour minimums for co-pilots, which made it increasingly difficult for a small-aircraft operator like Great Lakes to recruit and retain enough qualified pilots. The resulting pilot shortage forced the airline to progressively shrink its network over several years before it ceased operations entirely in March 2018.
Where was Great Lakes Airlines based?
Great Lakes Airlines was headquartered in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and also operated a significant share of its flights connecting smaller communities to Denver International Airport (DEN).
What communities did Great Lakes Airlines serve?
Great Lakes Airlines primarily served small and rural communities across the Midwest and Western United States that qualified for the federal Essential Air Service program, which subsidizes air service to communities that would otherwise struggle to retain commercial flights.
What replaced Great Lakes Airlines' routes?
Following the shutdown, many of the Essential Air Service communities Great Lakes had served were reassigned to other regional EAS carriers through the U.S. Department of Transportation's bidding process. Coverage varies by community and has changed multiple times since 2018.