Mackinac Island Airport

Mackinac Island Airport is a small but busy general aviation airport with a lighted 3,500-foot runway, open year-round for charter and private aircraft to serve tourists, workers, and island residents alike. The airport is owned and operated by the Mackinac Island State Parks Commission, and is maintained by state park staff 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM daily through the summer season. In October – April, attended office hours are adjusted for demand & as staffing allows. There is no FBO or fuel service. Landing & overnight parking fees are established for all aircraft (see below); monthly & annual permits are also available. Most lodging, restaurants, shopping, & bike rentals are located downtown along Main Street, 1.8 miles south of the airport. Transportation on the island is limited to bicycle, horse-carriage, and foot traffic as motor vehicles are banned. For Taxi Service from the airport, *It is highly recommended to call the Mackinac Island Taxi Service directly before departing for MCD at 906-847-3323.*  There is no camping permitted at the airport or on the island.

For general island information, find the Helpful Links section at the bottom of the page.

Current weather conditions: KMCD Airport

Airport Terminal

The terminal building consists of a lobby with a seating area, airport office, public restrooms, drinking fountains, self-service night deposit box, AWOS weather monitor, pilot’s lounge, Wi-Fi internet access, local brochures, vending machines, and large island map. Pilots have 24-hour access to the terminal. Sorry, no bike rentals are available. For self-guided walking/biking tours throughout the island, a 63-page Historic Mackinac Island Visitor’s Guide & Map is available for purchase at the office.

Transportation

To get to and from Mackinac Island:

Charter flights on/off-island & throughout the region are available by directly contacting any of the businesses listed below for information:

• Fresh Air Aviation Inc. (Charlevoix/St. Ignace, MI) 906-285-6727
• Island Airways (Beaver Isl./Charlevoix, MI) 800-524-6895
• North Country Aviation Inc. (Gaylord, MI) 800-959-1829

Commercial airlines* do not land on Mackinac Island, but they do operate out of these airports nearby:

• Pellston Regional – PLN (Pellston, MI); Driving distance from St. Ignace airport (83D) and ferry docks: 24 miles.
• Chippewa County International Airport – CIU (Kinross, MI); 35 miles.
• Cherry Capital Airport – TVC (Traverse City, MI); 123 miles.

If you book a commercial flight to one of the airports listed above, a local charter flight may be able to pick you up and fly you to Mackinac Island Airport. Or, a shuttle or rental car may be available from your arrival airport to transport you to either ferry boat dock in St. Ignace or Mackinaw City.

While on Mackinac Island:

Motor vehicles are prohibited on Mackinac Island. Downtown shops, restaurants, and most lodging is located 1.8 miles south of the airport, with the option to walk or ride the Mackinac Island Taxi Service horse-carriage. Call 906-847-3323 to make a reservation (It is highly recommended to reserve a taxi before departing for MCD by calling the Taxi Service directly. $9/person; 2 fare minimum.) Bicycles are the most popular way to travel here, and most bike rental shops are downtown. See the Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau link for more information. Bike rentals are not available at the airport.

Aircraft Parking

The airport ramp can accommodate parking for up to 25 single or small twin piston aircraft and 6 small-medium jets, in addition to a Loading Area near the terminal for quick-turns.  Additionally, over 70 planes can be parked in the overflow grass parking. Tie-down ropes/wheel chocks are available next to the terminal building, & electric outlets for plugging in are available along the fence line east and west of the terminal.  If the office is attended when you arrive, you may receive a welcome and parking assistance over Unicom.

• Aircraft with a wingspan less than 45 ft. may park on yellow painted “T”-parking spaces on the West Side of the ramp (right side when entering ramp). Tie-down anchors present.
• Aircraft with a wingspan greater than 45 ft., including turbo-prop and jets, may park at the painted yellow lines on the East Side of the ramp (left side when entering ramp). Tie-down anchors present.
• Overflow Parking (small craft): day-users can expect to be directed over Unicom to the overflow turf parking, to either the east or west side of the paved ramp. Tie-down aircraft cables are marked by orange traffic cones. (Mackinac Island is comprised mostly of limestone bedrock, with only a few inches of topsoil covering the turf parking areas.)

Sorry, we cannot accept reservations for aircraft parking on the ramp. Priority is given to those staying overnight and larger aircraft whenever possible.

Aircraft Landing Fees

The landing fee and nightly parking fee rates are posted below for each aircraft type. Monthly, annual, and fleet rates are also available. All fees are payable at the airport office inside the terminal or by phone. Please register your aircraft upon arrival during regular business hours, or use our Night Deposit drop-box at the office door after-hours (use pilots’ access code at the north entrance (ramp) of the terminal).

• Single Piston: $15 landing; $15/night – Monthly Permit for landing or parking… $62.50 / Annual Permit for landing or parking… $312.50
• Twin Piston: $30 landing, $30/night – $125.00 / $625.00
• Turbo-prop & Jets: $45 landing, $45/night – $172.50 / $862.50

The landing fee covers multiple same-day landings made by the same aircraft.  Additional overnight parking fee for aircraft parked after 10:00PM.

Winter at Mackinac Island Airport

The airport is the major lifeline for island residents when the winter ferry boat from St. Ignace stops operations due to ice freezing over the lake. This pause in ferry service can last for days or even months. Almost immediately, the quiet airport terminal can become a bustling, crowded space of passengers and goods. Island residents, pets, workers, tourists, school sports teams, freight, mail, hardware and building material, restaurant supplies, and groceries which all depend on favorable flying weather, a plowed runway, and warm terminal. Goods and passengers are usually flown by the local air-taxi out of St. Ignace, unless other arrangements are made, and flights are usually only about 6 minutes. Once they land at Mackinac Island Airport, goods are unloaded from each aircraft by hand, sorted, and loaded by hand again into sleighs towed by snowmobiles or onto drays (horse-drawn flatbed wagons) by dray drivers that sometimes need to make several trips into town and around the island in any weather conditions to complete their delivery route. There are no delivery or mail trucks here.

For passengers: snowmobiles and horse drawn taxis are the most common mode of winter transportation. However, when the weather turns foul there may be flight cancellations, sometimes lasting for days.

On-site snowmobile parking for residents and commuters is available with the required island snowmobile permit. Permits are sold at the airport office, state park field office, and downtown police station.

Helpful Links:

• Mackinac State Historic Parks Maintains more than 80% of Mackinac Island, including Mackinac Island Airport, as part of Mackinac Island State Park. Events take place all year.
• Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau Mackinac Island travel, lodging, dining, shopping, events calendar, activities, and more.
• Map of Mackinac Island Download a detailed map of the island’s roads and trails.
• Mackinac Island State Park Commission General Rules: Including restrictions of: E-Bikes (R318.122(1)), Drone operation (R318.146(o)), prohibited camping/fires (R318.143(1)/ R318.144(2)), etc.
• City of Mackinac Island City departments contacts, information, events calendar, printable permit forms, & more.
• Michigan Department of Transportation: Aeronautics General aviation information.

Contact the Mackinac Island Airport (906-847-3231) for further information.