A brief history of Great Lakes Airlines

A brief history of Great Lakes Airlines

• April 15, 1977 — Spirit Lakes Airways founded in Spirit Lakes, Iowa.

• 1979 — The airline changes its name to Great Lakes Aviation to reflect its expansion to the Great Lakes region of northwest Iowa.

• August 1985 — Airline acquires its first landing slot at Chicago's O'Hare Airport; in October it began its first federally subsidized Essential Air Service flights.

• June 1991 — Began first scheduled flights to Denver's Stapleton Airport.

• 1998 — Selected by United Airlines to provide service to Denver from locations in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New...