Bishop International Airport is a commercial and general aviation airport in Flint, Michigan, United States. It is named after banker and General Motors board member Arthur Giles Bishop (April 12, 1851 – January 22, 1944), who donated 220 acres of his farmland for the airport in 1928.Fly through Bishop Airport history with 46 old photos The Flint Journal via MLive.com, March 5, 2015Picture History of Flint: U.S. Bicentennial Edition, Edited by Lawrence R. Gustin, Published in 1976 by The Flint Journal, It is located in southwestern Flint, and is surrounded by Flint Township to the north, east and west; and Mundy Township to the south.
The third-busiest airport in Michigan after those of Detroit and Grand Rapids, it surpassed competitor MBS near Saginaw in terms of airline operations in 2002. 1,071,238 passengers used Bishop International Airport in 2007; 687,489 passengers used the airport in 2025.Measures of Michigan Air Carrier Demand , Michigan Department of Transportation, Retrieved March 14, 2026.
It is included in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2021–2025, in which it is categorized as a non-hub primary commercial service facility.
The airport is currently served by three passenger airlines: Allegiant Air operates mainline service out of the airport, and regional services are provided by affiliates of United Express and American Eagle. The airlines offer passenger flights to 13 cities across the United States. The airport became a focus city for Allegiant on February 19, 2022. The airport also includes a freight terminal used by FedEx Express and an affiliate of FedEx Feeder.
Accompanying the airlines is fixed-base operator AvFlight, which handles both general aviation and airline operations. Also based at the airport are flight schools Greater Flint Pilots Association, American Wings Aviation, and Crosswinds Aviation.American Wings Aviation – Flint, Michigan Pilot Career CenterFlight school for high school students opens at Bishop International Airport WJRT-TV (ABC 12), September 10, 2019
History In 1928, the Arthur Giles Bishop family gave to the City of Flint 220 acres for aeronautical purposes. The city-operated Bishop Airport until 1987 when the city and Genesee County formed the Bishop International Airport Authority to run the airport.
The renovation and expansion of the current terminal, originally built in 1993, was designed by Reynolds, Smith & Hills.
Historic airline service When the current terminal was completed in 1993, most airlines serving Flint were using propeller aircraft, which included Northwest Airlink (the regional service of Northwest Airlines) and Skyway Airlines (operating as Midwest Connect). USAir was the only airline providing jet service at the time, which they operated to their hub in Pittsburgh. Northwest Airlines, who operated a major hub nearby at Detroit Metropolitan Airport, would upgrade most of their flights from Detroit to Flint (and other Michigan cities) to DC 9 jets in 1996.
In 1997 ValuJet Airlines began service to Flint, which became Flint's first low-cost carrier. ValuJet was merged into AirTran Airways later that year, who continued to provide flights to Atlanta. The success of AirTran's flights led them to increase service which prompted Northwest Airlines to also increase service to Flint. For much of the 2000s, competition between AirTran and Northwest brought growth in air service to Flint which included flights to Florida and Las Vegas. Competition between the two airlines was so heavy, both airlines would often announce new competing services within days of each other.
In 2001 Delta Air Lines began flights to Flint starting with Delta Connection flights to their hub in Cincinnati which operated for a few years. Delta flights to their hub in Atlanta were added in 2003.
In 2002 ATA Connection (operated by Chicago Express Airlines) began flights from Flint to Chicago Midway Airport using Saab 340 turboprop aircraft. ATA Connection also briefly operated flights to Indianapolis before ATA Airlines shutdown ATA Connection in 2005. American Eagle subsequently started flights to Chicago O'Hare International Airport by the end of that year. American Eagle also had flights from Flint to Dallas/Fort Worth and LaGuardia Airport in New York in the late 2000s.
Northwest Airlines was merged into Delta Air Lines in 2008. After the merger, Delta continued to operate flights to Detroit and Minneapolis/St. Paul (both of which were previously operated by Northwest) in addition to their service to Atlanta. However, Delta discontinued the short flights to Detroit in 2013.
United Express added flights to Chicago O'Hare International Airport in 2014 after discontinuing flights to Cleveland (which had started years earlier by United's predecessor Continental Airlines).
AirTran was merged into Southwest Airlines in 2011. Southwest continued to serve Flint briefly following the merger and offered Boeing 737 flights from Flint to Las Vegas, Orlando, Tampa, Baltimore, and seasonal service to Fort Myers before dropping them and serving only Chicago Midway Airport in 2016. While flights to Midway were full, Southwest did not see adequate profit from the short flight and ceased service to Flint in 2018.
After Southwest's service downgrade in 2016, Allegiant Air saw the demand in Flint for low cost flights to popular tourist destinations and began service to Orlando/Sanford and Tampa/Clearwater – St. Petersburg in 2016. The success of those routes led to additional service to Punta Gorda, Florida, in 2018 and seasonal service to both Ft. Lauderdale and Myrtle Beach.
Although Allegiant was a welcome to passengers at Flint, the lack of daily flights that Southwest had offered plus the Delta Connection cancellation of their twice daily Minneapolis flight led Flint to their lowest passenger numbers in over a decade. Statistics from the airport for 2018 show the number of passengers boarding flights at Bishop down about 10%: from 400,781 in 2017 to 360,609 in 2018, the lowest number of departing flights from Flint since 2002. Allegiant Air added service between Flint and Nashville on June 5, 2020. On November 17, 2020, Allegiant announced it would begin service between Flint and Las Vegas, starting March 4, 2021. Allegiant has announced it will offer service to Boston and Jacksonville, Florida starting in March 2022.Flint Bishop Airport announces new routes to Boston and Jacksonville WEYI-TV, December 7, 2021 In February 2022, Flint became an operating base for Allegiant Air. Allegiant began service between Flint and Savannah, Georgia on April 15, 2022.Jeltema, Ryan. Allegiant announces new flight from Flint to Georgia, ABC 12 News, February 1, 2022, retrieved February 1, 2022
Despite the 2018 results, early 2019 saw Allegiant become the number-one air carrier in Flint, carrying 41% of Flint's passengers in February. Envoy Air (as American Eagle) also started a fourth daily flight to Chicago O'Hare. On April 11, 2019, PSA Airlines (as American Eagle) announced twice daily service to Charlotte to begin in September 2019. American's flights to Charlotte were discontinued in 2022.
Delta Air Lines indefinitely suspended their last remaining service from Flint to Atlanta due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on aviation. Despite ending Flint service, Delta still serves nearby airports such as MBS International Airport near Saginaw and Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Romulus.
Renovations
In early February 2007, Bishop International Airport unveiled a comprehensive five-year developmental plan that would be slated for continuation through late 2011. The program called for two phases of "Intermodal Facility Development," including the expansion of the West Cargo Apron, what is now known as the Abex and Emory GVA Freight Ramp, located on the airport's northwest side.
In May 2009, Bishop International Airport began Phase I of its Terminal Airside & Concourse Improvements program. Projects under this phase were developed in 2008. Included in this phase are upgrades to the terminal ramp, upon which the passenger concourse resides; the permanent closure and deconstruction of Runway 5/23; and the acquisition of new land for an envisioned Runway 09L/27R, which was scheduled to be designed in 2009 and constructed in 2010.
Runway 5/23 was closed permanently on May 4, 2009FNT NOTAM 05/006 "RWY 5/23 CLSD PERM. WIE UNTIL UFN. CREATED: 04 MAY 12:34 2009" as progress continued in the Capital Improvement Program.
The renovation and expansion of the terminal, originally built in 1993, was designed by Reynolds, Smith & Hills.Security process at Bishop International airport eases for seniors The Flint Journal via MLive.com June 1, 2012
On April 24, 2012, the airport's board of directors approved a $1.348 million project to repair the airport's ramp.Flint Bishop International Airport board approves $1.3 million repair of tarmac The Flint Journal via MLive.com, April 24, 2012 On September 19, 2012, it was announced that the Federal Aviation Administration approved a grant to fund the project.Federal $1.4 million grant for Bishop International Airport will help pay for pavement The Flint Journal via MLive.com, September 19, 2012
On October 6, 2012, a new Transportation Security Administration checkpoint opened in the terminal.Bishop International Airport opens new TSA checkpoint as part of $16.8 million renovation project The Flint Journal via MLive.com, October 6, 2012
The completed terminal was dedicated on November 13, 2012.Bishop International Airport to hold dedication for $16.8 million addition The Flint Journal via MLive.com, November 12, 2012
The airport's board allocated an additional $10.9 million for upgrades in 2013 and 2014.Bishop International Airport looks to make $10.9 million in improvements for next two years The Flint Journal via MLive.com, December 1, 2012
On August 29, 2013, the airport received a $2.87 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation, which was used to repair taxiways and lighting and to buy a replacement snow truck.Flint's Bishop International Airport gets $2.9 million US grant WNEM-TV, August 29, 2013
On September 28, 2017, the airport received a $4.302 million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration which will be used to rehabilitate the pavement of Taxiway C, construct asphalt shoulders and install runway guard lights at each access point to the runway.Bishop International Airport to receive $4 million grant WEYI-TV (NBC 25), September 28, 2017
On July 30, 2018, the FAA gave the airport a $4,012,542 grant for taxiway construction, rehabilitation and lighting.Bishop Airport gets $4 million in federal grants for improvements The Flint Journal via MLive.com, August 1, 2018
On June 5, 2019, the FAA gave the airport $8,056,505 for runway reconstruction, the addition of runway shoulders, and enhancements to the runway's lighting system.Bishop Airport will rebuild, improve runway with $8-million grant The Flint Journal via MLive.com, June 5, 2019
On August 8, 2024, the airport received $2 million from the FAA for upgrades to the gate counters, ticket counters, information displays, and a new service road and taxilane on the field. Also on that date, Michigan Congressman Dan Kildee said he plans to seek another $4.5 million in the 2025 federal budget for undisclosed safety and accessibility improvements.Bishop International Airport gets nearly $2 million for improvements WJRT-TV, August 8, 2024
Facilities Bishop International Airport covers 1,550 acres (6 km²) and has two runways:
Runway 18/36: 7,849 × 150 ft. (2,392 × 46 m), surface: asphalt/concrete Runway 09/27: 7,201 × 150 ft. (2,195 × 46 m), surface: asphalt