BEMIDJI — Travelers flying in and out of the Bemidji Regional Airport can expect to see more upgrades, thanks to a new round of federal grant funding.
Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith recently announced a secured grant from the bipartisan infrastructure law that created billions of dollars in grants for airport projects.
The Bemidji Regional Airport will receive $261,250 to expand its passenger terminal this year.
This is just one of a series of grants the regional airport has received since the law was enacted, starting with $95,000 in 2022.
Just last year, the airport was granted $6.5 million to resurface the main runway, a project that was completed in October.
The new funding, according to a news release, will address security checkpoint and congestion concerns.
"Our small and regional airports have been in desperate need of upgrades for too long, and this funding will go directly towards expanding the Bemidji Regional Airport’s Passenger Terminal, so travelers aren’t held up by unnecessarily long security lines and can focus on getting to their final destination,” stated Smith in a news release.
Bemidji’s airport has daily, direct flights to and from the Minneapolis airport. Last year, 21,687 passengers flew out of Bemidji on a commercial airline.
Airports in Duluth, Two Harbors and MSP also were awarded federal grants in this last cycle.
-
Contributed/Minnesota Department of Natural ResourcesThe intent of the ban is to reduce the risk of chronic wasting disease spread, following detections of CWD in wild deer in new areas of the state last year. -
Contributed/USDA Forest Service - Superior National ForestLate cancellations and no‑shows continue to climb, according to the U.S. Forest Service. In 2025, nearly 40% of January reservations were never used. -
Megan Buffington/KAXEThe business would grow, manufacture and sell cannabis out of the building off Highway 2, though there are still moving parts as far as the sale of the warehouse. -
Megan Buffington/KAXEMichael Hart escaped from a correctional facility and was later mistakenly released from jail. He was in custody for these charges when he escaped in 2025.
