Turning challenge into opportunity: How Flint Bishop Airport is punching above its weight

While major hub airports often dominate the spotlight, it’s regional airports like Flint Bishop International Airport (FNT) in southeast Michigan that are quietly redefining resilience and innovation. From pandemic-era pivots to international expansion goals, Sapone shares what it means to lead with purpose at a mid-sized airport, and why being small might just be Flint’s greatest strength.

“It takes partnership with the community and regional partners to really make the airport thrive.” That is the philosophy that guides Nino Sapone as he leads Flint Bishop through a critical growth period. “Even though an airport like Flint has been there for a long time,” Sapone stated, “people really didn’t realise the service was there as we’re overshadowed by some bigger airports, like Detroit Metro. So, it’s like a hidden jewel.”

Terminal transformation: rooted in local identity

A key project in 2025 is the complete overhaul of Flint Bishop’s terminal, supported by a nearly $2 million FAA grant. “Most of that money is going toward the second phase of our airside terminal project,” Sapone explained. “It’s going to have all new ticketing counters and an all-new building.”

But this isn’t just about bricks and mortar. “For the first time, we’re going to put in terrazzo flooring in Flint, and it’s going to be focused on the Flint demographics,” he added. “Downtown Flint’s famous buildings will literally be embedded in the floor. We want it to be a sense of place for the community.”

Credit: FNT

Passenger experience and digital upgrades

The passenger experience is getting a tech boost, too. “We’re redoing all our flight information display systems,” said Sapone. “There’ll be large, new monitors and an interactive screen at the entrance — you can ask questions, and it’ll react with you. That’s going to make the customer experience a lot better.”

Outdated internal systems are also being overhauled to support more efficient operations — and more revenue. “There’s so much more opportunity for marketing, branding, advertising,” he noted. “We’ll be able to get revenue from brands marketing on our own equipment.”

Credit: FNT

Open to innovation, always

Sapone is keen to position Flint as a testing ground for new ideas. “Throughout my career, I’ve always partnered with innovation companies,” he said. “During the pandemic, we partnered with an Italian company, they brought in helmets with GPS and temperature reading. Our officers could look at you and read your temperature. Taking temperatures was the biggest thing back then.”

Now, the airport regularly works with consultants and tech firms to trial emerging systems. “We’re open for business as a test bed,” he emphasised.

Sustainability at the core

Sustainability is built into every major capital project at Flint. “We’re changing all our lights to LED,” said Sapone. “We just built a new fire station with a federal grant — over $10 million — and a lot of sustainability features were part of the design.”

Natural heating is also part of the strategy. “We added a lot of glass to bring heat into the terminal,” he said. “That really helps reduce the load on our HVAC systems.”

Credit: FNT

Big ambitions, international reach

One of Sapone’s top ambitions? Establishing an international service. However, smaller airports face hurdles in accessing Customs and Border Protection (CBP) resources.

“We want to build an international terminal and start international traffic,” he said. “But we can’t get the co-operation from CBP. They don’t have the resources, and they can’t allocate staff to our facility.”

Sapone hopes a new administration in Homeland Security will bring change. “We’re competing with CBP resources going to the borders. That takes away from airports like ours. We’re working with them and hoping we can make it work.”

Credit: FNT

2025 challenges and opportunities

Looking ahead, Sapone is realistic about the pressures facing commercial aviation. “Airlines have a lot of constraints, such as capacity, pilot shortages, staffing,” he said. “And the biggest thing is Boeing. One airline we deal with was supposed to get eight or nine Boeing aircraft by the end of 2024. They only got one.”

But there’s also reason for optimism. “There’s a mega site — a thousand acres, the biggest in the country — right next to the airport, slated for chip manufacturing. That’s going to bring a thousand jobs. Being the hometown airport for that business community is going to be big.”

Punching above its weight

At Flint Bishop International, challenge is the mother of creativity. From community-integrated design to smart digital upgrades and innovation, the airport is proving that scale is no barrier to leadership.

Sapone sums it up best: “It takes partnerships to thrive. We might be small, but we’re open — and we’re ready.”