WATERLOO -- The 7 a.m. flight out of Waterloo Regional Airport is scheduled to resume May 3, airport director Brad Hagen confirmed Wednesday at the airport's board of director's meeting.

The early connecting flight to Minneapolis had been out of commission since early March, when a series of cancellations were attributed to "pilot attrition" by operator Pinnacle Airlines. Starting in April, Northwest Airlines removed the 7 a.m. flight from Waterloo's schedule but promised to reinstate it in May.

Hagen also said the airport is expecting an upgrade from Northwest this fall but hopes to receive it by this summer. The upgrade could include either an additional flight out of Waterloo, or a replacement of one of the airport's 34-seat Saab 340 Turboprops with a CRJ regional jet.

"We have another meeting scheduled with Northwest," said Hagen. "Since the Pinnacle issue, we have spoken with Northwest many times, but it has mostly been with individuals. We are hoping to sit down with Northwest's airline planners and marketing staff."

Hagen said the upgrade could take between two and three months after its announcement to be put in place because seats would need to be sold in advance.

The board also discussed potential plans for a skydiving event to coincide with this year's My Waterloo Days Festival May 31 through June 3. Livingston Aviation would host the event at the airport, and Hagen speculated that it would include both professional skydivers and tandem opportunities for residents. He said that plans had not been confirmed because of insurance issues, but that the airport was excited to host the event.

The board approved Waterloo Regional's request for $109,067 in funds from the Iowa Office of Aviation for upgrades in fiscal year 2008. The most significant cost was $91,000 to renovate the airport's 35-year old T-hangar. Another $10,067 was requested to repair and seal the roof of the airport maintenance building, and $4,000 was requested to replace the lighting system in the airport's administration building. Finally, the airport requested $4,000 for the engineering design of the three projects.

The Pinnacle flight cancellations had a ripple effect on other areas of the airport. The airport's restaurant, the Wings of John H. Livingston, has been struggling to stay afloat amid declining traffic. C.E. "Satch" Paige, who opened the restaurant in April 2006, said he had cut most of his staff and failed to receive financial assistance from the city. The restaurant's struggles dated back to before the cancellations, and Paige said that if the situation did not improve, he would be forced to close the restaurant.

Contact Drew Andersen at (319) 291-1418 or drew.andersen@wcfcourier.com.