In June, the Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport in Wichita, Kan., opened a new 275,000-sf, 12-gate terminal. According to an airport press release, the new facility “expresses …Wichita’s globally prominent position in Aviation as the Air Capital of the World.” The $200 million-plus terminal (which includes a new consolidated rental car facility) can handle two million passengers annually. It was designed (by HTNB) to support future growth up to 2.4 million.
Passenger traffic at the airport (formerly known as Wichita Mid-Continent Airport) was about 1.5 million in 2014, up 6% from the previous year. As of mid-2015, it is running about even with last year, says Victor White, Wichita Airport Authority’s Director of Airports.
Regional airports like Eisenhower National—which offers flights to and from Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis-St. Paul, and Phoenix—are doing everything they can to hold onto business. But small-to-midsize airports are still battling for their lives, as big carriers are cut or eliminate service to non-hub cities.
A 2013 report from Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s International Center for Air Transportation found that small- and medium-sized airports ”have been disproportionally affected by reductions in service,” with medium-sized airports having felt “the biggest brunt” of airline network strategies.
This report predicts that smaller airports close to major hubs could be at risk of losing all of their carrier service by 2018. That’s bad news for local municipalities that see their airports as economic engines.
San Luis Obispo County (Calif.) Regional Airport is a case in point. In 2008 Delta ceased service to Salt Lake City, U.S. Air discontinued flights to Las Vegas, and American Airlines pulled out of the airport altogether. About 60% of travelers in this region now fly out of Los Angeles or the San Francisco Bay Area, according to The Tribune, a newspaper that covers this market.
County officials believe San Luis Obispo’s prosperity hinges on its airport’s growth. Despite ongoing discussions with several carriers, the airport has had trouble finding airlines willing to provide service to Dallas, Salt Lake, or Denver.
White says that over the past decade, Wichita’s airport has managed to grow through aggressive marketing and airline recruitment. Four of the nation’s largest carriers—American, Delta, United, and Southwest—all fly out of Eisenhower, as does Allegiant Air, which caters to leisure travelers.
Wichita’s airport was also one of the first to offer incentives to carriers in the form of guaranteeing revenue and other subsidies, a practice that is now common among small and medium size airports. “Southwest Airlines wouldn’t have come here if we hadn’t provided guarantees and subsidies,” White says.
Rent income from airlines is one of the revenue streams that Wichita tapped to pay for its new terminal, along with user fees, commissions on retail sales, and a $4.50 per passenger facility fee. It also received a $60 million FAA grant, and another $7 million from TSA, says White.
The MIT report noted that while airlines have been grounding their older, smaller turbo planes and moving to larger jets with more seats, they still aren’t offering small and midsize airports enough flights to match demand.
At Eisenhower, White says that carriers are mostly flying Airbus or Boeing jets. But, he’s quick to add, demand continues to outpace availability. “The biggest complaint that passengers have is that flights are too full and it is hard to find a seat at the time and price they want to fly.”
Related Stories
MFPRO+ News | Mar 1, 2024
Housing affordability, speed of construction are top of mind for multifamily architecture and construction firms
The 2023 Multifamily Giants get creative to solve the affordability crisis, while helping their developer clients build faster and more economically.
Multifamily Housing | Feb 29, 2024
Manny Gonzalez, FAIA, inducted into Best in American Living Awards Hall of Fame
Manny Gonzalez, FAIA, has been inducted into the BALA Hall of Fame.
K-12 Schools | Feb 29, 2024
Average age of U.S. school buildings is just under 50 years
The average age of a main instructional school building in the United States is 49 years, according to a survey by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). About 38% of schools were built before 1970. Roughly half of the schools surveyed have undergone a major building renovation or addition.
MFPRO+ Research | Feb 28, 2024
New download: BD+C's 2023 Multifamily Amenities report
New research from Building Design+Construction and Multifamily Pro+ highlights the 127 top amenities that developers, property owners, architects, contractors, and builders are providing in today’s apartment, condominium, student housing, and senior living communities.
AEC Tech | Feb 28, 2024
How to harness LIDAR and BIM technology for precise building data, equipment needs
By following the Scan to Point Cloud + Point Cloud to BIM process, organizations can leverage the power of LIDAR and BIM technology at the same time. This optimizes the documentation of existing building conditions, functions, and equipment needs as a current condition and as a starting point for future physical plant expansion projects.
Data Centers | Feb 28, 2024
What’s next for data center design in 2024
Nuclear power, direct-to-chip liquid cooling, and data centers as learning destinations are among the emerging design trends in the data center sector, according to Scott Hays, Sector Leader, Sustainable Design, with HED.
Windows and Doors | Feb 28, 2024
DOE launches $2 million prize to advance cost-effective, energy-efficient commercial windows
The U.S. Department of Energy launched the American-Made Building Envelope Innovation Prize—Secondary Glazing Systems. The program will offer up to $2 million to encourage production of high-performance, cost-effective commercial windows.
AEC Innovators | Feb 28, 2024
How Suffolk Construction identifies ConTech and PropTech startups for investment, adoption
Contractor giant Suffolk Construction has invested in 27 ConTech and PropTech companies since 2019 through its Suffolk Technologies venture capital firm. Parker Mundt, Suffolk Technologies’ Vice President–Platforms, recently spoke with Building Design+Construction about his company’s investment strategy.
Performing Arts Centers | Feb 27, 2024
Frank Gehry-designed expansion of the Colburn School performing arts center set to break ground
In April, the Colburn School, an institute for music and dance education and performance, will break ground on a 100,000-sf expansion designed by architect Frank Gehry. Located in downtown Los Angeles, the performing arts center will join the neighboring Walt Disney Concert Hall and The Grand by Gehry, forming the largest concentration of Gehry-designed buildings in the world.
Construction Costs | Feb 27, 2024
Experts see construction material prices stabilizing in 2024
Gordian’s Q1 2024 Quarterly Construction Cost Insights Report brings good news: Although there are some materials whose prices have continued to show volatility, costs at a macro level are returning to a level of stability, suggesting predictable historical price escalation factors.