WICHITA, Kansas (KWCH) – From across the country to Wichita, it’s been a record-breaking year for air traffic. Kansas’ largest airport has surpassed the million-passenger mark. In July alone, more than 176,000 air travelers arrived at Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport, beating last year’s record by nearly 5%.
It’s been a breakthrough year for Wichita’s main airport, with several records broken. Many who spoke to 12 News on Wednesday attributed Eisenhower’s success to one thing: the ease of getting in and out of the airport.
Eisenhower ranked third on USA Today’s list of the country’s best small hub airports last year. July’s total number of travelers for the Wichita airport brought the annual total to over 1 million. Eisenhower National Airport saw a 12% increase in flights and a nearly 4% increase in seats.
“I like it because it’s faster and more convenient,” says air traveler Amanda Quinn, summing up what she loves about flying through Wichita.
Record numbers and more direct flights from Wichita are boosting the local economy, said John Rolfe, president and CEO of the Wichita Chamber of Commerce.
“We firmly believe that we will continue our economic growth and will certainly bring benefits to our companies based here and in the region,” he said.
As an advocate for more direct flights from Wichita, the Chamber’s Aviation Services Committee is working directly with the airport to achieve even better service close to the home airport.
“So these are things that we are looking forward to and hope will become a reality and benefit all of us here, our residents as well as our business community,” Rolfe said.
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