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Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport

Coordinates: 37°39′0″N 97°25′59″W / 37.65000°N 97.43306°W / 37.65000; -97.43306
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Not to be confused with Wichita Falls Municipal Airport.

Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerCity of Wichita
OperatorWichita Airport Authority
ServesSouth Central Kansas (Wichita/Hutchinson, Kansas)
LocationWichita, Kansas, United States[1]
OpenedMarch 31, 1935; 89 years ago (1935-03-31)
Elevation AMSL1,333 ft / 406.3 m
Coordinates37°39′0″N 97°25′59″W / 37.65000°N 97.43306°W / 37.65000; -97.43306
Websiteflywichita.com
Maps
FAA airport diagram
FAA airport diagram
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
1L/19R 10,302 3,140 Concrete
1R/19L 7,302 2,226 Concrete
14/32 6,301 1,921 Concrete
Statistics (2023)
Passengers1,721,990 Increase12.18%

Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (IATA: ICT, ICAO: KICT, FAA LID: ICT) is a commercial airport 7 miles (11 km) west of downtown Wichita, Kansas, United States. It is the largest and busiest airport in the state of Kansas. Located south of US-54 in southwest Wichita, it covers 3,248 acres (1,314 ha) and contains three runways.[2][3]

The airport is also referred to as Eisenhower National Airport or by its former name Mid-Continent Airport. The airport code, ICT, is also a nickname for the city.[4] It was known as Wichita Mid-Continent Airport from 1973 until 2014, when it was renamed for Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States from 1953 to 1961. His boyhood home, museum, and Presidential Library are at the Eisenhower Presidential Center in Abilene, Kansas. The name change was approved by the city of Wichita in May 2014,[5] and made official by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on November 13, 2014. A new terminal opened on Wednesday, June 3, 2015.[6]

The airport is the site of the Cessna headquarters and main manufacturing plant,[7] as well as a Bombardier service center for Learjet and other business jet aircraft.[8]

History

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Since 1924, the largest airport in Wichita has had three major terminals, including the moving of its location from the southeast to southwest side of the city.

Wichita Municipal Airport

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In October 1924, the city of Wichita hosted more than 100,000 people for the National Air Congress. The event was used by city planners to raise funds for a proposed Wichita Municipal Airport. The event was a success and ground-breaking ceremonies for the airport were held on June 28, 1929. The airport was then about 6 miles (10 km) southeast of the older Wichita city limits. Wichita Municipal Airport was officially dedicated on March 31, 1935.

In August 1941, during World War II, the Kansas National Guard 127th Observation Squadron was activated as the first military unit assigned to the Wichita airport.

By the summer of 1950, Boeing was ready to turn out the first production B-47 Stratojets and the United States Air Force sought to make Wichita Airport a permanent military installation. Public hearings began to consider locating an Air Force base near the Wichita Boeing facilities, and the city of Wichita was awarded $9.4 million to build a new airfield for its own use.

On May 31, 1951, the USAF took title to the airport. Civil and military flights shared the airport until the new city airport was completed in October 1954. The Wichita Municipal Airport was renamed Wichita Air Force Base, then renamed again to its current name of McConnell Air Force Base.[9]

The original terminal was eventually acquired by the City of Wichita in 1980. Volunteers entered the building in the late 1980s with wheelbarrows and shovels and began the arduous cleaning task. It was named the Kansas Aviation Museum and opened on April 19, 1991, to showcase Kansas aviation history.

Wichita Mid-Continent Airport

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In 1951 the United States Air Force brought proceedings to condemn and acquire the Wichita Municipal Airport for what was to become McConnell Air Force Base. Wichita's park board quickly acquired 1,923 acres (778 ha) of land in southwest Wichita and the construction of a new "Wichita Municipal Airport" took about three and a half years. The Airport opened to general aviation traffic in 1953 and airline flights moved to the new airport on April 1, 1954. The new airport was dedicated on October 31, 1954, with two runways. It became Wichita Mid-Continent Airport in 1973 after Kansas City renamed its Mid-Continent Airport to Kansas City International Airport.

The airport's ICT designation is an abbreviation for Wichita. At the time the FCC prohibited airport codes starting with "K" or "W," which the standard starting letters for radio stations in the United States, by international treaty. Naming conventions of the time then called for the second letter of the city to be used and then use any phonetics to make it easier to identify. Similarly, Kansas City could not get a KCI designation when it renamed its Mid-Continent International Airport to Kansas City International Airport in 1972 (so Kansas City still has MCI as its designation). IATA is reluctant to change designations once they appear on maps.

The April 1957 Official Airline Guide shows 11 weekday departures on Braniff, 10 TWA, 4 Continental, 3 Central and 2 Ozark. Nonstop flights did not reach beyond Denver, Amarillo, Oklahoma City and Kansas City. In 1964 TWA had the first scheduled jet flights.

Two concourses attached to the terminal building with 10 gates were built in 1976. The ticketing areas were renovated and two gates were added in 1985.[10] A $6 million renovation of the terminal was completed in 1989.[11]

Since 1991 the airfield has also hosted the Bombardier Aerospace Flight Test Centre (BFTC, former Learjet facility)[12][13]

Old Terminal

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Chicago-bound ExpressJet sitting on the ramp (2009)

The Old Terminal had two concourses, named East and West, each with six gates. The Old Terminal closed permanently on June 2, 2015, and was later demolished. The East Concourse was served by Allegiant Air, American Airlines, and Delta Air Lines at the time of its closure; it had previously served Continental, Northwest, Seaport Airlines, TWA, Vanguard and Western Pacific. The West Concourse had Southwest Airlines and United Airlines at the time of its closure; it was previously served by Air Midwest, AirTran, Braniff, Frontier, Republic Airlines, Western Airlines, and USAir Express (later US Airways Express).

Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport

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Check-in at new terminal (2015)

On March 4, 2014, the Wichita City Council approved changing the name from Wichita Mid-Continent Airport to Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport, in honor of former president, general, and Kansas native Dwight D. Eisenhower.[14][15]

Groundbreaking ceremonies for the new terminal took place on September 13, 2012.[16] Construction started on October 9, 2012. The new terminal opened on June 3, 2015.[17] The previous terminal has been demolished, as the new terminal became fully operational.

The new terminal is just west of the previous terminal. The two-story, 272,000 sq ft (25,300 m2). terminal, designed by HNTB, is a modern architectural design expressing Wichita's prominent position in the aviation industry.[18] Other contractors included AECOM, providing project management services, and Key/Walbridge Joint Venture, serving as the general contractor.[19] Aviation themed exhibits are part of the terminal's design. Major elements include:[20]

  • New terminal roadway and covered curb with separate lanes for private and commercial vehicles.
  • Terminal building with enlarged ticketing and baggage claim on the main entry level.
  • Upper level concourse with departure lounges, concessions and expanded passenger security screening.
  • 12 boarding gates, each with a boarding bridge. Up to 16 boarding bridges total.
  • Original tenant airlines; American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines each leased two gates. Allegiant Air leased one gate.
  • Baggage handling systems with inline explosives detection security screening.
  • Enhanced pre-security and post-security concessions and passenger services.
  • Consolidated rental car facility counters, plus close-in parking and car return located in the covered garage.
  • Covered daily, short and long term parking in a multi-level garage directly across from the new terminal.
  • Short-term and long-term public parking plus a new expanded Park & Ride shuttle parking lot.
  • Parking with at least 3,000 spaces.
  • New communications, life safety and security systems.
  • New aircraft apron for the new terminal and gates.
  • Free wifi[21]

The New Terminal/Concourse opened on June 3, 2015. The airport has one terminal and one concourse with 12 gates, all with glass jetways that can accommodate most current commercial aircraft.

Airlines and destinations

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Passenger

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AirlinesDestinations
Alaska Airlines Seattle/Tacoma
Allegiant Air Las Vegas, Phoenix/Mesa, St. Petersburg/Clearwater
Seasonal: Destin/Fort Walton Beach, Los Angeles, Orlando/Sanford
American Airlines Dallas/Fort Worth
American Eagle Chicago–O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Phoenix–Sky Harbor,[22] Washington–National[23]
Seasonal: Miami[24]
Delta Air Lines Atlanta
Delta Connection Minneapolis/St. Paul
Southwest Airlines Denver, Las Vegas, St. Louis
Seasonal: Phoenix–Sky Harbor[25]
United Airlines Denver
Seasonal: Chicago–O'Hare, Houston–Intercontinental
United Express Chicago–O'Hare, Denver, Houston–Intercontinental

Cargo

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AirlinesDestinations
Amazon Air Fort Worth/Alliance (TX)[26]
FedEx Express Memphis (TN), Fort Worth/Alliance (TX), Garden City (KS), Tijuana (MEXICO)
UPS Airlines Louisville (KY), Oklahoma City (OK), Kansas City (MO), Springfield/Branson (MO)

Statistics

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Snow removal equipment (2011)

Aviation activity

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Annual passenger traffic at ICT airport. See Wikidata query.
Annual traffic[27]
Passenger volume Change over previous year Total aircraft operations Cargo tonnage
2000 1,227,083 Decrease01.70% 218,225 25,456
2001 1,129,381 Decrease07.96% 216,652 24,919
2002 1,337,270 Increase018.41% 204,007 34,743
2003 1,431,610 Increase07.05% 184,015 33,662
2004 1,498,749 Increase04.69% 176,089 37,328
2005 1,486,590 Decrease00.81% 176,554 38,749
2006 1,460,341 Decrease01.77% 178,925 39,058
2007 1,596,229 Increase09.31% 157,654 35,627
2008 1,619,075 Increase01.43% 167,419 33,170
2009 1,505,607 Decrease07.01% 145,691 25,992
2010 1,549,395 Increase02.91% 146,417 25,842
2011 1,536,354 Decrease00.84% 153,320 24,134
2012 1,509,206 Decrease01.77% 165,035 23,258
2013 1,505,514 Decrease00.24% 149,377 24,263
2014 1,533,669 Increase01.87% 133,198 25,606
2015 1,571,348 Increase02.46% 117,867 25,772
2016 1,602,311 Increase01.97% 115,402 25,134
2017 1,620,240 Increase01.12% 111,581 25,356
2018 1,665,116 Increase02.77% 96,655 27,135
2019 1,749,906 Increase05.09% 105,465 28,758
2020 791,200 Decrease054.79% 82,924 28,292
2021 1,285,070 Increase063.28% 94,599 31,276
2022 1,534,965 Increase019.45% 109,448 30,136
2023 1,721,990 Increase012.18% 114,293 26,568
Source: Wichita Airport Authority Aviation Activity Report[28]

Top destinations

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Busiest domestic routes from ICT
(May 2023 – April 2024)[29]
Rank Airport Passengers Carriers
1 Texas Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas 186,660 American
2 Colorado Denver, Colorado 185,160 Southwest, United
3 Georgia (U.S. state) Atlanta, Georgia 109,790 Delta
4 Illinois Chicago, Illinois 105,270 American, United
5 Missouri St. Louis, Missouri 65,480 Southwest
6 Texas Houston, Texas 57,330 United
7 Nevada Las Vegas, Nevada 38,140 Allegiant, Southwest
8 Minnesota Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota 21,560 Delta
9 Washington (state) Seattle, Washington 20,960 Alaska
10 Arizona Phoenix, Arizona 18,380 American, Southwest

Airline market share

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Largest airlines at ICT
(May 2023 – April 2024)[30]
Rank Carrier Passengers Share
1 Southwest 373,000 21.74%
2 Envoy 255,000 14.88%
3 SkyWest 227,000 13.23%
4 Delta 199,000 11.59%
5 American 160,000 9.33%
- Other 502,000 29.23%

Accidents and incidents

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National Weather Service office, located west of the runways along Tyler Road (2010)
  • On October 10, 2000, 2:52 PM, a Canadair Challenger CL-604 (CL-600-2B16) crashed during an experimental test flight. The plane burst into flames on impact with part of the wreckage landing on Tyler Road along the west side of the airport. Investigators say the crash was a result of pilot error and shifting fuel. The pilot and flight test engineer were killed. The copilot was seriously injured and died 36 days later.[31][32]
  • On December 13, 2013, Terry Lee Loewen, an avionics technician, was arrested for attempting to bomb the airport.[33][34][35] A Muslim-convert, he is alleged to have spent several months planning a suicide attack with a car-load of explosives.[36]
  • On January 19, 2014, 12:30 AM, an Oklahoma man rammed his pickup truck through a security gate at the airport and was found waving documents at a small plane.[37][38]
  • On October 30, 2014, 9:49 AM, a twin-engine Beechcraft B200 Super King Air 200 lost power in one engine during takeoff then crashed into the two-story FlightSafety International training building several blocks northeast of the airport terminal at 37°39′35″N 97°25′30″W / 37.6597524°N 97.4250192°W / 37.6597524; -97.4250192. The building sustained serious damage, including the collapse of walls and a portion of the roof. The airplane had one person aboard it, the pilot, who died. Four people died, including three in the facility, and six were injured.[39][40][41] See 2014 Wichita King Air crash for full details.
  • On October 20, 2023, 6:55 PM, a Cessna 172 had to make an emergency landing near Towne West Mall due to engine failure. The Cessna 172, registration N1413Y, landed on Tracy Street, hitting a few street signs. The pilot, a 27-year-old female suffered minor injuries.[42]

Nearby airports

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "GNIS Detail - Wichita Dwight D Eisenhower National Airport". geonames.usgs.gov.
  2. ^ FAA Airport Form 5010 for ICT PDF, effective December 30, 2021.
  3. ^ "ICT airport data at skyvector.com". skyvector.com. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  4. ^ "Travel Translator: Your guide to the local language in Wichita". VisitWichita.com. March 29, 2021.
  5. ^ "Wichita to be restored to new airport name". kansas.
  6. ^ "First flight departs new Eisenhower Airport terminal". KWCH 12. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
  7. ^ "The Center for Land Use Interpretation". clui.org. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
  8. ^ "Wichita Service Centre". Bombardier Business Aircraft. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
  9. ^ "A Brief History of the 22nd Air Refueling Wing and McConnell Air Force Base" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 28, 2015.
  10. ^ "City of Wichita Airport Terminal Workshop" (PDF).
  11. ^ "About Mid-Continent – Wichita Mid-Continent Airport". Flywichita.org.
  12. ^ Reynolds, Peter T.; Ranaudo, Richard J. (October 10, 2000). "The Bombardier Flight Test Center - Meeting the Challenge". SAE Technical Papers Series. SAE Technical Paper Series. 1. SAE. doi:10.4271/2000-01-5502.
  13. ^ Siebenmark, Jerry. "Third Bombardier Global 7000 test jet arrives in Wichita". The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  14. ^ Wilson, Bill. "Wichita's Mid-Continent Airport becomes Dwight D. Eisenhower National with council's backing". The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  15. ^ "Wichita City Council to Vote on Airport Name Change". KAKE News.
  16. ^ "City Celebrates New Terminal Groundbreaking". Wichita Airport Authority. September 13, 2012. Retrieved September 13, 2012.
  17. ^ "Eisenhower Airport opens with fanfare, 'virtually no glitches'". The Wichita Eagle. June 3, 2015. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
  18. ^ McMillan, Molly (December 21, 2011). "Wichita Mid-Continent Airport Opens Bidding for Terminal Construction". The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved June 15, 2013.
  19. ^ "Program Team". Wichita Airport Authority. Archived from the original on January 7, 2014. Retrieved June 15, 2013.
  20. ^ "Project Overview". Wichita Airport Authority. Retrieved September 6, 2011.
  21. ^ "Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT) - Pedro Carrion". Pedro Carrion. March 12, 2016. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  22. ^ Gray, Brandon (June 27, 2023). "American Airlines to add nonstop Phoenix-Jacksonville flights". KTAR.com.
  23. ^ "Wichita gets non-stop flights to Washington, D.C." KSN-TV. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  24. ^ "Palm trees and 80 degrees: American Airlines adds more ways to visit Miami with record-breaking winter schedule". American Airlines Newsroom. July 13, 2023. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  25. ^ "March 2023 Flight Schedule now available on Southwest.com". Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  26. ^ "Amazon Air Takes off in Wichita with Delivery". January 24, 2022.
  27. ^ "Aviation Activity Report". Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  28. ^ "Aviation Activity Report 2023" (PDF). flywichita.com. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
  29. ^ "Wichita, KS: Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT)". Bureau of Transportation Statistics. April 2024. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  30. ^ Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport, [1] | Publisher=Bureau of Transportation Statistics | Accessed August 2, 2024
  31. ^ Stephanie Diffin. "Bombardier Challenger Plane Crash Remembered".
  32. ^ "Aircraft Accident Report". www.ntsb.gov. Archived from the original on October 31, 2014.
  33. ^ Renee, Amy. "Travelers find airport operating as usual after bomb plot | Wichita Eagle". Kansas.com. Retrieved December 14, 2013.
  34. ^ FROSCH, DAN (December 13, 2013). "Wichita Airport Technician Charged With Terrorist Plot". The New York Times. Retrieved December 14, 2013.
  35. ^ "Arrest made in attempt to bomb Wichita airport, FBI says". Fox News. Retrieved December 14, 2013.
  36. ^ Pete Williams (December 13, 2013). "Feds say they disrupted suicide bomb plot by worker at Wichita airport". NBC.
  37. ^ "Man charged with property damage, trespassing after driving through Mid-Continent Airport fence". kansas.
  38. ^ "Oklahoma man who rammed truck through airport security gate pleads guilty to charges". kansas.
  39. ^ "Four dead after plane crashes into FlightSafety building in Wichita". KSN-TV.
  40. ^ "NTSB officials arrive to begin investigating crash at Wichita airport that killed 4 (VIDEOS)". kansas.
  41. ^ Harro Ranter (October 30, 2014). "ASN Aircraft accident Beechcraft B200 Super King Air N52SZ Wichita-Mid-Continent Airport, KS (ICT)".
  42. ^ KWCH Staff (October 21, 2023). "Small plane makes emergency landing near Towne West Mall". www.kwch.com. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
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