Airport celebrates 70th year in west Wichita
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Wichita’s Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport celebrated its 70th year at its current location in west Wichita.
The airport officially opened its doors in October 1954 after moving from southeast Wichita, where it once shared a runway with McConnell Air Force Base. The old airport location is now the home of the Kansas Aviation Museum.
The airport changed its name to Mid-Continent Airport after Kansas City changed its airport’s name from Mid-Continent to Kansas City International Airport. In 2014, the airport’s name changed again to Eisenhower National Airport in honor of the Kansas native and 34th President of the United States.
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On Monday, officials celebrated the airport’s milestone and its being named No. 3 in USA Today’s 10 best small airports for 2023. The festivities included free food for visitors, as well as games and prize giveaways.
“We have served since 1954 nearly 75 million passengers that have traveled through this airport, which is a pretty phenomenal Achievement,” says Valerie Wise, Air Service & Marketing manager for the Wichita Airport Authority. “The airport is for the public. This is their airport they have helped us to grow here over the past 70 years.”
Airport travel has continued to climb, with February travel setting another travel record. The airport credits expanded service from the airlines to more locations for the increase in traffic.
For more information about the airport, including flight and travel information, click here.
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