Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport is a commercial airport west of downtown
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County, Kansas, Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 397,532. The Wichita metro area had ...
, 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.
[, effective December 30, 2021.]
The airport is referred to as Eisenhower National Airport or by its former name Mid-Continent Airport. The airport's airport code, ICT, is also a nickname for the city.
The airport was previously Wichita Mid-Continent Airport. The name was to be changed on March 31, 2015 by the city of Wichita,
but the official change occurred within the
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...
(FAA) on November 13, 2014 for a deadline to publish new aeronautical charts and airport directories. The new terminal opened on Wednesday, June 3, 2015.
Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower Airport offers flights on seven major airlines. Destinations include: Denver, Seattle, Los Angeles, Orlando, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Houston, Dallas, Chicago, Las Vegas, Destin, Phoenix, St. Louis.
The airport is named after
Dwight Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
, the
34th President of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...
from 1953 to 1961. His
boyhood home, museum, and Presidential Library are at the
Eisenhower Presidential Center
The Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home is the presidential library and museum of Dwight David Eisenhower, the 34th president of the United States (1953–1961), located in his hometown of Abilene, Kansas. The mu ...
in
Abilene, Kansas
Abilene (pronounced ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Dickinson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 6,460. It is home of The Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum and the G ...
.
The airport is the site of the
Cessna
Cessna () is an American brand of general aviation aircraft owned by Textron Aviation since 2014, headquartered in Wichita, Kansas. Originally, it was a brand of the Cessna Aircraft Company, an American general aviation aircraft manufacturing c ...
headquarters and main manufacturing plant, as well as a
Bombardier service center for
Learjet and other
business jet
A business jet, private jet, or bizjet is a jet aircraft designed for transporting small groups of people. Business jets may be adapted for other roles, such as the evacuation of casualties or express parcel deliveries, and some are used by pub ...
aircraft.
History
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
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 southeast of the older Wichita city limits. Wichita Municipal Airport was officially dedicated on March 31, 1935.
In August 1941, during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the Kansas
National Guard
National Guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards.
Nat ...
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 Stratojet
The Boeing B-47 Stratojet (Boeing company designation Model 450) is a retired American long-range, six-engined, turbojet-powered strategic bomber designed to fly at high subsonic speed and at high altitude to avoid enemy interceptor aircraft ...
s and the
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
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
McConnell Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located four miles (6 km) southeast of the central business district of Wichita, a city in Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States., effective 2007-12-20 The airbase was named in ...
.
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
The Kansas Aviation Museum is a museum located in Wichita, Kansas, United States, near 31st South and George Washington Blvd. The building was the former Wichita Municipal Airport terminal from 1935 to 1954.
The Museum features many display a ...
and opened on April 19, 1991 to showcase Kansas aviation history.
File:Low shot 2 R.jpg, Kansas Aviation Museum
The Kansas Aviation Museum is a museum located in Wichita, Kansas, United States, near 31st South and George Washington Blvd. The building was the former Wichita Municipal Airport terminal from 1935 to 1954.
The Museum features many display a ...
, former Wichita Municipal Airport terminal from 1935 to 1951, located in SE Wichita
File:Oct 7.jpg, Bas-relief
Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the ...
of the ''Spirit of St. Louis
The ''Spirit of St. Louis'' (formally the Ryan NYP, registration: N-X-211) is the custom-built, single-engine, single-seat, high-wing monoplane that was flown by Charles Lindbergh on May 20–21, 1927, on the first solo nonstop transatlant ...
'' crossing the Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...
above entrance
Wichita Mid-Continent Airport
In 1951 the
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
brought proceedings to condemn and acquire the Wichita Municipal Airport for what was to become
McConnell Air Force Base
McConnell Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located four miles (6 km) southeast of the central business district of Wichita, a city in Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States., effective 2007-12-20 The airbase was named in ...
. Wichita's park board quickly acquired 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 and became Wichita Mid-Continent Airport in 1973 after Kansas City renamed its Mid-Continent Airport to
Kansas City International Airport
Kansas City International Airport (originally Mid-Continent International Airport) is a public airport in Kansas City, Missouri located northwest of Downtown Kansas City in Platte County, Missouri., effective December 30, 2021. The airport o ...
.
The airport's ICT designation is an abbreviation for Wichita. At the time the
FCC
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdiction ...
prohibited airport codes starting with "K" or "W." 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
The International Air Transport Association (IATA ) is a trade association of the world's airlines founded in 1945. IATA has been described as a cartel since, in addition to setting technical standards for airlines, IATA also organized tariff ...
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. A $6 million renovation of the terminal was completed in 1989.
Since 1991 the airfield has also hosted the
Bombardier Aerospace
Bombardier Aviation is a division of Bombardier Inc. It is headquartered in Dorval, Quebec, Canada. Its most popular aircraft included the Dash 8 Series 400, CRJ100/200/440, and CRJ700/900/1000 lines of regional airliners, and the newer CS ...
Flight Test Centre (BFTC, former
Learjet facility)
On September 13, 2012 groundbreaking ceremonies were held for a new terminal building.
Old Terminal
The Old Terminal had an East & West Concourse, each with six gates. The Old Terminal and East & West Concourses closed for good on the night of June 2, 2015, and have been demolished.
East Concourse gates: 1 - 6
Airlines: Allegiant Air (6), American Airlines/American Eagle (5), Delta Air Lines/Delta Connection (1 & 2)
Former airlines: America West, Continental, Frontier (Current), Northwest, Seaport Airlines, TWA, Vanguard & Western Pacific
West Concourse Gates: 7 - 12
Airlines: Southwest Airlines (12) & United Airlines/United Express (8 & 10)
Former airlines: Air Midwest, AirTran, Braniff (Original), Frontier (Original), Republic Airlines (Original), Western Airlines & USAir Express (later US Airways Express)
Notes: Gates 3, 4, 7, 9 & 11 were vacant/unused in 2015. Gate 9 was unused for many years and had been converted into a cocktail lounge. Gate 11 was last used by Delta Air Lines/Delta Connection until they merged with Northwest Airlines and moved to the East Concourse in February 2010, this Gate was then converted to other use. Also in 2015, when the terminal closed, only gates 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 10 & 12 had boarding bridges.
File:Express Jet Wichita Mid-Continent Airport.jpg, Chicago-bound ExpressJet
ExpressJet Airlines was a Regional airline, regional List of defunct airlines of the United States (D–I), U.S. airline headquartered in College Park, Georgia. The company originally operated as a contracted Codeshare agreement, codeshare part ...
sitting on the ramp (2009)
File:Wichita Mid-Continent Airport Tarmac 1989.jpg, Tarmac with baggage handling equipment and an America West
America West Airlines was a major American airline, founded in 1981, with service commencing in 1983, and having reached US$1 billion in annual revenue in 1989, headquartered in Tempe, Arizona. At the time of its acquisition of US Airways, Americ ...
jet (1989)
Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport
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.
New Terminal
Groundbreaking ceremonies for the new terminal took place on September 13, 2012. Construction started on October 9, 2012. The new terminal opened on June 3, 2015. 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, . terminal, designed by
HNTB
HNTB Corporation is an American infrastructure design firm. Founded in 1914 in Kansas City, Missouri, HNTB began with the partnership made by Ernest Emmanuel Howard with the firm Waddell & Harrington, founded in 1907.
Considered as one of the m ...
, is a modern architectural design expressing Wichita's prominent position in the aviation industry. Other contractors included
AECOM
AECOM (, ; formerly AECOM Technology Corporation) is an American multinational infrastructure consulting firm.
AECOM has approximately 51,000 employees, and is number 157 on the 2019 Fortune 500 list.
The company's official name from 1990 t ...
, providing project management services, and Key/Walbridge Joint Venture, serving as the general contractor. Aviation themed exhibits are part of the terminal's design.
Major elements include:
* 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
A consolidated rental car facility (CRCF) or consolidated rental car center (CONRAC) is a complex that hosts numerous car rental agencies, typically found at airports in the United States.
The largest incentive for building consolidated faciliti ...
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
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.
Concourse Gates: 1–9; 11
Airlines:
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines is a major American airline headquartered in SeaTac, Washington, within the Seattle metropolitan area. It is the sixth largest airline in North America when measured by fleet size, scheduled passengers carried, and the numb ...
(11),
Allegiant Air
Allegiant Air (usually shortened to Allegiant) is an ultra low-cost U.S. carrier that operates scheduled and charter flights. It is a major air carrier, the fourteenth-largest commercial airline in North America.
Allegiant was founded in 1 ...
(3),
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
(6 & 7),
Delta
Delta commonly refers to:
* Delta (letter) (Δ or δ), a letter of the Greek alphabet
* River delta, at a river mouth
* D (NATO phonetic alphabet: "Delta")
* Delta Air Lines, US
* Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19
Delta may also re ...
(1 & 2),
Frontier
A frontier is the political and geographical area near or beyond a boundary. A frontier can also be referred to as a "front". The term came from French in the 15th century, with the meaning "borderland"—the region of a country that fronts o ...
(5),
Southwest
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...
(4 & 5) &
United
United may refer to:
Places
* United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community
* United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film
* ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...
(8 & 9)
File:Wichita Dwight D Eisenhower National Airport Check in.jpg, Check-in at new terminal (2015)
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
Cargo
Statistics
Aviation activity
Top destinations
Airline market share
Accidents and incidents
![Wichita, Kansas National Weather Service office](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/Wichita%2C_Kansas_National_Weather_Service_office.jpg)
*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.
*On December 13, 2013, Terry Lee Loewen, an avionics technician, was arrested for
attempting to bomb the airport. A Muslim-convert, he is alleged to have spent several months planning a suicide attack with a car-load of explosives.
*On January 19, 2014, 12:30 AM, an
Oklahoma
Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
man rammed his pickup truck through a security gate at the airport and was found waving documents at a small plane.
*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
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. () is an American multinational conglomerate holding company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Its main business and source of capital is insurance, from which it invests the float (the retained premiums ...
training building several blocks northeast of the airport terminal at . 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.
See ''
2014 Wichita King Air crash
On October 30, 2014, a Beechcraft King Air B200 twin turboprop crashed into a building hosting a FlightSafety International (FSI) training center shortly after taking off from Wichita Mid-Continent Airport in Wichita, Kansas. The pilot, the on ...
'' for full details.
Nearby airports
Other airports in Wichita
*
Colonel James Jabara Airport
Colonel James Jabara Airport is a public airport located northeast of the central business district of Wichita, a city in Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States. It is named in honor of World War II and Korean War flying ace James Jabara, an ...
*
Beech Factory Airport
Beech Factory Airport is a public use airport located five nautical miles (9 km) east of the central business district of Wichita, a city in Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States. It is privately owned by Beechcraft.
Facilities and air ...
*
Cessna Aircraft Field
Cessna Aircraft Field is a public use airport located four nautical miles (7 km) southeast of the central business district of Wichita, in Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States. It is privately owned by the Cessna Aircraft Company.
Faciliti ...
*
McConnell Air Force Base
McConnell Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located four miles (6 km) southeast of the central business district of Wichita, a city in Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States., effective 2007-12-20 The airbase was named in ...
*
Westport Airport
Other airports in metro
*
Augusta Municipal Airport
Augusta Municipal Airport is located approximately west of Augusta in Butler County, Kansas, United States, on the south side of US-54/ US-400 highway. The airport is in the Wichita Metropolitan Service Area and benefits from the many are ...
*
Lloyd Stearman Field
Lloyd Stearman Field , also known as Benton Airpark, is a public airport located one mile (1.6 km) southwest of the central business district of Benton, in Butler County, Kansas, United States. The airport covers 30 acres and has one ru ...
Other airports in region
*
List of airports in Kansas
This is a list of airports in Kansas (a U.S. state), grouped by type and sorted by location. It contains all public-use and military airports in the state. Some private-use and former airports may be included where notable, such as airports that we ...
*
List of airports in Oklahoma
This is a list of airports in Oklahoma (a U.S. state), grouped by type and sorted by location. It contains all public-use and military airports in the state. Some private-use and former airports may be included where notable, such as airports that ...
See also
*
Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc. (commonly known as simply Greyhound) operates the largest intercity bus service in North America, including Greyhound Mexico. It also operates charter bus services, Amtrak Thruway services, commuter bus services, and pac ...
*
Wichita Transit
Wichita Transit is the public transportation department of the City of Wichita which operates paratransit and transit bus services within Wichita, Kansas, United States.
References
External links
*
*
*
;Historical
Photos of various Wichita airports wichitaphotos.org
{{Dwight D. Eisenhower
Airports in Kansas
Airports established in 1953
Economy of Wichita, Kansas
Transportation in Wichita, Kansas
Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
Buildings and structures in Wichita, Kansas