The Eastern Iowa Airport post fifth record passenger month

Lower airfares and an improving economy helped The Eastern Iowa Airport post a fifth month of record passenger travel in April.

A total of 90,728 passengers passed through the regional airport last month, topping the all-time high of 85,676 in April 2013. The 5.9 percent month-over-month change brings the airport's year-to-date increase in enplanements to 7.3 percent.

Airport Director Tim Bradshaw said the continued growth in passenger numbers is due to several factors.

'Combine fares that are equalizing with neighboring airports with a strong local economy and you see the growth that we are experiencing,” Bradshaw said.

The continued growth also is driving renovations and upgrades to the 28-year-old passenger terminal. To alleviate some short term constraints, the airport will be adding a passenger boarding bridge to the B gates.

In 2016, a second concourse will be built at the B gates that will add two additional passenger boarding bridges, expand the hold rooms in the upper C concourse, and expand the security check point.

A $47 million four-phase terminal modernization project also will add a new canopy to the front of the building, renovate the lobby, ticketing area and baggage claim, and install energy efficient upgrades to improve the use, function, and carbon footprint of the terminal.

Concurrent with the start of the terminal modernization project, the airport is constructing a $5 million taxiway that will improve access to the airport's secondary runway.

The airport is not incurring any debt, funding the projects on a pay-as-you-go basis. It does not receive any city or county property tax revenue.

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