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The Eastern Iowa Airport reports record year for travelers as it plans for future growth
A multimillion-dollar five-year plan includes improvements to the Cedar Rapids airport’s airfield, business park and more.
Jan. 27, 2026 5:30 am, Updated: Jan. 27, 2026 7:30 am
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CEDAR RAPIDS — The Eastern Iowa Airport has broken its annual passenger record for the third consecutive year after more than 1.6 million travelers flew through the airport in 2025, marking a 6 percent increase from the year before.
Last year was the first time that each month set a new passenger record, which airport officials said is the result of economic development at the airport.
"The first thing we need to say is 'thank you' to each person from Eastern Iowa and beyond who chose to fly CID last year," said Marty Lenss, director of The Eastern Iowa Airport. "When the region flies CID, the airlines notice; when the airlines notice, they invest in the market.”
This record announcement comes as the airport has been working on plans to create an “aerospace cluster” in the region that includes companies, suppliers, educational institutions and support services focused on the aviation industry to help strengthen the region’s aerospace roots.
The growth of economic opportunities in the region has resulted in five airlines that serve The Eastern Iowa Airport increasing seat capacity early this year.
The airport found that projected seat capacity grew by 12 percent this month. It also is projecting a 13 percent increase in February, and a 14 percent increase in March, compared to the same months last year.
“The passenger growth reflects the region's economic vitality and the airport's commitment to providing convenient, accessible air service to the Eastern Iowa corridor and border regions,” the airport said in a press release issued Monday.
More projects ahead
Starting next calendar year, the airport will launch a multimillion-dollar five-year capital improvement plan that will last through 2031.
Kathy Bell, director of finance and administration for the airport, said the $180 million planned to be spent will come from multiple funding sources, including about $94 million in expected grant funding from the Federal Aviation Administration, about $8.7 million in state grants and about $77 million from the airport’s cash reserves.
The five-year plan includes several airport-specific projects, most of which will improve CID’s airfield, including its runways, taxiways, lighting and safety.
Other projects will include additional work to CID’s terminal and passenger facilities, improvements to the airport’s parking, support for additional cargo, and improvements to the airport’s hangars and business park.
Bell said The Eastern Iowa Airport’s cost per enplanement — the average cost paid by airlines per traveler — has stayed relatively consistent for several years, which is key in reducing operating expenses, and can lead to lower ticket prices, making an airport more competitive.
In fiscal year 2025, CID’s cost per enplanement was $7.04. In the current fiscal year, it has increased to $7.32, and Bell said CID is projecting the cost per enplanement will be $7.50 next fiscal year.
“When I started back in 1995, the goal of leadership at that time was to have a CPE of $7 or lower, and here we are, 30 some years later, and that's still our goal, to be right around 7 to $8,” Bell said. “We're really proud of that.”
Olivia Cohen covers energy and environment for The Gazette and is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues. She is also a contributing writer for the Ag and Water Desk, an independent journalism collaborative focusing on the Mississippi River Basin.
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Comments: olivia.cohen@thegazette.com
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