Wichita Eisenhower National Airport announces a new passenger record in 2019, with 1,749,906 total passengers traveling through the airport. The 2019 record exceeds the previous record in 2018 by 84,790 passengers, an increase of 5%. This is the third consecutive year of record-breaking passenger traffic at the airport. Also, 2019 marks 7 consecutive years of growth. December enplanements (outbound passengers) increased 6.79% over December 2018, setting a new record for the month.
Frontier Airlines had a big impact on passenger traffic. Frontier began service to Denver on August 30, 2018. Since then, average fares to Denver have dropped 41% while passenger traffic increased 228% (Q2 2018 vs. Q3 2019). American Airlines also had a 13% increase in passengers thanks to additional capacity. Allegiant Air’s new service to Destin, Florida was very popular and helped boost their traffic 7%.
The I Fly Wichita initiative that was launched in January 2019 likely helped boost ridership. The initiative stresses the importance of flying ICT in order to improve our air service and increase our economic opportunities.
December 2019 Enplanements
| AIRLINE | DEC. 2019 ENPLANEMENTS | DEC. 2018 ENPLANEMENTS | # DIFFERENCE | % DIFFERENCE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 2,164 | 2,062 | 102 | 5% |
| Allegiant | 2,665 | 2,849 | -184 | -6% |
| American | 20,532 | 17,404 | 3,128 | 18% |
| Delta | 14,398 | 13,069 | 1,329 | 10% |
| Frontier | 2,286 | 1,218 | 1,068 | 88% |
| Southwest | 13,693 | 13,355 | 338 | 3% |
| United | 20,513 | 21,302 | -789 | -4% |
| Charters | 61 | 204 | -143 | -70% |
| TOTAL | 76,312 | 71,463 | 4,849 | 7% |
2019 Total Passengers by Airline
| AIRLINE | 2019 Passengers | 2018 Passengers | # Difference | % Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 48,750 | 46,549 | 2,201 | 5% |
| Allegiant | 82,644 | 77,500 | 5,144 | 7% |
| American | 470,925 | 416,941 | 53,894 | 13% |
| Delta | 351,309 | 348,781 | 2,528 | 1% |
| Frontier | 43,997 | 13,577 | 30,420 | 224% |
| Southwest | 304409 | 309,389 | -4,027 | -1% |
| United | 445,180 | 449,180 | -4,000 | -1% |
| Charters/Diversions | 2,692 | 3,229 | -537 | -17% |
| TOTALS | 1,749,906 | 1,665,146 | 84,790 | 5% |
December air cargo enplanements increased by 7.48% and deplaned cargo increased by 5.42%. Total air cargo for the year increased by 5.81%. Interesting to note that arriving cargo increased by 8.79%, compared to outgoing cargo which increased by 1.39%.
Victor White, Director of Airports, said, “While we celebrate a record year of passenger activity in 2019, we are aware of the challenges in the airline industry and need continued support from our travelers in order to expand to more destinations. We are appreciative of the outstanding response by our customers to new airline services and lower pricing, and we are grateful to our airline partners for their commitment to our market and providing connectivity to the global economy for our region.”
Aviation statistical reports can be found at Airport Business.
