Wichita Mid-Continent Airport Likely to Rise in Growth Polls

Posted on Sun, Dec. 21, 2003   
 
Mid-Continent Likely to Rise in Growth Polls
Wichita Eagle, KS


Wichita Mid-Continent Airport, already one of the nation's fastest-growing 
airports, is expected to move up even further in its rankings in the next few 
years, a leading airline consultant predicts.

Of 131 of the nation's airports, Wichita currently ranks 19th in passenger 
growth.

However, looking at an eight-year period from 2000 to 2008, Mid-Continent 
Airport is expected to rank eighth in passenger growth, according to Boyd Group 
president Mike Boyd.

By 2008, Boyd predicts that nearly 1.7 million passengers will be flying in and 
out of Wichita annually. In comparison, 1.3 million passengers used the Wichita 
airport in 2002.

Boyd's projections are based on the assumption that current air service will 
continue and that the economy will rebound.

By this time next year or in early 2005, Boyd expects the aircraft industry to 
rebound.

Boeing's proposed new airplane, the 7E7, and its decision to put work in 
Wichita and Washington state will bode well for air travel in Wichita, he said.

"Aircraft manufacturing is going to come back with a vengeance," Boyd said.

In his forecast for 2000-2008, Long Beach, Calif., ranked first in passenger 
growth, followed by Akron/Canton, Ohio; Oakland, Calif.; Madison, Wis.; Chicago 
Midway; and Burlington, Vt.

The Beaumont Hotel -- long a favorite of pilots who fly in for lunch -- is 
gaining national attention. The hotel is located in the town of Beaumont, about 
44 miles east of Wichita on U.S. 400.

The hotel has made it on a national list of "Places Pilots Know," a new feature 
by the Washington, D.C.-based Be A Pilot association.

The feature highlights 150 destinations that are special to pilots on its Web 
site, www.beapilot.com

The Web site describes how pilots land on a grassy airfield in Beaumont, then 
taxi into town and down the street to park near the hotel.

"This is the place for a real fly-in lunch! Beaumont is a real Kansas Flint 
Hills 'tank town,' testament to which is the AT&SF water tank still standing 
from the day when the Santa Fe's steam engines needed to re-water every 100 
miles," the Web site says.

The feature aims to show how earning a pilot's license offers "wider horizons 
and a fuller life," according to Be A Pilot, which promotes learning to fly.

"This is an insight into the special places that you get to know -- or can more 
easily get to -- when you invest in the capability to fly yourself," said Be A 
Pilot president Drew Steketee.

Locations were developed by the staff or from research done by Pilot Getaways 
magazine.

Raytheon Aircraft has delivered the first two of seven Beechcraft King Air 
B200s to be used for pilot training by the Royal Air Force's Cranwell Military 
Air Academy in Great Britain.

Bombardier Aerospace debuted a new program earlier this month that promises to 
reduce operating costs for owners of Wichita-built Learjet 40, 45 and 45XR 
business jets in the Middle East.

With a purchase of one of the three models, Bombardier will assume the aircraft 
management costs for one year, the company said.

Nannies have now hit the skies.

Last month, Gulf Air added professional sky nanny service on London-Bahrain, 
London-Abu Dhabi and Bahrain-Sydney routes.

The nannies will help care for children up to the age of 12 who either are 
traveling with their parents or flying as unaccompanied minors, the airline 
said.

 
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