Springfield airport sets back-to-back passenger records

The Springfield-Branson National Airport has set a passenger record for the second straight year.

In 2024, 1.4 million passengers utilized the Springfield airport, a 10.4% increase from the prior record of nearly 1.3 million passengers in 2023, according to a news release.

Airport officials additionally noted that traffic has increased 68% over the past decade. Data provided by the airport shows the only annual decrease in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic sent the passenger count down 49.6% to 598,604 for that year. Traffic recovered to pre-pandemic levels by 2022.

Also in the release, the airport pointed to four planned improvement projects at the airline terminal this year that together would total an estimated $25.4 million.

"These projects will be inconvenient for customers," said Brian Weiler, director of aviation for the airport, in the release. "We're asking everyone to bear with us. I encourage everyone flying from Springfield to monitor project updates on the airport website and social media, and to arrive at the airport at least two hours before their flight's departure time."

The projects comprise the following:
• A total cost of $4 million to $5 million is expected as the airport replaces the terminal carpet in early spring.
• A projected June start date would replace five of the terminal's 10 jet bridges by year's end, with an approximate cost of $7.6 million.
• An $8.8 million project, with $6.4 million coming from a federal grant, would expand the size of the airport's apron, also known as the ramp or tarmac.
• A project with a cost estimated between $3 million and $4 million would expand short-term parking by roughly 300 parking spaces. The project would double the lot size, with work expected to start in early summer and wrap by the end of the year.