Presented by Springfield-Branson National Airport
This post was paid for and produced by Springfield-Branson National Airport. The Daily Citizen newsroom was not involved in the creation of this content.
2023 was a growth year at the Springfield airport, not only in terms of airline passenger growth but in terms of projects that make all future growth possible.
Here are notable airport happenings in 2023 …
Record number of airline passengers
2023 was the busiest year in the Springfield airport’s history, with 1,292,007 total passengers. That’s an increase of 15.4 percent over 2022, and 8.84 percent over the previous record year of 2019. This strong performance is proof positive of our robust local economy — when the economy is good, more people fly.
Thank you for flying Springfield!
General aviation terminal expansion
July 2023 marked the beginning of the expansion and remodeling of our airport’s general aviation terminal.
The general aviation terminal (also known as the GA terminal) is where privately owned aircraft load and unload passengers at the airport. It’s also where those aircraft are fueled and serviced. It’s separate from the airline terminal that most people are familiar with.
The GA terminal was built in 1990 and is too small for current demand. The remodel and expansion project will make the building more efficient and will give GA customers more space and amenities.
The project includes updated restrooms, expansion of the administration area and pilot lounge, and the addition of a large public community room.
The total cost of the project is $6,727,371. Funding comes from airport reserve funds. The project is scheduled to be completed by the fall of 2024.
A new collaboration with OTC
In October, Ozarks Technical Community College (OTC) broke ground at the airport for a $13.2 million A&P school. That’s aviation jargon for a school that trains people to become aircraft mechanics (“A&P” is shorthand for “airframe and powerplant”).
More than 650,000 new A&P mechanics will be needed by 2040, according to aircraft maker Airbus' Global Market Forecast. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects A&P jobs will grow 11 percent between now and 2030. The bureau says the average growth of all occupations is eight percent and that the average annual salary of an A&P mechanic is approximately $70,000.
In short, there’s high demand for A&P mechanics, and good wages for people entering the field. The airport is proud to help make this job training facility a reality.
Public safety improvement
In October 2023, we took delivery of a new aircraft rescue firetruck. It’s a state-of-the-art beast that has six-wheel drive, can see through smoke, push over trees and fences, climb 50-degree slopes, carry 3,000 gallons of water, and charge down a runway at 70 mph while shooting water. It cost a cool $1.3 million and was paid for with airport funds.
We hope we never have to use it, but if we do, we’ll do so with the knowledge that our firefighters are responding to an aircraft emergency with the best equipment available.
Electric vehicle charging on the horizon
In 2023 the airport began planning for electric vehicle chargers at the airline terminal. The first chargers should be installed in the spring of 2024, but they will only be used by rental car agencies at the airport. Chargers in the customer parking lots will come later, but we’re not sure when.
Providing chargers sounds simple, but it’s a new endeavor for airports and there are plenty of challenges to work through. For example: what’s the best kind of charger to install? There are three choices:
- Level 1 charger. Is the slowest to charge and is typically used in residential settings.
- Level 2 charger. Charges faster than a level 1 charger, but still takes several hours.
- Level 3 charger. Charges much faster. Takes 30-50 minutes to fully charge a depleted battery.
At face value, the level 3 chargers seem like the best kind, but they're very expensive: over $100,000 for each charger! And that doesn’t include the cost of providing electrical infrastructure.
We're also dealing with questions like, how many chargers are needed? How will they be paid for? Do we charge the customer per charge? If so, how much? Or do we provide chargers for free? And here's a question that demonstrates the difficulty of figuring all of this out: how do we manage the chargers? Suppose a customer drives their electric car to the airport and parks at a charging station. Then they fly away and won’t be back for a week. When the car is fully charged, it's still parked at the charging station, and now someone else wants to charge their car. So, do we need to provide staff to move vehicles in and out of the chargers? What’s the best way to manage that?
Yes, charging vehicles at the airport is going to be complicated. There are a few airports in the country that have stuck their toes in the water, and we’re talking to them to find out what works and what doesn’t. Stay tuned for more on this subject in the coming year.
Planning ahead
2023 was a time of intense future planning. Here’s a sample of our future plans. All are meant to help us deal with the airport’s rapid growth:
- Expansion of the apron at the airline passenger terminal. The apron is where airliners park, load passengers, and take on fuel. The expansion will lessen congestion as airliners arrive and depart the terminal. It will also help the airport prepare for future expansion of the terminal building and help improve the customer service experience. Apron expansion is two to three years away.
- Expansion of the airline terminal. Based on forecasted passenger growth, the terminal will need four more airline gates in five to seven years.
- A parking garage for airline customers will likely be built within two to three years.
And that brings us full circle to thank you, once again. Thanks for flying with us last year, and thank you for your support.
From all of us at Springfield-Branson National Airport: have a good 2024, and safe travels. We look forward to seeing you soon.
