If you have ever wondered how vital an airport can be to a Kansas town, no matter how big or small, the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) has the answer. For example, Wichita’s Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport supports 20,583 jobs and has an economic output of $6.1 billion.
| Other Airports | Jobs Supported | Economic Output |
| Topeka Regional | 1,774 | $199.9 million |
| Salina Regional | 640 | $31.9 million |
| Garden City Regional | 232 | $44.5 million |
| Great Bend Municipal | 137 | $22.2 million |
| Hays Regional | 170 | $22 million |
| Goodland Municipal | 128 | $29.8 million |
“Every airport serves a unique and important role for their community,” Bob Brock, KDOT director of aviation, said in a news release. “It is this uniqueness that makes credible data on individual airports even more important to local, state and national decision-makers.” KDOT’s Division of Aviation worked with industry experts to get a close-up look at all 140 public-use airports across Kansas and put the details on a new website. The data includes the economic impact on the community, the condition of the runways and which ones need improvements.
Source: KSN-TV