Record traffic at Des Moines airport highlights need for new terminal, officials argue

Kevin Hardy | The Des Moines Register

Show Caption Hide Caption Airport fees Congress is debating whether to allow airports to raise fees on airline tickets to fund more construction projects. But airlines oppose the potential fee hike because it could discourage travel.

The Des Moines International Airport saw record passenger traffic in June, officials announced Friday.

Traffic in June 2018 was up 5.9 percent from the same month in 2017: A total of 251,265 passengers enplaned or deplaned from the airport last month, according to a monthly traffic report.

That was up from 237,347 passengers in June 2017. June's traffic was the highest ever recorded at the local airport and it marked the first time that the monthly passenger count topped 250,000.

"The sustained and record-breaking growth of passengers coming through our facilities is a great indicator of the health of Iowa’s economy," Kevin Foley, executive director of the airport, said in a news release Friday.

Airport officials point to the high traffic as further evidence of the need for a new terminal.

"Continued growth underscores the need for a new terminal and improvements to our existing infrastructure to ensure we have modern facilities with adequate capacity to maintain a positive experience for travelers to and from Iowa," Foley's statement said. "We’re excited to be a part of charting a strong future for our state."

The Des Moines Airport Authority board voted in October 2016 to build a new terminal on the east side of the airport grounds near Fleur Drive. The current terminal was built in 1948. The total cost of the overhaul, which includes runway improvements, was estimated at about $500 million.

But a funding shortfall of more than $200 million has delayed the project.

Consultants in March unveiled plans for a smaller and less expensive terminal. But even after cutting $62 million in projected expenses, the project is still tens of millions of dollars short.

"The airport board is doing everything they can to save dollars to put toward this project and to reduce the cost of the entire project as much as they can," Foley said in March.

If funding is available, construction could begin on the new terminal in 2026. Construction is expected to last two years.

Last month's traffic report showed legacy airlines dominated the Des Moines market: American Airlines led with 31 percent of the market share. Delta flew 25 percent of June passengers and United carried 21 percent of local traffic.

Discount carriers recorded the lowest market share: Southwest carried 9 percent of passengers, Allegiant carried 8 percent and Frontier captured 5 percent of the local market.