Many people are familiar with mega airports such as JFK, O’Hare, Logan, Orlando International, Los Angeles International, and Dallas Fort Worth International. These massive facilities serve millions of passengers each month. Regional airports, on the other hand, are smaller and serve areas with less population.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration’s website, “Regional airports have high levels of activity with some jets and multiengine propeller aircraft. The metropolitan areas in which regional airports are located can be Metropolitan Statistical Areas with an urban core population of at least 50,000 or Micropolitan Statistical Areas with [an urban] core population between 10,000 and 50,000.”
One such regional airport, the Appleton International Airport (ATW) in Wisconsin, has experienced significant growth and is in the middle of an expansion to accommodate the increased activity.
There are nearly 500 regional airports in the United States, and eight are in Wisconsin. When COVID-19 emerged in the U.S. in early spring 2020, air travel sunk dramatically. While the numbers have rebounded, the extended period of decline took a toll on commercial airlines. Since April 2020, 74 regional airports have lost a legacy carrier (United, Delta, and American).
“The post-COVID world has been a case of have and have not in terms [of] regional airports,” said Jesse Funk, the Air Service and Business Development Manager for ATW.
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Of all the regional airports in the state, ATW has experienced the highest percentage seat departure growth since 2019. “The fact that the airport is growing inspires a sense of community pride,” Funk said.
Consider 10 years ago (2014), there were 660,821 total seats (departing and returning) from ATW. In 2024, the number has risen to 1.2 million total seats, a 93.2 percent increase.
Appleton, which is north of Lake Winnebago and situated on the Fox River, has a population of approximately 75,000. It is located in Outagamie County, one of several counties that comprise the Fox Cities area along the Fox River. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, all three counties grew between 2010 and 2020. By 2020, the population in the region was nearly 415,000 (from around 393,000 in 2010).
While the population growth surely played a role in the passenger increase at ATW, Funk noted other relevant factors. “As we’ve had more airlines offer more non-stop flights, passengers are choosing to fly out of ATW due to convenience, rather than larger airports,” he said.
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Over the last decade, ATW has gone from seven non-stop destinations to 18. They have also added airline legacy carrier, American, to their roster and are flying to Chicago O’Hare, Charlotte, and Dallas Fort Worth airports.
ATW has also added valet parking, which makes airport usage more convenient.
Most passengers who fly out of ATW are residents of Northeast Wisconsin and are within a 45-minute drive of the facility. However, some travel up to 75 minutes to get there.
While ATW serves as a gateway to the Appleton area for people from around the world, the majority of travelers who use the airport live in Northeast Wisconsin.
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The busiest travel days for airports tend to be around holidays such as Christmas and Thanksgiving. Summer is also a popular time as people take vacations during the warm months. This travel pattern does not quite hold up in Appleton.
“While the summer season is the busiest at ATW, the busiest month is March,” Funk said. “That’s typically spring break for local schools, and people are looking to escape the winter weather.”
ATW officials began looking into expanding the facility in late 2017 and early 2018. They were moving forward on expansion plans when COVID hit, stalling the project. But they soon took up the plan again in 2021 when it became evident people still wanted to travel for both business and leisure.
The airport is expanding by 47,000 square feet. The project started out as a 60,000-square-foot expansion. The original design was set to be 13 feet above grade but was reduced to 8 feet. This height still provides access to larger aircraft but eliminated the need for public elevators and escalators. The elevation change in the new concourse is achieved with low rise ramps.
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The expansion involves adding four new concourse gates, so ATW will have 10 in total. They currently have seven gates, but one of them is being lost in the transition.
“The main goal of the project is to upgrade the passenger experience,” Funk said. “When the expansion is complete, passengers will have much more room to operate in the terminal when there are multiple flights happening concurrently.”
Amenities are also being upgraded. The updated amenities include adding more food service options. There will be a sit-down restaurant and a grab-and-go food option for passengers. Currently, there is only one small restaurant.
The restroom facilities are also being upgraded. There will be more restrooms, including a gender-neutral bathroom, which Funk said is helpful for parents and elderly people who need the aid of others.
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Finally, ATW is adding a pet relief area. The area will allow animals crated for travel to be taken out to walk around and relieve themselves.
The current concourse was built in 2001. At that time, smaller planes used the airport. Today, it is typical for ATW to draw larger, commercial airplanes.
The design of the new terminal was inspired by the Lower Fox River Lock system. The curve in the terminal is designed to simulate the Fox River. Although Funk said passengers may not recognize the feature, he thinks the curve could subconsciously induce a sense of home.
The design aimed to bring the outside in. This was done by including many windows that let natural light shine through. The interior will also include trees.
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“We want people to feel like they’re outdoors,” Funk said. “There are some months in Wisconsin where it’s not pleasant to be outside, so people in the area don’t get outside for large chunks of time. The airport interior can help passengers get that sense of being outside with fresh air and natural light.”
Maintaining full airport activities while construction is ongoing has been a big challenge. Even prior to the project, the airport was already at full capacity.
Serving as the general contractor on ATW, local contractor Miron Construction is just a few minutes outside of Appleton. In business since 1918, Miron is a family-owned company with approximately 1,700 employees. The company has worked on major projects throughout the region.
Miron came up with a plan that would have reduced construction time by six to seven months. However, it would have taken out 40 percent of the current concourse. “We couldn’t accept this since we’re already at capacity,” Funk said.
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While they could not accept that plan, Funk said that Miron has done a good job on the project. “Besides presenting the best economic bid, Miron has come up with ideas about moving passengers around, and multiple options for construction schedule,” he said. “They’ve been good communicators, which is important because things always pop up.”
The team broke ground on the project in November 2023 and is expected to complete it on schedule in December 2025. The gates are expected to go online in April 2025. There will be a temporary walkway to connect the concourse between then and December 2025 while the team builds the new concourse.
The $66 million project is on budget. There are multiple funding sources for the concourse expansion:
- 2.2 percent: Airport improvement program - entitlement
- 25.8 percent: Discretionary
- 0.8 percent: Congressionally direct spending grant
- 9.3 percent: Airport improvement grant
- 10.5 percent: State budget motion dollars
- 22.5 percent: Passenger facility charges
- 15 percent: Outagamie County dollars
- 13.9 percent: ATW funds
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When the ATW expansion is complete, residents from all over the area will have a local airport that can serve their needs. The airport will have a major $700 million economic impact on the area and will help the area continue to grow. Airlines are already responding to the growing ATW airport, which has gained new routes from American Airlines and Allegiant.
- Owner: Appleton International Airport
- General Contractor: Miron Construction, Neenah, Wisconsin
- Designer/Engineer: Mead & Hunt, Middleton, Wisconsin
- Key Contractor: Westwood Professional Services, Appleton, Wisconsin
