OUTAGAMIE COUNTY (NBC 26) — The Appleton International Airport reported Thursday that it is the fastest-growing airport in Wisconsin.
ATW said in a news release that it had 967,687 passengers in 2023 compared to 846,840 passengers in 2022. That's a 14.3 percent increase in traffic.
“This outstanding growth is fostered by our relationships with our airline partners and ongoing support from the region," Appleton Airport Director Abe Weber said in the release. “Area residents are supporting nonstop flights because air travel is more convenient through Appleton.”
ATW was also awarded $3.42 million from the Federal Aviation Administration for its concourse expansion project. Airport leaders said the grant will partially fund passenger boarding bridges construction, a solar/sustainability project, and more mechanical equipment.
The airport broke ground on a $66 million, 47,000 square-foot main concourse expansion in November 2023. NBC 26 reported the project will nearly double the size of the airport. The first phase includes adding gates, a biergarten, bigger restrooms, and lots of other services.
ATW said future phases will expand ticketing and baggage claim areas and refresh existing concourse areas.
“The airport growth is truly transformative,” Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson said in the release. “It reflects overall development in the Fox Valley making it a region where jobs, business, infrastructure, and quality of life are on a path for continued success.”
ATW's expansion is expected to be complete in 2025.
