APPLETON (NBC 26) — The Appleton International Airport now has more passengers than ever before.
- Appleton International Airport welcomed more than 100,000 passengers in March of this year.
- Airport Director Abe Weber says that they also have a $66 million dollar expansion on the way.
- Traveller Melinda Piper said she flies into Appleton because of how nice it is in the airport.
Melinda Piper is from San Francisco. Her son now works in the Appleton area and she's here to visit him.
"I would not be shocked if I flew into this airport quite often,” Piper said. “It's really convenient and he can just pick me up, easy."
Although Appleton is close to her son, that's not her biggest reason for flying here.
"If it were not a pretty nice airport, I would consider flying elsewhere, to be honest,” Piper says.
An opinion that may just be shared by others. Airport director Abe Weber says Appleton International set a new record for passengers in with more than 100,000 in March.
"We've added additional flights in the last couple of years,” said Weber. “Plus, we've really worked on our customer journey. Making it faster, easier, and more convenient."
That's not all. Appleton International is currently working on a $66 million expansion of its main concourse. That is 47,000 square feet of new space.
"For us, it's a big step in coming from a smaller airport to a much larger airport and being able to offer more service to this community,” says Weber. “So, we're very excited about it."
And for as long as Melinda’s son is in town, she'll be a passenger for the journey.
"It means a lot,” said Piper. “It means a lot to be able to get in and out and be able to come see him."
Weber says that by the end of 2025, the expansion project will be complete with new gates and more scheduled flights.
