Manhattan Regional Airport
MANHATTAN— Officials at Manhattan Regional Airport have tallied the numbers and the results are clear, more people are flying MHK than ever before. A record number of enplanements, the number of people getting on board an aircraft, were realized in 2019 with a final count of 77,553.
"We've seen an increase of 17,000 airline enplanements over the last three years," said Jesse R. Romo, A.A.E. MHK Airport Director. "MHK has become a trend-setter for regional airports and we couldn't be happier that more people are choosing to fly local."
Another measure of air service success is load factor, which indicates the percentage of seats filled on each plane. With larger airplanes flying out of MHK, the capacity for the year increased by 11%. Even so, the load factor held strong at 73% for the year, which is further proof that demand is increasing.
"If we can continue this trend then our story only gets stronger as we try to attract additional air service," Romo stated.
In addition to the success of flights at MHK, the customer experience has been enhanced with the addition of Bandit Coffee + Café. This local company offers luxury, premium coffee as well as fresh snacks from Kites restaurant and Hildebrand dairy to passengers and guests.
"It was super important to us that we not only serve people flying in and out of MHK but to also serve the local community on a daily basis even if you're not catching a flight. We want everyone to have the Bandit Experience," says co-owner and creative director of Bandit Coffee+Cafe, Adrienne Meyer.
As another way to honor success, Manhattan Regional Airport is celebrating 10 years of service with American Airlines with promotional giveaways sponsored by the Manhattan Convention and Visitor's Bureau. Every person who arrives or departs from MHK can enter to win a prize package. Contest details are available online through the CVB's website at https://www.manhattancvb.org/308/FlyMHK-10th-Anniversary.
"With growth comes challenges and opportunities," said Romo. "We continue to look for ways to improve the customer experience while also improving our infrastructure." The airport parking improvement project will begin soon, which will convert gravel lots to paved, improve lighting and drainage, and will also install revenue control systems.