Cedar Rapids/Iowa City – Jan. 23, 2024
The Eastern Iowa Airport has set a passenger record in 2023 with 1.4 million total passengers choosing to fly CID.
This breaks the previous record set in 2019 when 1.3 million passengers flew CID; the 2023 passenger number is 13.8% higher than 2022.
Marty Lenss, airport director, says the momentum CID saw over the past year was related to the increase in air service options.
“Last year, we saw three new nonstop destinations added to CID,” he says. “With nonstop flights to 19 different locations, CID is providing travelers throughout Eastern Iowa and the greater region the best option for business and leisure travel.”
The three new destinations added in 2023 were Fort Lauderdale (FLL) on Allegiant, and Washington D.C. and seasonal service to Miami on American Airlines.
While all three new services are a huge benefit to customers, Lenss says the introduction of American’s nonstop service to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C. (DCA) is a “game-changer.”
“We continue to see strong passenger numbers on this route. In fact, American has found peak times where they have added two daily flights,” Lenss says. “We have many business people who use the flight for work in D.C., as well as those who understand DCA is a great way to connect to popular East Coast destinations.”
When CID recorded the 2019 passenger total, the airport had service to 13 nonstop destinations, and now there are 19.
“To see the growth in service, which is directly connected to the growth in passengers, it shows our airline partners that people choose CID for their travel,” Lenss says. “When airlines see passengers using the airport, it gives them more confidence in looking at adding flights to existing destinations and potentially service to new cities.”
