Abilene airport reports 13% increase in enplanements; terminal expansion advances to design phase

At a July meeting, Abilene Regional Airport staff told the Abilene Development Board that passenger traffic continues to grow and that several major projects are moving forward.

Airport staff reported a 13% increase in enplanements compared with the same period last year and said the airport is on track to exceed 100,000 enplanements for the year. “We are at a 13% increase in the enplanements over last year,” airport staff said. May’s average load factor was 87 percent and June’s was 85 percent, figures staff said they track closely as a sign of market strength.

That growth is a key reason the airport has advanced the terminal improvement and expansion into the schematic-design phase. The airport’s architect, Park Hill, is producing schematic plans and staff said the city expects to issue a request for proposals next month for a construction manager at risk (CMAR) to involve a contractor during design so the project will be more constructible. “We…