Flying into the Fort Wayne Airport this summer? Make sure to grab a cookie!
Learn about the Fort Wayne Airport, and the ongoing developments, on our most recent episode of PrimeTime. Now on our YouTube channel:
Fort Wayne Airport | PrimeTime | PBS Fort Wayne June 21, 2024 PrimeTime on YouTube
Guests: Ellen Cutter (Chief Economic Development Officer | Greater Fort Wayne Inc.) & Scott Hinderman (Executive Director of Airports). This area’s only in-depth, live, weekly news, analysis and cultural update forum, PrimeTime airs Fridays at 7:30pm. This program is hosted by PBS Fort Wayne’s President/General Manager Bruce Haines.
21Country: Fort Wayne Aviation Museum hopes to soar to greater heights by Daniel Beals posted October 14, 2021 on YouTube FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA21) - In the early 1900's, Fort Wayne was home to several aviation pioneers: Art Smith, Paul Baer, & Margaret Ringenberg. Before the Fort Wayne International Airport was what it is today, it was a World War II military base. For the last several decades, the Fort Wayne Aviation Museum displayed artifacts and the history behind those topics, and many others. “The museum was started in 1984 by local air aficionados,” president Greg Bosk told us. “They collected memorabilia, historical facts, and we built a museum on the 2nd floor. For at least 10-15 years it was well-received.” But after 9/11, with the TSA and bolstered security at the airport, the museum wasn’t as accessible to the public. Bosk said it was also inconvenient — guests had to have a plane ticket, or make arrangements two weeks in advance to get clearance. He also said as times changed, younger visitors weren’t impressed. “We had a lot of things displayed — not much depth, not much knowledge, but a lot of items to look at,” he explained. “We’re trying to go from that old look of items sitting on the shelf to a very digital look that would appeal to the kids and schools, through their phones and their tablets.”21Country: Fort Wayne Aviation Museum hopes to soar to greater heights by Daniel Beals updated: September 30, 2021 on 21AliveNews.com.
An image of the Saturday, April 1, 1944 The Beacon newsletter titled Baer Field And Its Boss--1917 Version! posted July 30, 2022 by the Greater Fort Wayne Aviation Museum on Facebook shows an article with an aerial photo of a farm house south of Fort Wayne about Korah Micheals who bought a farm in 1917 whose fields became the ariport runways and hangars.
The New York Times newspaper states the airport is a well-financed partnership with regional economic interests, and the fact that 75 percent of the passengers fly in and out of the airport on business, a high rate in their article Airlines Head Abroad, and Also Inland by Joe Sharkey published September 15, 2014.
Since the late 1980s, volunteers have welcomed arriving passengers with almost 2 million individually wrapped Ellison Bakery Free cookies at Fort Wayne, IN as published in February 2015 by CNBC.com.
"Book celebrates city’s aviation history" January 14, 2012 newspaper article in The Journal Gazette newspaper about the new book Fort Wayne Aviation: Baer Field and Beyond with stories and photos of local aviation history by Roger Myers.
We're excited to begin unveiling some sneak peeks at what the future of the FWA terminal building will look like with the completion of the highly anticipated Terminal Expansion and Renovation Project! Take a stroll by the future terminal exterior and see just how we plan to transform the curb appeal of FWA.This project is a huge part of Project Gateway - FWA’s airport expansion and improvement project which includes the Parking Lot Rehabilitation Project, East and West Terminal Apron Improvement Project, and the FWA Terminal Building Expansion.
You can find more information on Project Gateway here: Project Gateway
December 5, 2022 post by NEI on Facebook [shared the same video above and below]
Check out an interview with our own Stéphane Frijia featuring big improvements at Fort Wayne International Airport and major investment from Amazon that are fueling the emergence of what some describe as an e-commerce hub in Northeast Indiana.
WATCH: Big improvements at Fort Wayne International Airport and a major investment from Amazon are fueling the emergence of what some describe as an e-commerce hub in northeast Indiana.
This morning FWA held a groundbreaking ceremony to officially kickoff Project Gateway's East Terminal Expansion and Rehabilitation project!
The East Terminal Expansion and Renovation project will continue to bring the Fort Wayne International Airport terminal building into the modern era – continuing the work started with the West Terminal Expansion and Rehabilitation project, which wrapped construction at the end of May. The East and West Terminal Expansion projects aim to transform FWA into a modernized facility capable of handling the momentum and growth that the Fort Wayne and Northeast Indiana communities have experienced over recent years.
Clayco, a full-service, turnkey real estate, architecture, engineering, design-build and construction firm, was awarded the East Terminal Expansion project in December 2022. Mead & Hunt will continue to serve as the design and architecture firm on the project, as they did for the West Terminal Expansion and Rehabilitation project.
“We are proud of the work accomplished with the West Terminal Expansion and Rehabilitation project, and the beginning of the new FWA passengers are able to enjoy,” said Scott Hinderman, Executive Director of Airports. “We are excited to continue the progress with the beginning of the East Terminal Expansion and Renovation project with Clayco. As we continue to move toward completion over the coming years—we are ensuring that we will offer a spectacular gateway to our region and the best possible experience for travelers.”
FWA is celebrating a summer of progress. As of the end of July 2023, FWA has now had three consecutive months of passenger enplanements exceeding 2019’s record numbers – FWA’s 10th year of consecutive growth prior to the 2020 pandemic.
Airport enplanements were up 11.6% in July compared to July 2022 and up 7.54% in year-to-date enplanements (outbound passengers) compared to 2022. In year-to-date total passenger traffic, FWA is up 8.3%. July 2023 is up 5% over July 2019, while year-to-date the airport is on the cusp of meeting 2019’s passenger traffic numbers.
In addition to positive passenger numbers, United Airlines has added an additional fourth daily, non-stop flight to Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) from FWA beginning Thursday, September 7. This fourth daily flight is currently available for booking and is scheduled to run through Saturday, October 28. Should the fourth daily flight be successful, United could potentially extend it within their flight schedule.
"Northeast Indiana has shown that they’re more than ready to take to the skies, and we are happy to see that flying local is a priority for many in the community."
This week The Journal Gazette featured Scott Hinderman, Executive Director of Airports for the Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority in their "Five Questions" feature. Questions ranged from what exciting airport projects we've been working on over the last couple of years, to how FWA's efforts to become a more accessible airport for our community are taking us to the next level.
FWA is proud to announce that for a record TENTH year in a row, the airport has passed its annual FAA Part 139 safety and certification inspection with ZERO discrepancies!
“The staff at the Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority works very hard to make sure that we provide a safe and efficient airfield for all aircraft operators as well as our passengers. Our team also works diligently to maintain a top-notch airport facility for the Northeast Indiana community. Ten years with zero discrepancies is a huge accomplishment that not many airports can claim, and every Airport Authority employee should be proud of that.” said Scott Hinderman, Executive Director of Airports.
Fort Wayne International Airport (FWA) is unveiling a new restaurant, coffee shop, and market area as part of the East Terminal Expansion Project. Local businesses Hop River Brewing and Bon Bon’s Coffee have both opened inside the airport terminal building under operator Tailwind Hospitality, Inc (dba “Tailwind Concessions” or “Tailwind”), headquartered in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Hop River Brewing and Bon Bon’s Coffee continue FWA’s commitment to serving as Northeast Indiana’s local airport by bringing local dining options to the airport terminal. These new concessions will enhance the passenger experience at FWA, offering local flavors and high-quality options that complement the airport's broader East Terminal Expansion.
We are excited to officially have our brand new restaurant space, and first new portion of the East Terminal Expansion Project, open for passengers to enjoy!
Fort Wayne International Airport Celebrates Positive Traffic and Capacity Growth
