SectionsTerminal scheduled to open
Sandy Ryan
Issue date: 5/5/09 Section: News
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Kent Boyd, the marketing director of the airport, said the terminal, located near the old terminal on west Kearney Street, will open on the sixth with a ribbon cutting ceremony held by the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, and at this point, they are just fixing up the odds and ends.
"There just wasn't room to add to the old terminal," he said. "It's landlocked where it is."
He said the airport was looking to lease out the old terminal to generate income for the airport.
"There are 10 gates as of now (in the new terminal), and there is room to expand that to 60 gates," he said.
The airport will provide free shuttle service running between the new and old terminals as some flights will still come through the old terminal for a short time.
Sophomore hospitality and restaurant administration major Hannah Ward, has been studying abroad in Manly, Australia, since Jan. 27 and flew back to Springfield May 4.
Her flight was from Sydney, Australia, to Auckland, New Zealand, to Los Angeles, Calif., to Minneapolis, Minn., to Springfield.
"I considered flying out of Springfield, but it is about $100 more expensive to fly from Springfield to Milwaukee than it is to fly from St. Louis to Milwaukee," she said.
Sophomore criminology and sociology major Amanda Henemyre said she uses the Springfield airport frequently.
"I won't be using it at the end of this semester, but I do a lot," she said. "The last time I used it was spring break."
She said the next time will probably be fall break this year.
"(The old terminal) isn't in terrible condition, but the current airport is too small for the number of people it serves," she said.
She said she has seen other Missouri State students at the airport but never on the same flights as her.
"I fly to Indianapolis, but I always have a connecting flight, usually Chicago or Dallas," she said. "It's always been a good experience."
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