$250,000 celebration being planned at new Eisenhower Airport terminal

The city of Wichita is planning a $250,000 celebration to open the new terminal at Eisenhower Airport.

The airport staff is asking the City Council on Tuesday for permission to spend that much for “dedication and grand opening events” to mark the opening of the new $200 million terminal at Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport. The airport is owned by the city, and the council acts as the Airport Authority board.

The $250,000 will cover costs for five events, ranging from an invitational VIP gala to a general public open house.

“This is the first time we’ve opened a new terminal in over 61 years, so it’s a big deal for the community,” Airport Director Victor White said. “This is a state-of-the art facility and reflects the city’s rich aviation history and high-tech future, so the grand opening is going to be something we want the community to be proud of.”

The staff report on the celebrations indicated they are expected to be funded in part by sponsorships, donations and ticket sales. White said the rest of the funding will come from airport user-fee income.

The only money from taxpayers will be to use some Wichita Transit buses to transport attendees from remote parking to the open house on April 18, White said.

The VIP gala on April 11, at $125 a ticket, will be for local officials, contractors who worked on the project and business and community leaders.

That event will feature entertainment by musicians from the Wichita Symphony Orchestra and a progressive dinner spread throughout the terminal.

The gala will be the third of the five events planned for the opening. The others scheduled pre-opening events are:

▪ An April 9 conference and tour for the media.

▪ An April 10 reception and tour for airport employees and their families.

▪ An April 18 open house for the general public.

There also will be a celebration to mark the first flight in or out of the new airport terminal. That opening day has not been released yet, but is expected to come in early May.

The budget authorization to be voted on Tuesday indicates that a minimum of $100,000 for the celebration will come from external sources, and a maximum of $150,000 will come from airport funds. White said the airport is hoping to raise about $150,000 of the $250,000 cost.

The celebration expense is wrapped into a budget authorization for $1.25 million that also includes funding for the final build-out of Transportation Security Administration office space and data and electric requirements for airline, concession and rental car tenants.

All of the tenant improvements, or $156,550, will be reimbursed by the tenants who will use them.

Of the $843,450 for finishing out the TSA security offices, $768,450 will be paid by the federal government, and $75,000 by the airport.

The new terminal is in its final construction stages. It will replace the aging 1950s-vintage terminal that now serves airport passengers.

The council will meet as the Airport Authority during its weekly meeting, which begins at 9 a.m. Tuesday at City Hall, 455 N. Main, Wichita.

This story was originally published March 16, 2015 at 6:51 PM with the headline "$250,000 celebration being planned at new Eisenhower Airport terminal."