Airport History

The Garden City Regional Airport was constructed in 1943 by the U.S. Army for use as a flight training school. Originally named the Garden City Army Airfield, the airport consisted of 1,585 acres (489 acres utilized for army barracks and administration buildings), five active runways, three squadron hangars, and housed approximately 3,500 army personnel. The airfield was used for pilot training with BT-13 and twin engine aircraft. At its peak, the airfield based over 1,400 aircraft. With the end of the war, the airfield was deactivated in 1947 and released to the City of Garden City. The renamed new Garden City Municipal Airport served as a mid-continent stop for one of the country's first coast-to-coast air mail services.

Owned and operated by the City of Garden City, the airport is classified as a primary commercial service airport. Garden City Regional Airport is currently served by one commuter carriers providing six daily departures and is ideally situated to accommodate air service demand for the Southwestern Kansas region. With the  addition of our Air Traffic Control Tower which began operations in December of 2000, the Garden City Regional Airport is the only airport within a 200 mile radius with a control tower adding both safety and convenience for our airport users. The airport also supports a wide variety of commercial and general aviation uses including charter flights, air cargo operations, corporate aviation, pilot training, air ambulance, and leisure flying. In 2007 Garden City Regional Airport served 21,217 annual take-offs and landings and currently has 45 based aircraft.

Future Plans

Economic Benefits