Regional Airport Announces Additional Record-Breaking Growth

RAPID CITY, S.D. (10/22/2018) – Rapid City Regional Airport is pleased to announce another phenomenal period of enplanement growth.  During the summer months of June, July, and August, the airport welcomed 107,886 enplaned passengers; a 4.12% increase over the previous record set in 2010 of 103,616.  The enplaned passengers also surpassed the same period in 2017 by nearly 8%, which saw enplanements at 100,019.  The airport is well on its way to setting another record for 2018 if this trend of growth continues. 

“In the past two years, we have met multiple times with our four carriers and have attended meetings at three of their headquarters,” stated Airport Executive Director Patrick Dame.  “We want to have a strong presence with the carriers, so they have our airport top of mind when they have airplane assets available.”  Dame further stated, “We have also increased our marketing efforts by more than two times in areas that have a strong tendency to visit national parks and the outdoors.  We feel all these efforts are paying off. Our market is similar to where Bozeman, MT was ten years ago.  We hope to follow the same upward trajectory over the next ten years.” 

Serving the Black Hills of South Dakota, Rapid City Regional Airport welcomed nearly 596,000 total passengers in 2017.  The airport is served by Allegiant, American, Delta, and United Airlines.  Passengers can enjoy nonstop flights from Rapid City to 11 top destinations:  Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, Mesa-Phoenix, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York/Newark, and Salt Lake City.  Some flights are only offered during the summer connecting passengers to hundreds of cities worldwide.