Eppley Airfield facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eppley Airfield
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The OMA logo, styled after the Dance of the Cranes statue situated on the airport grounds
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Eppley Airfield in December 2006
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||||||
| Owner/Operator | Omaha Airport Authority | ||||||||||||||||||
| Serves | Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa |
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| Location | 4501 Abbott Drive Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. |
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| Elevation AMSL | 984 ft / 300 m | ||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 41°18′00″N 95°53′42″W / 41.30°N 95.895°W | ||||||||||||||||||
| Website | flyoma.com | ||||||||||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||||||||||
 FAA airport diagram |
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| Runway | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Statistics (2024) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Sources: FAA and airport website
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Eppley Airfield (OMA) is a busy airport in the Midwest. It is located about 3 miles (5 km) northeast of downtown Omaha, Nebraska. This airport is the largest in Nebraska. It handles more flights than all other airports in the state combined. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) calls it a "medium hub airport." The Omaha Airport Authority (OAA) owns and runs Eppley Airfield.
Contents
Where is Eppley Airfield Located?
The airport is in East Omaha, northeast of the city center. It sits on the west bank of the Missouri River. Even though the airport is in Nebraska, parts of it are surrounded by Iowa. This happened because the Missouri River changed its path in 1877. The land that became Eppley Airfield was cut off from Iowa. However, the Supreme Court decided in 1893 that this land still belonged to Iowa. This area is now the city of Carter Lake, Iowa.
A Brief History of Eppley Airfield
Eppley Airfield started as an expansion of Levi Carter Park in 1925. The City of Omaha bought 200 acres (0.81 km2) of land near Carter Lake. Soon after, planes began using the area for landings and takeoffs.
In 1959–60, the airport received a big boost. Eugene C. Eppley, who founded the Eppley Hotel chain, donated $1 million. This money helped prepare the airport for jet airplanes. The federal government also added funds. In 1960, the airport was renamed Eppley Airfield in his honor. The first jet planes, Boeing 720s, landed in Omaha in August 1960.
The main terminal building opened in 1961. Concourse B was added in 1970. Concourse A opened in 1986. In 2024, Eppley Airfield had a record year. It served over 5.2 million passengers.
Who Manages the Airport?
The Omaha Airport Authority (OAA) was created in 1959. A board of five members runs the OAA. They are fully in charge of operating Eppley Airfield.
Past and Present Airlines
From 1995 to 2002, Midwest Airlines used Eppley Airfield as a hub. They had flights to cities like Milwaukee, Newark, and Los Angeles. Even after merging with Frontier Airlines in 2009, they kept flights to Milwaukee and Washington–Reagan.
In 2024, the largest airlines at Eppley were Southwest Airlines, American, and Delta. They carried most of the passengers. The airport also has a U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility. This allows it to handle international flights. For a short time, Air Canada Express offered daily flights to Toronto, Canada.
Airport Facilities
Eppley Airfield covers 2,650 acres (10.7 km2). It is 984 feet (300 m) above sea level. The airport has three runways for planes to land and take off.
Terminal Buildings
Eppley Airfield has two main terminal areas.
- The South Terminal includes Concourse A. It has gates A1 through A10. This terminal serves Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Frontier Airlines.
- The North Terminal includes Concourse B. It has gates B11 through B20. This terminal serves Allegiant Air, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines. Gate B20 was removed due to ongoing construction.
Getting To and From the Airport
Eppley Airfield is close to several major highways. These include Interstate 80, Interstate 480, Interstate 680, and Interstate 29.
The airport has a special building for rental cars. It is connected to the North Terminal. Metro Transit bus Line 106 offers limited service to downtown Omaha. Express Arrow buses also stop at the terminal.
Airport Expansion and Future Plans
Eppley Airfield has been expanding its facilities. In 2016, it made its United States Customs and Border Protection facility larger. This helps with international flights.
Big upgrades are planned for Eppley Airfield. These changes will modernize the terminal. They will add more gates and improve the experience for passengers. In January 2024, the Omaha Airport Authority announced a $950 million expansion project.
Some improvements are already happening or will start soon. A new passenger drop-off lane is being built. A protective canopy will cover the pick-up and drop-off areas. These changes will also make the airport more accessible for everyone.
Security screening will be combined into one area. This means passengers will not have to go through security again when moving between concourses. Concourses A and B will be connected by a long hallway. This will make the new combined concourse much larger. The airport will rearrange gates and add two new ones, making a total of 22 gates. There is also room for more gates in the future. Boarding areas and baggage claim will be bigger. New shops and food places will be added. Two gates will be set aside for international flights. They will have a new Customs and Border Protection area for arrivals.
Airlines and Destinations
Passenger Flights
| Passenger destinations map |
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Cargo Flights
| Airlines | Destinations | Refs |
|---|---|---|
| AirNet Express | Des Moines | |
| Amazon Air | Fort Worth/Alliance | |
| Ameriflight | Broken Bow, Grand Island, Hastings, Norfolk, O'Neill | |
| DHL Aviation | Cincinnati, St. Louis | |
| FedEx Express | Chicago–O'Hare, Denver, Grand Island, Indianapolis, Kearney, McCook, Memphis, North Platte | |
| UPS Airlines | Chicago/Rockford, Fargo, Louisville, Phoenix–Sky Harbor |
Airport Statistics
Busiest Destinations
This table shows the busiest flight routes from Eppley Airfield. It lists the top cities people flew to from Omaha between January and December 2024.
| Rank | City | Passengers | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Denver, Colorado |
403,380 | Frontier, Southwest, United |
| 2 |  Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois |
229,570 | American, United |
| 3 |  Atlanta, Georgia |
217,380 | Delta, Southwest |
| 4 |  Phoenix–Sky Harbor, Arizona |
214,190 | American, Southwest |
| 5 |  Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas |
198,050 | American, Frontier |
| 6 | Chicago–Midway, Illinois |
169,000 | Southwest |
| 7 |  Las Vegas, Nevada |
139,030 | Allegiant, Southwest |
| 8 |  Charlotte, North Carolina |
113,650 | American |
| 9 |  St. Louis, Missouri |
102,640 | Southwest |
| 10 |  Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota |
96,170 | Delta |
Airline Popularity
This graph shows which airlines carried the most passengers at Eppley Airfield. The data is from September 2023 to August 2024.
| Carrier | Passengers (arriving and departing) |
|---|---|
| Southwest |
1,934,000(37.62%)
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| American |
826,000(16.08%)
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| United |
729,000(14.18%)
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| SkyWest |
486,000(9.45%)
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| Delta |
428,000(8.32%)
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| Other Airlines |
737,000(14.34%)
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Yearly Passenger Numbers
This table shows how many passengers used Eppley Airfield each year. It includes both people arriving and departing.
| 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Passengers | Change | Year | Passengers | Change | Year | Passengers | Change |
| 2000 | 3,814,440 |  1.08% |
2010 | 4,287,428 | 1.65% |
2020 | 2,140,016 |  57.4% |
| 2001 | 3,653,521 | 4.21% |
2011 | 4,212,399 | 1.75% |
2021 | 3,749,337 | 75.2% |
| 2002 | 3,608,231 | 1.23% |
2012 | 4,127,344 | 2.02% |
2022 | 4,506,713 | 20.2% |
| 2003 | 3,667,190 | 1.63% |
2013 | 4,042,333 | 2.06% |
2023 | 5,026,639 | 11.5% |
| 2004 | 3,868,217 | 5.48% |
2014 | 4,119,730 | 1.91% |
2024 | 5,277,326 | 5.0% |
| 2005 | 4,193,046 | 8.40% |
2015 | 4,169,467 | 1.21% |
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| 2006 | 4,229,856 | 0.88% |
2016 | 4,349,486 | 4.32% |
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| 2007 | 4,421,274 | 4.53% |
2017 | 4,611,906 | 6.03% |
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| 2008 | 4,370,137 | 1.16% |
2018 | 5,043,194 | 9.35% |
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| 2009 | 4,217,718 | 3.49% |
2019 | 5,023,668 | 0.39% |
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Airport Events
- On December 6, 1978, a military plane had an engine fire during takeoff. It crashed near the airport, and everyone on board passed away.
- On April 26, 2024, a strong tornado hit the airport. Several small plane hangars were damaged or destroyed. About 30 airplanes were affected. The airport closed briefly but reopened soon after.
See also
In Spanish: Aeropuerto Eppley para niños
- List of airports in Nebraska
Images for kids
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Eppley on June 16, 2011 during the 2011 Missouri River floods
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Eppley Airfield and downtown Omaha
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Omaha Airport Police cruiser
