August 27, 2010 

An Integrated Program of New Service Development via: 

Start-Up Cost Offsets, Advertising/Marketing, and Revenue Guarantees 

 In Support of New Scheduled Air Service to/from Chicago O’Hare and/or Denver 

Sponsor: Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority 

 Topeka, Kansas 

 Eric Johnson, President/Director of Airports 

 Congressional Code: KS-002 

 Dun & Bradstreet Number: 150947141 

FORBES FIELD AIRPORT, TOPEKA, KANSAS

Proposal Under the Small Community Air Service Development Program 

Docket: DOT-OST-2010-0124

Before the Office of the Secretary of Transportation 

US Department of Transportation
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section Page 

Summary Information 3 

Introduction 6 

Primary Objectives of Proposal 7 

Executive Summary 8 

Detailed Explanation of Proposal 13 

Expected Results 16 

The Potential for Air Service 20 

Air Service Deficiencies 25 

Extenuating Factors Affecting Air Service 29 

Availability of Alternate Airports 31 

Use of Local/Federal Funds 32 

Public/Private Partnerships 33 

Implementation Timeline 35 

Air Service Advisory Groups 36 

Local Air Service Development Efforts 37 

In-kind Services from the Community 38 

Performance Measures 39 

Legal Sponsor 40 

Financial Controls 41 

Return on Investment 42 

DOT Exit Strategy 43 

Alternate Plan 44 

Airport Information 45 

Community Profile 46 

Conclusions 57 

 

 
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 3

SUMMARY INFORMATION 

Small Community Air Service Development Program 

Docket DOT-OST-2010-0124 

A. Applicant Information 

 Not a Consortium Community now receives EAS subsidy 

 Interstate Consortium Intrastate Consortium 

 Community previously received a Small Community Grant 

 If previous recipient, date of Grant: ________________________________ 

 expiration date of Grant: _______________________ 

B. Public/Private Partnership

Public: 

1. Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority 

2. City of Topeka 

3. Shawnee County Commission 

Private: 

 

1. Greater Topeka Area Chamber of Commerce 

2. Coalition of Topeka Area Businesses 
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 4

C. Project Proposal 

 Marketing Upgrade Aircraft New Route 

 Personnel Increased Frequency Low Fare Service 

 Travel Bank Service Restoration Subsidy 

 Surface Transportation Regional Service Other (Specify) 

 Revenue Guarantee Launch New Carrier 

 Start Up Cost Offset First Competitive Service 

 Study Secure Additional Carrier 

D. Existing Landing Aids at Airport

 Full ILS Outer/Middle Marker Published Instrument Approach 

 Localizer Other:

E. Project Cost 

1. Federal amount requested: $ 500,000 

2. State cash financial contribution: $ 0

3. Local cash financial contribution: $ 50,000

 3a. Airport cash funds: $ 25,000

 3b. Non-Airport cash funds: $ 25,000 

 3c. Total local cash funds: $ 50,000

4. TOTAL CASH FUNDING: $ 550,000

5. Local funds contributed from already existing

Programs of projects included in line 3c: $ 0

6. Local funds contributed from new commitments 

Or new resources included in line 3c: $ 50,000

7. Airport In-Kind contribution: $ Various

Description: Fee waivers: landing and terminal fees

8. Other In-Kind contribution: $ Various

Description: Advertising and marketing match money

9. TOTAL IN-KIND CONTRIBUTION: $ Undetermined

10. TOTAL PROJECT COST: $ 550,000
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 5

F. Enplanements at Airport

 2000: 0 

2001: 0

 2002: 0

 2003: 0

 2004: 470

 2005: 470

 2006: 6,640

 2007: 0

 2008: 0 

2009: 0 

G. Is Application Subject to Review by State Under Executive Order 12372 Process?

 This application was made available to the State on ______. 

 Program is subject to review, but has not been selected by the State. 

 Program is not covered. 

H. Is Applicant Delinquent on any Federal Debt? 

 No 

 
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 6

INTRODUCTION 

It is the contention of the Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority that the Topeka catchment 

area generates plenty of air travel to support local air service. The region is estimated to 

generate 397 passengers per day each way as of 2009 – most of which currently use service at 

Kansas City International Airport, which is an hour and a half away on congested interstate 

highways. The Topeka catchment area is estimated to generate enough local passengers to 

support eight 50-seat regional jet departures per day at a load factor of 99.3%. 

With that potential passenger support in mind, under this proposal, the Forbes Field Airport and 

various community organizations throughout eastern Kansas seek to partner with the 

Department of Transportation to develop a revenue guarantee for new airline service. The 

community has determined the best option for local air service will be regional jet flights to and 

through Chicago O’Hare. The Metropolitan 

Topeka Airport Authority has had recent 

discussion with SkyWest – a United Express 

operator – about serving the route. 

It must be noted that Topeka’s estimated 

passenger numbers are just that: estimates. 

They are not actual numbers of passengers flying to and from the Topeka catchment area. Due 

to the difficulty in estimating the size of the origin and destination passenger market at the 

Forbes Field Airport – with no recent network service providing historical data – the Airport must 

offer interested airlines some kind of risk mitigation to reduce their risk of losing money. 

While Topeka has been without air carrier service, service at the Kansas City International Airport 

has been cut significantly. Since the summer of 2007, Kansas City’s seats are down by almost a 

third. These seat losses not only hurt the immediate Kansas City catchment area, but also 

Topeka. Access to the national air transportation system is becoming more difficult as the 

region, as a whole, sees cuts in airline service. 

Should non-stop service be launched between Topeka and Chicago O’Hare the new flights 

wouldn’t even begin to make up for the capacity lost at Kansas City in the just the last three 

years. This gives the Airport extra confidence new service will be successful – as it merely 

replaces a small portion of capacity lost in recent years at Kansas City.

“... With no recent network service 

providing historical data – the Airport 

must offer interested airlines some 

kind of risk mitigation...” 
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 7

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES OF PROPOSAL 

Objectives for Program: 

 Link Topeka and eastern Kansas to the national air transportation system 

 Create better opportunities for business connections 

 Increase connections to the majority of the country 

 Recruit an airline to the market 

Means to Achieve Objectives: 

 Continue discussion with several airlines about entrance into the market 

 Develop risk mitigation package 

 Work towards launch of routes no later than the Spring of 2012 

Course of Action to Support Means: 

 Provide start-up cost offsets 

 Make available revenue guarantee in first 12-months of new service 

 Initiate marketing and advertising campaign to publicize new air service 

 Work with local business partners to make sure new service is successful 

 
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 8

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

The City of Topeka has long been the cultural and economic center of east central Kansas. As 

the State’s capital, the City’s sphere of influence encompasses the entire state, and much of the 

region. Topeka lost is last commercial hub service in 2003, when the Department of 

Transportation ended its status as an Essential Air Service (EAS) market. The judgment was made 

due to the fact that the average subsidy, per passenger, had topped the $200 cap. Otherwise, 

Topeka would still qualify as an EAS service point today, as it had commercial service at the end 

of deregulation and it lies more than 70 miles from the nearest medium hub airport, in Kansas 

City. 

Since 2003, the City of Topeka, the regional economic development agencies, and the State 

have all been working hard to bring commercial air service back to the Forbes Field Airport. This 

effort resulted in a short 

stint of service by Allegiant 

Air, to Las Vegas. But that 

service did not fulfill the 

community’s need for a 

hub carrier, providing 

connectivity to the national 

air transportation system. 

The 30 minute drive time 

Topeka catchment area 

(see within the dotted line 

in Figure 1) is home to 

168,139 people as of the 

latest US Census estimates. 

The one hour drive time 

catchment area (seen 

inside the solid line in Figure 

1) is home to 464,809 

people. 

FIGURE 1: Immediate (30 Minute) and Extended (60 Minute)

Catchment Areas, Forbes Field Airport, Topeka
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 9

The areas shaded in green in Figure 1 represent areas where residents must pass the Topeka – 

Forbes Field Airport on their way to access air service at other airports in the region – namely 

Kansas City International. The population of the total area in green is 199,623, while the 

population of the area in dark green is 130,134, or 77.4% of the Topeka’s immediate catchment 

area. Topeka is not isolated, but the areas to the north and west of the Airport certainly are 

isolated. 

The Forbes Field Airport lost its last scheduled air service in July of 2007. Allegiant Air provided 

non-stop flights, twice per week, between Topeka and Las Vegas from March of 2006 through 

the summer of 2007. The service performed well, from an analysis of all data points, but it was 

ended as Allegiant was beginning to see margins in the 20% to 25% range – slightly higher than 

the projected margin it was likely earning in Topeka. 

For the full 17 month operation of Topeka – Las Vegas service, Allegiant averaged a load factor 

of 79% (see Figure 2). The carrier averaged 44 available seats per day each way (SDEW), and 

boarded an average of 36 passengers per day each way (PDEW) – despite the fact that the 

service operated just twice per week. 

12

40

44

45

44

39

45

44

40

44 44

48

44

45

39

45

44

9.4

20.3

30.0

40.8

39.6

34.2

36.1

34.8

28.5

35.5

31.1

36.5 35.7

32.7

29.9

40.6 40.2

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

2006-03 2006-04 2006-05 2006-06 2006-07 2006-08 2006-09 2006-10 2006-11 2006-12 2007-01 2007-02 2007-03 2007-04 2007-05 2007-06 2007-07

Available SDEW Onboard PDEW Load Factor

77.7%

50.7%

68.8%

90.6% 91.1% 88.5%

80.1% 79.9%

71.2%

81.5%

71.5% 75.7%

82.1%

72.7%

77.3%

90.3% 92.3%

FIGURE 2: Departing Seats Per Day, Departing Passengers Per Day, and Load Factor

Topeka – Las Vegas Service, March 2006 – July 2007; Source: US DOT T100 Data
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 10

Topeka – Las Vegas service performed best just before it was pulled. In the last two months of 

Allegiant service the route averages 40.3 passengers per day each way – the highest two month 

average for the entire duration the route was served (see Figure 2). In the last two months of 

service in Topeka, Allegiant averaged a load factor just above 91%. 

The previous success of this service gives the Airport reason to believe local travelers will use the 

Forbes Field Airport instead of driving to access the national air transportation system at Kansas 

City. Moreover, it is likely that the Airport would only have to draw passengers from its 

immediate catchment area to sufficiently support network carrier service. 

The Topeka area currently makes up a small portion of the Kansas City International Airport 

catchment area, as there is no current scheduled air service in Topeka. The Topeka – Forbes 

Field Airport 30-minute 

catchment area represents 

6.59% of the total 

population of the 90-

minute Kansas City 

catchment area (see 

Figure 3). The immediate 

Topeka catchment area, 

represented in Figure 3 in 

purple, includes 168,139 

people. 

Only those living in the 

immediate, 30-minute 

Topeka catchment area 

are considered in the 

origin and destination 

passenger analysis 

included in this proposal, as Forbes Field would be significantly more convenient for them than 

Kansas City International Airport (MCI). For the purposes of these projections, it is assumed 

service at Topeka would draw passengers only from its 6.59% share of the Kansas City catchment 

area (see Figure 3). Additionally, for the purposes of being as conservative as possible in this 

Topeka Would Be Significantly 

More Convenient for 6.59% of 

the Kansas City International 

Airport Catchment Area

FIGURE 3: Topeka’s Catchment Area Relative to

The Kansas City International Catchment Area
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 11

proposal, it is assumed local Topeka air service would retain 50% of the passengers created in 

the Topeka portion of the MCI catchment area, or 3.295% of current Kansas City passengers. 

When these assumptions are taken into account, it becomes apparent that even the immediate 

Topeka catchment area generates enough passengers to support local air service. For 

calendar year 2009, using these assumptions, it is projected that the Topeka immediate 

catchment area generated an average of 397 passengers per day each way (PDEW) through 

Kansas City International (see Figure 4). In all, the Topeka catchment area’s 50% retention in 

2009 would have captured more than 276,000 total domestic origin and destination passengers 

and almost 14,000 international passengers. 

It is projected that the Topeka catchment area has seen passenger declines in the last two 

years, as it generated an estimated 458 passengers per day each way (PDEW) in 2007 - 13% 

more passengers than it is estimated to have generated in 2009 (see Figure 4). This is in-line with 

passenger totals around the region, as the economic downturn reduced total travel through 

Kansas and Missouri – not to mention across the country. 

315,035 300,092

277,236 273,659 285,041 290,345 308,059 319,246 301,184

276,086

10,359

10,120

10,118 10,205

11,836 13,044

14,407

14,905

15,058

13,825

445.7

424.9

393.6 388.9

406.7 415.6

441.7

457.7

433.2

397.1

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

350,000

400,000

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 

PDEW International Domestic

FIGURE 4: Estimated O&D Passengers from the Topeka Catchment Area

CY2000 – CY2009; Sources: US DOT Table DB1A, Sixel Consulting Group Analysis
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 12

Even at 2009 estimated totals, the Topeka catchment area generates plenty of air travel to 

support local air service – even at just 50% retention of immediate, local passengers. The 

region’s 397 passengers per day each way would be enough to support eight 50-seat regional 

jet departures per day from the Forbes Field Airport at a load factor of 99.3% (see Figure 4). 

It must be noted, however, that these passenger numbers are scientific estimates – and not 

actual numbers of passengers flying to and from the Topeka catchment area. Due to the 

difficulty in estimating the size of the origin and destination passenger market at the Forbes Field 

Airport – with no recent network service providing 

historical data – the Airport must offer any interested 

airlines some kind of risk mitigation to ensure their 

profitability and reduce their risk of losing money. 

Under this proposal, the Forbes Field Airport and 

various community organizations throughout eastern 

Kansas seek to partner with the Department of 

Transportation to develop a revenue guarantee for 

new airline service. The community has determined the best option for local air service will be 

regional jet flights to and through Chicago O’Hare. The Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority 

has had recent discussion with SkyWest – a United Express operator – about serving the route. 

The Airport will also seek to work with other United Express partner airlines and American Eagle to 

develop a package to bring Chicago service to the region. 

 

“The region’s 397 passengers per 

day each way would be enough 

to support eight 50-seat regional 

jets per day from the Forbes Field 

Airport at a load factor of 99.3%.” 
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 13

DETAILED EXPLANATION OF PROPOSAL 

The Forbes Field Airport in Topeka proposes to use a combination of locally raised funding in 

conjunction with federal Small Community Air Service Development Grant funding in support of 

the addition of scheduled network airline service to the market. The proposed route is between 

Topeka and Chicago O’Hare (see Figure 5). 

This routing would accomplish the main goal of the Airport and its community partners: to 

establish service to a major airline hub providing wide reaching connectivity to destinations both 

east and west of the Topeka market. Topeka’s location at the center of the country makes the 

second part of this goal 

especially difficult, but with 

limited backtrack routings, 

O’Hare can provide 

connectivity to both coasts 

(see Figure 5). 

The Metropolitan Topeka 

Airport Authority seeks a 

Small Community Air Service 

Development Grant, in the 

amount of $500,000, to help 

mitigate the initial monetary 

risk in serving the Topeka – 

Chicago O’Hare route. The 

route could be served by either a United Express carrier or by American Eagle/American 

Connection. 

The Airport proposes two daily flights on the route in each direction. The route between Topeka 

and Chicago O’Hare would cover 459 miles in a block time of one hour and 30 minutes (see 

Figure 5), on average, assuming an average groundspeed of 350 knots on a Canadair CRJ200 

regional jet aircraft seating 50 passengers in an all-economy layout (see Figure 6). 

The proposed schedule would allow for the overnight of an aircraft at the Forbes Field Airport, 

which positions the aircraft for an early morning departure to Chicago to connect to the first 

Stage Length: 459 Miles

Block Time: 1.5 Hours

Aircraft: CRJ200

Available Seats/Flight: 50 Seats

Topeka - Chicago O'Hare

FOE

ORD

FIGURE 5: Proposed Route:

Topeka – Chicago O’Hare
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 14

departing block of flights of the day (see Figure 6). This schedule connects into the main midday 

and evening banks at O’Hare, as well, with a late evening arrival. The schedule is designed for 

the Topeka area business traveler to be able to make a day trip to most Midwest and east coast 

markets – providing the best possible competition with the schedule at Kansas City. 

Origin Destination Departs Arrives Block Time Equipment 

FOE ORD 6:00am 7:30am 1:30 CRJ 

ORD FOE 12:30pm 2:00pm 1:30 CRJ 

FOE ORD 2:30pm 4:00pm 1:30 CRJ 

ORD FOE 8:20pm 9:50pm 1:30 CRJ 

The Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority proposes that a relatively small portion of the cost of 

starting the new service be supported up-front with federal funds from the Small Community Air 

Service Development Program. Of the total Grant request of $500,000, only $50,000 will be used 

for marketing and advertising projects, with only a small portion of the Grant award going to 

immediate start-up costs. The federal share of the project will be $500,000, all of which will be 

used for the airline revenue guarantee. 

The Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority projects that the bulk of the grant money be available 

to provide insurance in case the new carrier incurs a loss during the first year of operations. With 

demonstrated demand for service in the Topeka market, and demand for connectivity over the 

Chicago O’Hare hub, the Airport projects the new flights will be profitable within one year. 

If, for some unforeseen reason, service is not commenced in a timely manner by one of the 

carriers operating a hub at O’Hare, the Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority proposes to use 

federal grant money awarded under the Small Community Air Service Development Program for 

service to another hub with wide ranging connectivity. Among the options the Airport will 

consider would be service to Denver on either United, Frontier, or one of their affiliated carriers; 

service to Memphis on Delta or one of its affiliated carriers; service to Dallas/Ft. Worth on 

American or one of its affiliated carriers; service to Minneapolis/St. Paul on Delta or one of its 

affiliated carriers; or service to Detroit on Delta or one of its affiliated carriers. 

FIGURE 6: Proposed Schedule:

Topeka – Chicago O’Hare
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 15

Should these options, for an unforeseen reason, not be available for new service at the Forbes 

Field Airport, the Airport will continue its discussions with all other carriers than can provide 

service. Since the community has never before received a Small Community Air Service 

Development Grant, it will have no limitations on which new hub the DOT could fund. 
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 16

EXPECTED RESULTS 

Route Specific Data: Topeka – Chicago O’Hare 

The Chicago O’Hare hub would provide Topeka area travelers the most wide-ranging collection 

of one-stop destination of any middle-America hub. For the purposes of analyzing the potential 

connectivity, passengers, and revenue flowing over the hub, it is assumed service would be 

provided by a United Express carrier. The Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority has had recent 

discussions, in the summer of 2010, with SkyWest, about serving the Topeka – Chicago O’Hare 

market under the United 

code. 

United Express service 

from Topeka to Chicago 

O’Hare would connect 

to 121 one-stop cities in 

North America, Europe, 

Asia, and South America 

(see Figure 7). Chicago 

O’Hare would provide 

connections to both 

coasts, with circuity of 

connections limited to 

75%. Chicago O’Hare 

also provides the best 

possible connectivity to 

destinations on the east 

coast – which ranks as 

some of the region’s 

largest origin and destination passenger markets.

The Topeka market currently produces an estimated 281 origin and destination passengers per 

day each way to destinations that naturally connect over the United O’Hare hub. As of 

calendar year 2009, Topeka is estimated to have produced 204,838 total origin and destination 

FIGURE 7: One‐Stop Connections Over Chicago O’Hare on UA/Star,

August 2010; Source: Sixel Consulting Group Hub Builder
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 17

passengers that would flow over Chicago O’Hare on United and the Star Alliance (see Figure 8). 

In all, the Topeka – Chicago O’Hare route has the potential to capture 69% of the current 

passengers currently 

estimated to be flying 

to and from the 

Topeka catchment 

area through other 

airports, without taking 

into account any 

passenger stimulation 

through the addition of 

local non-stop service. 

At the same time, the 

United Chicago O’Hare hub could capture 65% of the current estimated revenue generated in 

Topeka market (see Figure 8). It is estimated that markets from Topeka that flow over the United 

Chicago O’Hare hub 

generate more than 

$28.5 million in 

annual airline 

revenue, or $39,050 

in revenue per day 

each way (RDEW). 

The United/Star 

Alliance hub at 

Chicago O’Hare has 

potential to capture 

large portions of 

traffic in most of 

Topeka’s largest 

estimated origin and 

destination markets. 

The O’Hare hub is 

especially well 

O'Hare 

83%

Other 

Hubs 17%

O'Hare 

75%

Other 

Hubs 25%

Estimated Topeka O&D Revenue $44,177,603 100%

Revenue Flowing Over O’Hare $28,520,120 65%

Estimated Topeka O&D Passengers 298,081 100%

Passengers Flowing Over O’Hare 204,838 69%

FIGURE 8: O&D Passengers and Revenue Over O’Hare on UA/Star,

CY2009; Source: Sixel Consulting Group Hub Builder

20,048

14,713

13,779

12,131

10,772

10,607

9,317

8,135

7,417

6,090

5,257

5,163

4,723

4,219

3,859

3,640

3,393

3,352

3,139

2,980

27.5

20.2

18.9

16.6

14.8

14.5

12.8

11.1

10.2

8.3

7.2

7.1

6.5

5.8

5.3

5.0

4.6

4.6

4.3

4.1

0.0 5,000.0 10,000.0 15,000.0 20,000.0

Chicago Area - 1

Washington/Baltimore - 2

Los Angeles Basin - 3

New York/Newark - 4

Las Vegas - 5

Orlando/Sanford Area - 6

Atlanta - 7

San Francisco Bay Area - 8

South Florida Area - 9

West Florida Area - 10

Seattle/Tacoma - 11

San Diego - 12

Nashville - 13

Philadelphia - 14

Boston - 15

Detroit - 16

Cleveland - 17

Indianapolis - 18

Portland - 19

Charlotte - 20

Annual Passengers 

PDEW

FIGURE 9: Top 20 O&D Passenger Markets Over O’Hare on UA/Star,

CY2009; Source: Sixel Consulting Group Hub Builder
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 18

positioned to capture traffic traveling to the east coast, although it also has excellent 

connectivity to international destinations. Among the large markets that would be served over 

O’Hare on United is Chicago, itself, which is estimated to produce 27.5 passengers per day each 

way (PDEW) to and from Topeka; Washington/Baltimore, which produces 20.2 PDEW; the Los 

Angeles Basin, which produces 18.9 PDEW; New York/Newark, which produces 16.6 PDEW; Las 

Vegas, which produces 14.8 PDEW; and the Orlando/Sanford area, which produces 14.5 PDEW 

(see Figure 9). 

It is likely local, non-stop 

service would stimulate 

the passenger market 

significantly in Topeka, 

with a projected 

stimulation rate in its 

market of, at least, 50%. 

This gives the Airport 

reason to be optimistic 

that the service can be 

self-sustaining in as little 

as 12 months from the 

start of flights. 

Should it launch service 

between Topeka and 

Chicago O’Hare, United 

would be adding service 

in markets that have current fares averaging $139 each way at Kansas City International Airport 

(see Figure 10). United Express would provide another alternative in many markets where fares 

are above the Midwest regional average, such as Washington/Baltimore, where the average 

roundtrip fare was $286 in 2009; New York/Newark, where the average roundtrip fare was $310 in 

2009; Seattle where the average roundtrip fare was $286 in 2009; Philadelphia, where the 

average fare was $300 roundtrip in 2009; Detroit, where the average roundtrip fare was $342 in 

2009; and Portland, Oregon, where the average roundtrip fare was $294 in 2009. 

$93

$143

$132

$155

$117

$97

$116

$138

$113

$96

$143

$138

$88

$150

$143

$171

$131

$91

$147

$138

$0 $20 $40 $60 $80 $100 $120 $140 $160

Chicago Area - 1

Washington/Baltimore - 2

Los Angeles Basin - 3

New York/Newark - 4

Las Vegas - 5

Orlando/Sanford Area - 6

Atlanta - 7

San Francisco Bay Area - 8

South Florida Area - 9

West Florida Area - 10

Seattle/Tacoma - 11

San Diego - 12

Nashville - 13

Philadelphia - 14

Boston- 15

Detroit - 16

Cleveland - 17

Indianapolis - 18

Portland - 19

Charlotte - 20

Average Over ORD: $139

FIGURE 10: Average One Way Fares to Top 20 Passenger Markets Over O’Hare,

At MCI, CY2009; Source: Sixel Consulting Group Hub Builder
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 19

The Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority believes there is sufficient passenger traffic and 

revenue that would flow over United’s Chicago O’Hare hub to make the service profitable. 

United would not be forced to offer rock-bottom fares in Topeka to be competitive – even fares 

slightly higher than those found in other regional markets, such as Kansas City, would be low 

enough to capture local traffic and end some of the leakage the market experiences today. 

The Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority believes in the Topeka – Chicago market, and must 

develop a risk mitigation package to ensure an airline hubbed at O’Hare can enter the market 

without major risk.
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 20

THE POTENTIAL FOR AIR SERVICE IN TOPEKA 

Despite the relative size of the Topeka catchment area, with almost 500,000 local residents, the 

Forbes Field Airport has been without schedule air service since 2007 and without network carrier 

service since 2003. While the Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority has worked had to attract 

an air carrier to re-establish service in the market, it is clear risk mitigation will be required – on a 

scale that the Topeka community will not be able to support on its own. 

The Airport is confident its catchment area generates enough annual passenger trips to support 

local air service. In a series of materials prepared by an outside consulting firm for direct airline 

meetings the Topeka market has been estimated to produce between 400 and 500 passengers 

per day each way (PDEW). 

Current Passenger Traffic Generated by the Topeka Market 

As previously explained in this proposal, the immediate, 30-minute drive time Forbes Field Airport 

catchment area makes up 6.59% of the greater Kansas City International Airport catchment 

area. It is estimated that the Topeka area is responsible for about 6.5% of all passenger trips in 

and out of the Kansas City Airport. The Airport, however, does not believe local service in 

Topeka will capture 100% of the passengers generated by its immediate catchment area. 

Instead, it anticipates about half the trips from its immediate catchment area would shift from 

the Kansas City Airport to the Forbes Field 

Airport, assuming the right kind of service is 

offered in Topeka, with fares within 25% of 

the fares offered at Kansas City. 

With these assumptions taken into account, it 

is conservatively believed the Topeka “true 

market” could capture 397 origin and 

destination passengers per day each way as 

of calendar year 2009. This passenger average includes half of the Topeka share of Kansas City 

passengers – or 3.295% of the 2009 Kansas City market. 

“While the Metropolitan Topeka 

Airport Authority has worked hard to 

attract an air carrier to re-establish 

service in the market, it is clear risk 

mitigation will be required...” 
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 21

These passengers are distributed to markets all over the country, and around the world. In 2009, 

it is estimated that Chicago ranked as Topeka’s number one origin and destination domestic 

passenger market, generating more than 20,000 annual passengers or 27.4 passengers per day 

each way (PDEW) (see Figure 11). Chicago was followed by Washington-Baltimore, with 19.8 

passengers per day each way; Dallas/Ft. Worth, with 19.6 passengers per day each way; the Los 

Angeles Basin, with 18.6 passengers per day each way; Denver, with 18.3 passengers per day 

each way; New York/Newark, with 16.7 passengers per day each way; and Las Vegas, with 14.7 

passengers per day each way. 

International traffic from the Topeka catchment area is scattered to destinations around the 

world, with the largest proportion traveling to destinations in Mexico in 2009. Cancun is 

estimated to be Topeka’s top international origin and destination market in 2009, averaging 2.9 

passengers per day each way (PDEW), or 2,110 total passengers (see Figure 12). 

20,015

14,472

14,313

13,560

13,370

12,213

10,713

10,559

9,232

8,365

8,051

7,318

6,839

6,049

5,134

5,124

4,712

4,411

4,103

3,820

3,749

3,540

3,363

3,330

3,063

27.4

19.8

19.6

18.6

18.3

16.7

14.7

14.5

12.6

11.5

11.0

10.0

9.4

8.3

7.0

7.0

6.5

6.0

5.6

5.2

5.1

4.8

4.6

4.6

4.2

0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000

Chicago Area

Washington-Baltimore

Dallas/Ft. Worth

Los Angeles Area

Denver

New York/Newark

Las Vegas

Orlando

Atlanta

Phoenix

San Francisco Bay Area

South Florida

Houston

Tampa

Seattle

San Diego

Nashville

St. Louis

Philadelphia

Minneapolis/St. Paul

Boston

Detroit

Cleveland

Indianapolis

Portland, OR

Annual Passengers PDEW

FIGURE 11: Topeka’s Estimated Top 25 Domestic O&D Passenger Markets,

CY2009; Sources: US DOT Table DB1A, Sixel Consulting Group Analysis
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 22

Other large estimated international origin and destination markets for immediate Topeka 

catchment area passengers in 2009 included London Heathrow, with 663 O&D passengers; 

Puerto Vallarta, with 628 O&D passengers; Los Cabos, with 501 O&D passengers; Toronto, with 

473 O&D passengers; and Montego Bay, with 471 O&D passengers (see Figure 12). 

As both the large domestic and international markets from Topeka are distributed from coast to 

coast and continent to continent it is important that any local service offered at the Forbes Field 

Airport be able to offer one-stop connections to a wide range of markets. This is why the Airport 

believes Chicago O’Hare will be the best option for hub service. Flights from Topeka to Chicago 

O’Hare would connect to 121 one-stop destinations, including 24 of Topeka’s top 25 estimated 

domestic origin and destination markets and 20 of Topeka top 25 estimated international origin 

and destination markets. 

2,110

663

628

501

473

471

418

337

330

267

253

244

220

213

208

175

170

167

164

154

150

147

138

123

121

2.9

0.9

0.9

0.7

0.6

0.6

0.6

0.5

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.3

0.3

0.3

0.3

0.2

0.2

0.2

0.2

0.2

0.2

0.2

0.2

0.2

0.2

0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000

Cancun

London Heathrow

Puetro Vallarta

Los Cabos

Toronto

Montego Bay

Frankfurt

Vancouver

Paris

Mexico City

Calgary

Nassau

Rome

Cozumel

Shanghai

San Jose, Costa Rica

Amsterdam

Montreal

Grand Cayman

Tokyo Narita

Beijing

Dublin

Guatemala City

Munich

Punta Cana

Annual Passengers PDEW

FIGURE 12: Topeka’s Estimated Top 25 International O&D Passenger Markets,

CY2009; Sources: US DOT Table DB1A, Sixel Consulting Group Analysis
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 23

Air Carrier Market Share in the Region 

The current air carrier market share landscape in the Topeka area is fragmented, with five airlines 

competing for a little more than 50% of the Kansas City market. As of calendar year 2009, the 

top passenger airline at Kansas City – the main airport used by those living in the Topeka 

catchment area due to the lack of local air service – was Southwest (see Figure 13). But 

Southwest had less than 50% of the Kansas City market – with its 2009 market share at 41.8%. 

United Airlines had just 8.5% of the Kansas City passenger market in 2009 (see Figure 13). This is 

significant because it illustrates that United’s market share in the area has been eroding over the 

last decade as it faces more competition. One way for United to recapture some of the market 

would be to offer a unique service, by flying into both Kansas City and the Forbes Field Airport in 

Topeka. 

3,378,280

1,392,500

839,080 795,780 686,160 550,500

285,990 160,370 0

500,000

1,000,000

1,500,000

2,000,000

2,500,000

3,000,000

Southwest Delta Frontier/Midwest American United US Airways AirTran Continental

Southwest 

41.8%

Delta 17.2%

Frontier/ 

Midwest 

10.4%

American 

9.8%

United 8.5%

US Airways 

6.8%

AirTran 3.5%

Continental 

2.0%

Passenger Market Share by Carrier at Kansas City

Calendar Year 2009

FIGURE 13: Air Carrier Passenger Market Share at Kansas City Int’l (MCI),

CY2009; Sources: US DOT Table DB1A
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 24

Delta’s passenger market share in the area has grown considerably in the last year, due to its 

merger with Northwest. Delta had just 8% of the passenger market at Kansas City in 2008. That 

number grew to 17.2% in 2009 (see Figure 13). Frontier is also growing rapidly in the Kansas City 

market after its merger with Midwest. Together the two share 10.4% of the region’s passengers as 

of 2009. 

 
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 25

AIR SERVICE DEFICIENCIES IN TOPEKA 

To gauge the general strength of the Topeka metropolitan statistical area (MSA), and its ability 

to support commercial flights, the Airport produced an analysis of the market’s position in the 

region, and an estimated determination of the number of local Topeka MSA passengers using 

other airports in the region. This analysis also included a projection of regional travel based on 

the economies of the area’s main airport-served metropolitan areas. This analysis helps to 

validate the projected numbers for new service. At the same time, the analysis also points out 

just how underserved the Topeka market is. 

The Topeka metropolitan statistical area (MSA) had a population of 229,619 as of the latest US 

Census estimates (see Figure 14). The larger region comprised of the metro areas of Kansas City 

and Wichita has a current population of 2,937,944. Topeka’s share of that population is 7.8%. 

In many markets, an 

Airport draws a number 

of passengers 

proportional to its overall 

population in the region. 

If that were to be the 

case in the Topeka 

market, one could 

reasonably expect the 

Airport to retain about 8% 

of the total passengers 

using all three airports in 

the larger region. 

While the Topeka metro 

area is home to almost 8% 

of the region’s total 

residents, without current 

service, its Airport retains 

none of the region’s passengers (see Figures 15 and 16). 

FOE

MCI

ICT

Regional Population

Kansas City (MCI) 2,070,544 70.5%

Wichita (ICT) 637,781 21.7%

Topeka (FOE) 229,619 7.8%

Population Share

Source: US Census Share of Population of Combined MCI/ICT/FOE Catchment

FIGURE 14: Regional Population Distribution

Source: US Census Estimates
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 26

If the Airport had been able to retain the number of regional passengers proportional to its share 

of population in the region, it would have been used by 791,103 origin and destination 

passengers as of the year ended first quarter 2010. 

The largest beneficiary of Topeka’s passenger 

leakage is Kansas City – which is more than an hour 

away, on a drive of 74 highway miles by the most 

direct route. Kansas City had “reverse leakage” as of 

the year ended first quarter 2010, when it drew 23% 

more passengers than its proportion of the regional 

population. While Kansas City makes-up 70.5% of the 

region’s population, it boards almost 87% of the 

region’s total origin and destination passengers (see 

Figures 15 and 16). If Kansas City retained a number 

of origin and destination passengers proportional to its 

regional population share, it would be expected to 

generate 7,150,350 passengers annually. As of the 

year ended first quarter 2010, Kansas City saw a total 

of 8,782,260 O&D passengers – again, 23% above its 

regional share. Many of those “extra” passengers 

likely came from the Topeka metro area. 

Another way of determining passenger leakage from 

the Topeka market to other airports in the region is by 

comparing the economy of Topeka to the economies of the nearest cities with commerciallyserved airports. The easiest way to gauge each catchment area’s contribution to the economy 

of the region is to compare the gross metropolitan products (GMP) of each. A GMP is much like 

a gross national product – an overall gauge of economic activity in an area in dollars earned. 

Kansas City 

70.50%

Wichita 

21.70%

Topeka 

7.80%

Kansas City 

86.59%

Wichita 

13.41%

Topeka 

0.00%

FIGURE 15: Regional Population Share

Source: US Census Estimates

FIGURE 16: Regional O&D Passenger Share

Source: US DOT Table DB1A, YE1Q10
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 27

The United States Council of Mayors reports the Topeka metro area produced a GMP of $8.7 

billion, which represented 6.4% of the total gross regional product (GRP) of the area including 

Kansas City and Wichita 

(see Figure 17). Kansas City 

generated the largest 

portion of the GRP, with 

$101.2 billion, or 74.6%, 

while Wichita produced a 

GMP of $25.7 billion – good 

for 19.0% of the GRP. 

Despite producing 6.4% of 

the total gross regional 

product (GRP), the Topeka 

area doesn’t retain its share 

of passengers, due to the 

fact the Airport has no 

current airline service (see 

Figures 18 and 19). If the 

Airport had been able to 

retain the number of 

regional passengers proportional to its share of the GRP, it would have been used by 649,110 

passengers as of the year ended first quarter 2010. 

The major beneficiary of Topeka’s passenger leakage is, again, Kansas City. Kansas City 

experienced “reverse leakage” as of the year ended first quarter 2010, when it drew 16% more 

passengers than its proportion of the gross regional product (GRP). 

Sources: United States Council of Mayors, June 2008

FOE

MCI

ICT

Kansas City (MCI) $101.2 Billion 74.6%

Wichita (ICT) $25.7 Billion 19.0%

Topeka (FOE) $8.7 Billion 6.4%

Gross Metropolitan Product (GMP)

GMP Share

FIGURE 17: Regional Gross Metro Product (GMP) Distribution

Source: US Council of Mayors
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 28

While Kansas City generates 74.6% of the GRP, it boards almost 87% of the region’s total origin 

and destination passengers (see Figures 18 and 19). If Kansas City retained a number of origin 

and destination passengers proportional to its GRP 

share, it would be expected to generate 7.6 million 

passengers annually. As of the year ended first 

quarter 2010, Kansas City saw a total of almost 8.8 

million O&D passengers. 

These statistics illustrate that the Topeka market is 

strong enough in both population, and in its 

economic health, to generate at least 650,000 

annual origin and destination passengers. If none of 

Topeka’s passengers “leaked” to other airports in the 

region, it would generate enough local passengers to 

fill 18 regional jet departures per day at a 99% load 

factor. 

 

Kansas City 

74.60%

Wichita 

19.00%

Topeka 

6.40%

Kansas City 

86.59%

Wichita 

13.41%

Topeka 

0.00%

FIGURE 18: Regional GMP Share

Source: US Census Estimates

FIGURE 19: Regional O&D Passenger Share

Source: US DOT Table DB1A, YE1Q10
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 29

EXTENUATING FACTORS AFFECTING AIR SERVICE 

It has been established in this proposal that the Forbes Field Airport in Topeka has a sufficient 

passenger base in its local catchment area to support commercial air service. Despite this, 

airlines have found the region unattractive due to the relative proximity of Kansas City 

International Airport (MCI). While this, in and of itself, represents a hardship for the Airport and 

the community it serves there are additional extenuating circumstances regarding seat loss and 

flight declines to consider in the larger region. 

In just the last three years Kansas City International Airport has seen it’s most significant seat cuts 

in decades. These seat cuts have the impact of making air service more difficult to access for 

those in the Topeka catchment area. Since the summer of 2007, Kansas City has lost an 

average of almost 77 daily departures – a loss of 30% of that Airport’s daily flights (see Figure 20). 

During that same time period, Kansas City has lost an average of 6,353 daily outbound available 

seats, or 26% of all the market’s available airline capacity. 

FIGURE 20: Available Seats, Flights, and Passengers Per Day at MCI

June 2007 – February 2010; Source: US DOT T100 Data

24,104 24,476 24,586 24,243

24,771

24,312

22,385 22,708 22,912 22,711 22,757

22,322 22,653

21,923

21,113

19,968 19,818

18,906 18,810

18,122 18,125 18,209

18,784 19,131

20,349 20,317

19,575

18,841 19,205

20,050

18,348 18,470 18,418

20,115 19,975

18,968

16,603

17,805

17,179

15,581

14,151

15,043

16,879

16,342

17,421

18,542

17,783

16,211

14,271

15,152

13,231

13,916

11,534

12,198

13,925 13,802

14,874

16,711 17,027

15,034

13,915

14,882 14,776

13,588

12,172 12,531

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

18,000

20,000

22,000

24,000

26,000

28,000

Available SDEW Onboard PDEW Flights DEW

247.6

255.4 257.7

250.7

257.7 252.5

238.5 241.1 241.4 239.3 237.5

230.3 232.4

213.9

206.3

187.2 186.4 183.4 181.6 177.5 181.4 183.6

191.1 190.3

199.9 198.3

190.3

181.0 182.5

196.2

176.2 179.8 181.1
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 30

These overall air carrier flight and seat losses not only hurt the immediate Kansas City catchment 

area, but also Topeka. Topeka catchment area travelers have had to rely more on service 

provided at Kansas City for access to the national air transportation system. This access is 

becoming more difficult as the region, as 

a whole, sees huge cuts in airline service. 

The result of these flight and seat cuts at 

Kansas City International Airport has been 

to make access to service more difficult 

to obtain. Should non-stop service be 

launched between Topeka and Chicago 

O’Hare the new flights wouldn’t even begin to make up for the capacity lost at Kansas City in 

the just the last three years. This gives the Airport extra confidence new service will be successful 

– as it merely replaces a small portion of capacity lost in recent years at Kansas City. 

 

“Should non-stop service be launched 

between Topeka and Chicago O’Hare the 

new flights wouldn’t even begin to make 

up for the capacity lost at Kansas City in 

just the last three years.” 
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 31

AVAILABILITY OF ALTERNATE AIRPORTS 

Currently, the Topeka catchment area is only served by its alternate airports, as Forbes Field 

Airport has no scheduled air service. The primary alternate for Topeka travelers is Kansas City 

International, which lies 71 miles from downtown Topeka (see Figure 21). The drive to Kansas 

City’s Airport can take as long as two hours in normal traffic. 

A smaller percentage of 

Topeka catchment area 

travelers use Wichita’s 

Mid-Continent Airport as 

an alternate (see Figure 

21). Mid-Continent isn’t 

as popular as Kansas 

City, due to the fact it lies 

a two and a half hour 

drive from most of 

Topeka. Other alternates 

include Salina and 

Manhattan, but neither 

airport offers truly 

competitive service, so 

neither draws significantly 

from the Topeka market. 

 

FIGURE 21: Alternate Airports in the Topeka Area

As of August 2010
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 32

USE OF LOCAL/FEDERAL FUNDS 

Marketing and Advertising 

The Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority proposes to spend at least $50,000 in funds on 

marketing and advertising promotions in support of new service introductions. The goal is to 

increase ridership and usage of new local service through targeted regional campaigns. 

Revenue Guarantee 

The Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority proposes to make available at least $500,000 in funds 

for a revenue guarantee to the new carrier, to cover start-up losses that may occur during the 

first twelve months of service. Subject to negotiation, payments will be made to the new carrier 

quarterly when income derived from passengers and cargo is less than agreed expenses on the 

route. Revenue generated that exceeds expenses will be carried forward and tapped before 

any grant funds are used. 

Startup Cost Offsets 

The Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority proposes to spend only existing airport funds and 

matching funds to pay for start-up costs in support of new service introductions. The Airport, and 

its partners, will provide essential terminal space and equipment to handle the new service.

Additional Costs 

As part of this program, the Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority understands that additional 

expenses will be incurred, such as monitoring the results of the program and reporting those 

results back to the US DOT. In addition, the Airport Authority expects to incur some expenses in 

the recruitment of a new airline to serve the region. The Airport will not use DOT funding in these 

efforts – but instead, will use its own internal funding. 

 
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 33

PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS 

A number of local partners will be working with the Airport to promote participation in this air 

service development project. Contacts will be made to all Topeka members of chambers of 

commerce and similar organizations, and those with an interest in growing the economic base 

of the community through local business growth, attraction of new businesses and the 

promotion of tourism and visitor traffic via the Airport. 

Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority 

The Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority owns and operates Forbes Field Airport in Topeka. The 

Authority has long been advocating for increased commercial air service at the Airport, and this 

application is just part of that advocacy. The Airport Authority has already approved the money 

to be spent to match this Grant, recognizing how important the addition of viable air service is to 

the region.

Greater Topeka Area Chamber of Commerce 

The Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce has the mission of working to get the things done 

that a company cannot do alone. A Chamber membership is seen as an investment in both a 

company's and the community's future. 

The membership of the Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce represents the entire 

community with members from business and industry, private associations, civic organizations, 

home based businesses, social service agencies, education, government, and individuals. Over 

1,200 member firms, representing over 1,900 individuals, are Chamber members, joining in their 

support of the Forbes Field Airport in Topeka. 

City of Topeka 

As the State’s second largest city, and Kansas’ capital, the City of Topeka is glad to have the 

opportunity to partner with Forbes Field Airport to bring competitive air service to the City. 

Community leaders have long been working to recruit additional air service to the region. 
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 34

Shawnee County Commission 

This three person board oversees the operation of Shawnee County, the home of the City of 

Topeka and Forbes Field Airport. The Commission is publically elected, and in charge of a multimillion dollar annual budget. The Commission has a current emphasis on economic 

development, and as such, supports the effort to bring air service to Forbes Field.

Coalition of Topeka Area Businesses 

Dozens of local businesses will work together to support the push to bring air service to eastern 

Kansas. These businesses will not only pledge to use new service at Forbes Field Airport, but also 

work to make sure the air service marketing message is spread throughout the community.
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 35

IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE 

The proposed implementation timeline for the project assumes the Department of Transportation 

will award Small Community Grant Funding in December 2010. Once the award is announced, 

the Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority will conduct additional airline meetings to secure a 

new service that is mutually beneficial. Based on airline planning lead times and the need for 

advance bookings, we assume the new carrier would not be able to begin service until at least 

March of 2012. 

The first three milestones on the Airport's timeline are to execute the grant agreement with the 

Department of Transportation, meet with prospective airlines to negotiate for service, and sign 

the minimum revenue guarantee agreement with the appropriate airline partner. Once service 

is announced and schedules are published, the Airport would begin marketing the new route 

and working with the new carrier to monitor advance bookings. The Airport will continue its 

marketing program and continue to work with the new carrier to monitor the route once service 

begins. The Airport would submit grant status reports on a quarterly basis to the Department 

throughout the proposed two year term of the minimum revenue guarantee. 

While the estimated dates are targets, it is possible service could be secured and launched on a 

more aggressive timeline once Grant funding is awarded. It is also possible that new service 

could slip to 2013 should an airline require additional risk mitigation, beyond that included in this 

proposal, from the community. 

Activity/Project Milestone Estimated Date

SCASD Grant Award Announcement December 2010

Executive Grant Agreement with DOT January 2011

Meet With Prospective Airlines February - June 2011

Negotiate Minimum Revenue Guarantee (MRG) With Airline July/August 2011

Announce Service December 2011

Publish Schedule December 2011

Begin Marketing of New Route January 2012

Monitor Advance Bookings January - March 2012

Service Launch March 2012

MRG Available for Service March 2012 - March 2014

Monitor Route Performance March 2012 - March 2014

Submit Grant Status Reports to DOT Quarterly Q1 2011 - Q1 2014

Close Grant April 2014
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 36

AIR SERVICE ADVISORY GROUPS 

The Forbes Field Airport in Topeka is governed by members of the Metropolitan Topeka Airport 

Authority. The Airport also has oversight from a number of governmental agencies and 

community organizations that all share an interest in increased air service. Among the groups 

providing advisory services on this application are the City of Topeka, the Greater Topeka 

Chamber of Commerce, local economic development authorities, and area travel agencies. 

 
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 37

LOCAL AIR SERVICE DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS 

The Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority is dedicated to doing whatever it can to bring viable, 

sustainable air service to Kansas’ capital. Since Allegiant Air left the market in 2007 the Airport 

has begun a process to bring a network air carrier to the market, to offer connectivity to the 

majority of cities Topeka-area business travelers need access to. The Airport has hired a 

consulting firm to work in the recruitment of additional service. 

In the summer of 2010, the Airport was able to secure one-on-one meetings with three airlines, 

including SkyWest/United Express, Frontier, and Great Lakes. In these conversations there was 

much interest in the Topeka market. But all three airlines expressed their need for risk mitigation 

to consider an unproven market. 

 
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 38

IN-KIND SERVICES FROM COMMUNITY 

The following organizations will help promote the new service through their various membership 

groups. There is no estimated value to these services. 

 Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce 

 City of Topeka 

 State of Kansas 

 Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority 

 Coalition of Topeka Area Businesses 

 
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 39

PERFORMANCE MEASURES 

The success of new service in the Topeka market will be based on three measurable variables: 

the increase in available seats in the market, the number of enplanements on the route, and the 

average airfares charged in the affected city pairs. The first two measurements will include a 

monthly comparison once the program begins to past numbers. The second measurement will 

be derived from US DOT OD1A reports. 

 
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 40

LEGAL SPONSOR 

The Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority is the legal sponsor responsible for administering the 

program. The Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority is a government entity. 

Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority 

Forbes Field Airport 

PO Box 19053 

Topeka, Kansas 66619 

Eric Johnson, President/Director of Airports 

785.862.2362 

ejohnson@mtaa-topeka.org 
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 41

FINANCIAL CONTROLS 

As the sponsor, the Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority will be the responsible party for all 

fiscal matters and DOT reporting requirements. As a public entity the DOT can be assured that 

proper financial controls are in place to guarantee that the DOT’s grant will be used in 

accordance with any subsequent agreement. The Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority 

understands that the grant is a reimbursable grant, meaning the Airport is responsible for 

program expenditures and will submit invoices to the DOT for reimbursement, based on a 

percentage of the total grant request. 

 
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 42

RETURN ON INVESTMENT 

The Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority has developed a cost effective and achievable 

strategy to increase enplanements at the airport. The proposal uses proven methods of 

achieving air service improvements, allowing the DOT to be comfortable with choosing this 

proposal. The establishment of local air service is one of the major goals of the Small Community 

Air Service Development Program. 

Approximately $50,000 of the $550,000 in cash is committed to being spent. The remaining 

$500,000 in cash will be available for the revenue guarantee portion of the project. Should the 

revenue guarantee be unused, or unneeded for the new airline, funding may be used to widen 

the marketing and advertising program. 

 
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 43

DOT EXIT STRATEGY 

The Airport has developed this proposal as a one-time grant. The advertising and marketing 

program will commence a few months before service starts and last for at least twelve months. 

The revenue guarantee program will also be in place for twelve months, with two additional 

twelve-month periods available for negotiation. It is projected that the service on the new route 

will be financially self-sustaining within the second twelve months of service. 

 
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 44

ALTERNATE PLAN 

If, for some unforeseen reason, service is not commenced in a timely manner by one of the 

carriers operating a hub at O’Hare, the Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority proposes to use 

federal grant money awarded under the Small Community Air Service Development Program for 

service to another hub with wide ranging connectivity. Among the options the Airport will 

consider would be service to Denver on either United, Frontier, or one of their affiliated carriers; 

service to Memphis on Delta or one of its affiliated carriers; service to Dallas/Ft. Worth on 

American or one of its affiliated carriers; service to Minneapolis/St. Paul on Delta or one of its 

affiliated carriers; or service to Detroit on Delta or one of its affiliated carriers. 

Should these options, for an unforeseen reason, not be available for new service at the Forbes 

Field Airport, the Airport will continue its discussions with all other carriers than can provide 

service. Since the community has never before received a Small Community Air Service 

Development Grant, it will have no limitations on which new hub the DOT could fund. 

 
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 45

AIRPORT INFORMATION 

Forbes Field Airport in Topeka was built as a military outpost, located in the heart of America, 

and has remained so for many years. In 1976, commercial air services moved from Topeka’s 

“other” airport, Billard Municipal, to Forbes Field, largely due to its available infrastructure, 

including a 12,000-foot runway and an 8,000-foot runway. Work to build Forbes Field began 

weeks after the Japanese 

bombing of Pearl Harbor, 

in 1941, when the military 

sought an air base in 

middle America. It 

operated solely in a 

military role, hosting the 

Strategic Air Command, 

until 1976. The military left 

behind an outstanding 

physical plant, capable 

of becoming an air-hub 

for all of eastern Kansas 

and western Missouri.

FIGURE 22: Aerial Photo of

Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas  
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 46

COMMUNITY PROFILE 

Topeka is the capital of the State of Kansas, the economic and cultural center of all of east 

central Kansas, and one of Money Magazine’s “Best Places to Live.” The City of Topeka has a 

population of roughly 125,000 people, according to statistics from the US Census Bureau. 

Topeka’s Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), 

as defined by the Census Bureau, includes the 

counties of Shawnee (where Topeka is the 

capital), Jackson, Jefferson, Osage, and 

Wabaunsee. Roughly, 230,000 people live 

within the Topeka MSA. 

The name “Topeka” comes from a Kansas 

tribal name with the meaning, “good place to 

dig potatoes.” With cultural roots like that, its 

no wonder Topeka has been an agricultural 

hub for more than 500-years. But as Topeka’s 

economy has grown, it has also become much 

more diversified, and much less reliant on agriculture. Government and related services jobs 

comprise more than half of the Topeka job-base. Additionally, a number of major Fortune 500 

companies have major offices or facilities in the Topeka MSA, including Goodyear, Frito-Lay, 

Hallmark Cards, Payless ShoeSource (headquarters), Westar Energy (headquarters), and 

Burlington Northern Santa Fe. 

The cities surrounding Topeka are home to some of the world’s truly great universities, including 

the University of Kansas at Lawrence, Kansas State University at Manhattan, Washburn University, 

and Emporia State University. Together these schools enroll more than 65,000 full-time students, 

and employ more than 15,000 highly educated, and nationally regarded faculty and staff 

members. 

Topeka is increasingly becoming a regional tourist destination. In addition to high profile, and 

highly attended Division I collegiate athletics at the University of Kansas and Kansas State, the 

region offers new and original historical and cultural destinations that can’t be found anywhere 

else. The National Park Service has opened a museum commemorating the Brown vs. the Board 

of Education decision, desegregating schools in Kansas. In addition, Topeka’s rose gardens and 

botanical parks draw visitors from around the country.

Kansas State Capitol

Topeka  
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 47

What’s New in Topeka 

The Topeka area has a natural business advantage, being at the capital of the State of Kansas. 

Local authorities have done an outstanding job in the last year capitalizing on that position, 

adding more than 830 new jobs, and overseeing exception growth by one of the City’s Fortune 

1000 headquartered companies. Topeka isn’t the largest City in the State, but these 

developments show why it is the fastest growing economy in the State. 

o U.S. Foodservice, Inc. is one of the country’s premier foodservice distributors, offering 

more than 43,000 national, private label and signature brand items and an array of 

services to its more than 250,000 customers. The company announced in June 2009 that 

it would spend approximately $13 million to increase their warehouse with a 50,000 

square foot expansion to its distribution center. The company employs 175 full-time 

employees at its Topeka warehouse facility. The company plans to add more employees 

to serve the growing market and continue to help its customers. 

o Leading customer service management firm Alorica, Inc. opened a new office in Topeka 

in May of 2007. The company has hired 150 sales and customer service agents per 

month for most of the year, with employment now topping 700. Alorica is based in 

Chico, California. The company works on behalf of large software and high-technology 

companies to provide troubleshooting help and client development services.

o Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., announced in July 2009 that it will proceed with a $250 

million to modernize operations in the Topeka plant and to retain up to 1,400 Topeka 

employees for at least 10 years. State and Local financial incentives will allow Goodyear 

to make capital investments this capital investment.

o Topeka-based Payless ShoeSource, a Fortune 1000 company, announced its intention to 

purchased Stride-Rite shoes in 2007, integrating the two companies under one holding 

company, based in Topeka. Stride-Rite’s administrative headquarters will relocate to 

Topeka, making the combined company one of the largest shoe sellers in the world.
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 48

Topeka Economic Overview 

As the capital of Kansas, Topeka also serves as the economic capital of the region. Almost half 

of the Topeka-area workforce has jobs in state and federal government. Almost all of the State 

of Kansas’ service offices are located in Topeka. Additionally, the federal government has more 

than a thousand employees based in Topeka, in administration-related jobs. Topeka is also 

home to high finance companies, major manufacturing 

facilities, and distribution centers. 

While Money Magazine reports the annual average family 

purchasing power for a family in Topeka in 2007 was 

$65,000, just below the national average of $68,000, 

Topeka offers a much lower cost of living than most other 

cities of equal or greater size. In the same report, Money

reports the national average cost of a home in 2006 was 

$260,000, while the average home in Topeka sold for just 

$95,000. Thus, the annual “family income” of $65,000 in 

Topeka goes much further in east central Kansas than it would in most other comparable cities. 

The US Census Bureau reports the median income for a Topeka household is $36,000, while the 

median family income is $46,000. The per capita income for Topeka was $20,000, as reported in 

current US Census Bureau estimates. 

The City’s location, near the geographic center of the US, makes it the perfect location for 

almost any industry. Flour mills, printing and publishing companies, medical providers, iron 

foundries, food processing plants, and rail and highway transportation companies have all 

realized the value of Topeka’s location, opening major operations, employing tens of thousands 

of highly skilled workers. 
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 49

Select Company Profiles 

Payless ShoeSource 

The nationally recognized provider of designer shoes at discount prices, Payless Shoe Source was 

founded in Topeka in 1956, and it still has its corporate headquarters in the City. In 2005, Payless 

sold more than 182 million pairs of shoes, at a value of $2.7 Billion, 

at retail stores in all 50 states and in a number of foreign 

companies. Payless currently employs more than 1,730 people in 

its corporate administration and distribution offices in Topeka, 

and as such, is one of the City’s most important private 

employers. 

FIGURE 23: Top Employers in Topeka  

Source: Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce  
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 50

Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) 

Created by a merger of six major railways, Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad is the nation’s 

second largest, in terms of the number of track miles. BNSF is one of just four true national 

transcontinental railways in the US. The company is 

based in Fort Worth, Texas, but it operates one of its 

largest rail yards in Topeka, where it has a major 

transcontinental transfer hub. BNSF also has major rail 

yards in Los Angeles, Kansas City, and Alliance, 

Nebraska. 

Jostens Printing and Publishing 

Jostens is the country’s leading provider of school portraits, class rings, 

and yearbooks, along with graduation caps, gowns, and diplomas. 

The company is headquartered in Minneapolis, but it has its major 

printing and publishing division headquarters in Topeka. Jostens’ Topeka facility not only prints 

school photos, but also diplomas and yearbooks, with more than 1,000 employees in east 

central Kansas. 

Frito-Lay 

Frito-Lay is a wholly owned subsidiary of Pepsi-Co, best known for its snack foods. Frito-Lay had 

2008 revenue of $43 billion, while the company employed more than 

198,000 people nationally, including more than 800 in Topeka. Frito-Lay’s 

Topeka plant currently produces a number of its brands of chips, along 

with cookies, and some of Pepsi-Co’s soft drinks. 
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 51

Hallmark Cards 

Hallmark is one of the best-known companies, with one of the most 

recognized service marks in corporate America. The company was 

founded in 1910, in Kansas City, and has grown to become with 

world’s foremost designer, printer, and seller of greeting cards. Hallmark currently has more than 

43,000 retail outlets around the world. Hallmark’s Topeka plant currently produces about 46% of 

the company’s greeting cards. It also includes Hallmark’s largest export center. Together, those 

two Topeka operations employ 750 people in east central Kansas. 

Goodyear Tire and Rubber 

One of the most admired companies in the world, 

according to Fortune Magazine, Goodyear employs more than 1,700 people at its rubber 

manufacturing plant in Topeka. Headquartered in Akron, Ohio, Goodyear has major facilities in 

North Carolina, Virginia, California, Alabama, Arizona, New York, Florida, and Texas – not to 

mention overseas facilities in Canada, Belgium, France, Germany, Turkey, South Africa, Brazil, 

Chile, China, India, Taiwan, Japan, Indonesia, and Australia. Goodyear is one of the largest 

users of the national and international air transportation system. 

Westar Energy 

Westar ranks 936 on the Fortune 1000 list, as of the year ended 2007. The 

company has its corporate headquarters in Topeka. Westar is the largest 

energy provider in Kansas, and one of the largest in the Midwest, with more than 675,000 

customers. Westar employs more than 2,200 people in the region. 
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 52

Higher Education in the Topeka Area 

The region surrounding Topeka is a center for higher education that 

is recognized around the world. Two of the best universities in the 

United States are located just miles from Topeka: the University of 

Kansas (KU) and Kansas State University (KSU). The region is also 

home to the smaller, and well regarded Washburn University, which 

is located in Topeka itself, and Emporia State University, which lies 

less than 50 miles from the State Capitol. Together, these four 

universities employ more than 15,000 people, and enroll more than 65,000 full-time students. 

Moreover, KU and KSU draw hundreds of thousands of alumni and fans every year to their 

outstanding Division I athletic programs, as the “Jayhawks” and the “Wildcats” fight for Big XII 

Conference championships. 

The University of Kansas 

The University of Kansas at Lawrence sits less than 40 miles to the east of Topeka. The University is 

widely regarded as one of the nation’s preeminent teaching and research universities, currently 

enrolling almost 30,000 full-time students. KU is the State’s flagship liberal arts institution. KU’s 

mission is to serve as a “center for learning, research, 

scholarship, and creative endeavor” for the State of 

Kansas, the country, and the world. Kansas offers what 

students and alumni call an “ideal campus,” historic, yet 

wireless at the same time, close to the State’s capital, 

yet bordering the prairie, with high-tech labs, interactive 

classrooms, and world-class performing arts venues.

The University of Kansas is, best known as a “basketball school,” with its Jayhawks continually 

battling for championships in the Big XII Conference and in the NCAA’s Division I. The University 

offers outstanding athletic facilities, and its sports programs draw several hundred thousand fans 

each year, from all over the country. 
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 53

Kansas State University 

Kansas State (KSU) is the State’s flagship engineering and technology institution. Its main 

campus is located in Manhattan, which lies less than 50 miles to the northwest of Topeka. KSU 

currently enrolls more than 23,000 full-time students from all 50 states and more than 90 foreign 

countries. KSU is known as one of the “best buys” in a college education. Princeton Review

ranks Kansas State as the fifth best buy in the country, while Consumers’ Digest ranks it 16th. KSU 

offers more than 250 different undergraduate programs, 

and it grants doctoral degrees in 45 areas of study. Each 

year the University grants more than $150 million in 

scholarships and grants. 

Like the University of Kansas, Kansas State is member of 

the Big XII athletic conference. The Wildcats compete in 

more than two-dozen sports, and draw a few hundred 

thousand fans to on-campus sporting events each year. 

Washburn University 

While no match to the University of Kansas or Kansas State, in terms of the size of the student 

body, Washburn University in Topeka is considered one of the Midwest’s best master’s level 

institutions. US News and World Report ranks Washburn the sixth best Midwest liberal arts college. 

Washburn currently enrolls more than 7,000 full-time students. 

Washburn provides a broad-based liberal arts education, with 

special emphasis on professional skills. The University offers small 

class sizes, accomplished faculty, one-on-one instruction, and stateof-the-art technology.
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 54

Emporia State University 

The University is located just 50 miles from Topeka, in the town 

of Emporia, which lies in heart of northeastern Kansas’ 

Bluestem region of the Flint Hills, Emporia State University enrolls 

6,400 full-time students, who study in more than 100 different majors. Emporia State provides the 

community with not only an outstanding institution for higher learning, but with a pair of libraries, 

a museum, recreational facilities, and other cultural offerings. 

Topeka Tourism 

As a quintessential piece of America’s heartland, Topeka offers the very best of Midwest culture. 

As the capital of Kansas, Topeka offers a number of government-related attractions, as the City 

provide families the best, hands-on opportunities to learn about how government really works. 

Topeka also has a number of regionally recognized attractions that draw hundreds of thousands 

of visitors each year, including a national park dedicated to the Brown vs. the Board of 

Education decision desegregating public schools. Topeka is home to a dozen art galleries, five 

performing arts centers, two botanical gardens, a zoo, a number of nationally known museums, 

dozens of unique restaurants, and some of the best shopping in the Midwest. 

Brown vs. Board of Education National Historic Site 

Opened in May of 2004, on the 50th anniversary of the Brown vs. Board of Education 

decision to desegregate public schools in Kansas, this National Historic Site offers a 

unique look back at what led-up to the decision, and insight into how the decision 

was made. It’s a story of hope and courage, and the plaintiffs in the case never 

knew the impact they would have on the history, not just of Kansas, but of the country. This 

museum tells the story of these “ordinary people” who stood-up for what was right, and 

changed history. 
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 55

Kansas Museum of History 

The Kansas Museum of History offers a true “look back” at how the State 

was settled, and what life was really like when Kansas was the western 

frontier of the United States. The museum has award-winning exhibits 

about the colorful characters, and the everyday folks, who helped to turn 

the prairies of the region into the most fertile agricultural area in the world. 

The museum has restored a full-scale wagon from the Oregon Trail, along 

with a full-size Cheyenne tipi, as a tribute to those who called the land home long before any 

European settlers arrived. The museum is home to one of the few remaining 1880 locomotives, 

displayed in an exhibit that explains the Topeka, Atchison, and Santa Fe railroad. 

Reinisch Rose Garden and Doran Rock Garden 

The Reinisch garden features more than 400 varieties of roses, amidst more than 6,500 species of 

plants. The garden is one of 23 test plots in the country for “hybridizers,” or cross-bred roses. The 

garden was conceptualized in 1926, and it opened in 1930, at a cost of $30,000. The garden 

typically blooms from late-May through mid-September. 

Ward-Meade Park Botanical Gardens 

The Ward-Meade gardens compliment the Reinisch Rose Garden, 

offering more than 500 varieties of flowers, shrubs, and trees on a 

2.5 acre area of land. Each individual plant is labeled, making the 

garden a perfect place to learn botany and horticulture. WardMeade Park is also home to Topeka’s only “water garden.” 
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 56

Topeka Zoo 

The Topeka Zoo is the passport to discovering hundreds of species of 

exotic animals, without ever leaving east central Kansas. The zoo 

offers innovative animal exhibits such as “Discovering Apes,” the 

tropical rain forest, “Lion’s Pride,” the children’s zoo, and the “Black 

Bear Woods.” The zoo also offers exhibits featuring animals commonly 

found in the region surrounding Topeka. 

Combat Air Museum 

Much more than a mere collection of aircraft, the 

Combat Air Museum, located at Forbes Field, houses 

a wide variety of aviation artifacts dating back to the 

First World War. The museum offers one of the world’s 

best collections of aircraft engines, with descriptions 

and explanations as to how they were developed 

and how they work. The museum also offers 

battlefield dioramas, which are full-scale mock-ups of World War One and World War Two 

battlefield installations.
Forbes Field Airport, Topeka, Kansas – Small Community Air Service Development Grant – August 2010 57

CONCLUSIONS 

Despite the relative size of the Topeka catchment area, with almost 500,000 local residents, the 

Forbes Field Airport has been without scheduled air service since 2007 and without network 

carrier service since 2003. While the Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority has worked had to 

attract an air carrier to re-establish service in the market, it is clear risk mitigation will be required 

– on a scale that the Topeka community will not be able to support on its own. 

This proposal has shown that the Topeka market is strong enough in both population, and in its 

economic health, to generate at least 650,000 annual origin and destination passengers. If 

none of Topeka’s passengers “leaked” to other airports in the region, it would generate enough 

local passengers to fill 18 regional jet departures per day at a 99% load factor. While the Forbes 

Field Airport won’t retain all of these 

passengers, it gives the Airport confidence 

that if just a small number of local 

passengers use local service, that service 

will be successful. 

The Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority 

proposes to use a combination of locally 

raised funding in conjunction with federal 

Small Community Air Service Development Grant funding in support of the addition of 

scheduled network airline service to the market. The proposed route is between Topeka and 

Chicago O’Hare – a route the Airport has discussed with SkyWest/United Express as recently as 

June of 2010. The route would connect Topeka to 121 one-stop destinations with just two 

frequencies per day. 

It has been established in this proposal that the Forbes Field Airport has a sufficient passenger 

base in its local catchment area to support commercial air service. Despite this, airlines have 

found the region unattractive due to the relative proximity of Kansas City International Airport 

(MCI). But much has changed in the region since 2007. Since then, the Kansas City Airport has 

lost almost 33% of its available airline seats – making air travel much more difficult for all 

passengers throughout the region. The Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority proposes to help 

ameliorate these seats cuts through local, Topeka service. 

“Since [2007] the Kansas City Airport 

has lost almost 33% of its available 

seats – making air travel much more 

difficult for all passengers throughout 

the region.”