Appleton International Airport | |||||||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||
| Owner/Operator | Outagamie County &Winnebago County | ||||||||||||||
| Serves | Appleton, Wisconsin/Fox Cities | ||||||||||||||
| Location | Greenville, Wisconsin | ||||||||||||||
| Opened | August 22, 1965; 60 years ago (1965-08-22) | ||||||||||||||
| Operating base for | |||||||||||||||
| Time zone | CST (UTC−06:00) | ||||||||||||||
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC−05:00) | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 918 ft / 280 m | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 44°15′29″N088°31′09″W / 44.25806°N 88.51917°W /44.25806; -88.51917 | ||||||||||||||
| Website | ATWairport.com | ||||||||||||||
| Maps | |||||||||||||||
 FAA airport diagram | |||||||||||||||
  ATW Location of airport in Wisconsin Show map of Wisconsin ATW ATW (the United States) Show map of the United States | |||||||||||||||
 Interactive map of Appleton International Airport | |||||||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||||||
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| Statistics (12 months ending August 2025except where noted) | |||||||||||||||
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| Source:Federal Aviation Administration,[2]BTS[3] | |||||||||||||||
Appleton International Airport (IATA:ATW,ICAO:KATW,FAALID:ATW), formerlyOutagamie County Regional Airport,[4] is an airport located inGreenville,Wisconsin, United States, 3nautical miles (5.6 km; 3.5 mi) west ofAppleton.[2] It is included in theFederal Aviation Administration (FAA)National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2025–2029. Along withMadison’sDane County Regional Airport, it is one of two airports in the State of Wisconsin categorized as a small hub.[5][6] The airport covers 1,638 acres (6.63 km2) at anelevation of 918 feet (280 m) abovesea level.[2][7]
It is the third busiest of eight commercial airports in Wisconsin in terms of passengers served.[3] In 2016 the airport contributed $676 million to the Northeastern Wisconsin economy.[8][9] In May 2018, Appleton International Airport was the fourth fastest growing airport in the US.[10] It is the main base of privately owned regional airlineAir Wisconsin and was the original home ofMidwest Airlines. Midwest Airlines grew out ofKimberly-Clark subsidiaryK-C Aviation, which was sold in 1998 toGulfstream Aerospace,[11][12] which retains a major facility at the airport, focusing on maintenance, interior completions, and exterior painting for the company'sG600,G650, andG700 products.
The airport attracts people heading back and forth between theEAA'sAirVenture, Air Academy and other programs in nearbyOshkosh. Starting in 2017, the airport began to offer camping for AirVenture.[13]
The airport opened with the 5,200-foot (1,580 m) runway 12/30 in 1965.
In the 1920s, Appleton's airport was George A. Whiting Field,[14] three miles (5 km) south of town. WhenNorthwest was awarded Contract Airmail Route No. 9 in 1926, Whiting Field became one of the original six airports in the airline's route network. Passenger service on Northwest began in 1928 but was short-lived. By 1936 the municipal airport had opened northeast of town on the south side ofUS 41, southeast of the intersection (44°17′15″N88°22′30″W / 44.2874°N 88.3749°W /44.2874; -88.3749). At its closing, it had a 3,750-foot (1,140 m) paved runway;North CentralDC-3s landed there after 1958–59.[citation needed]
Construction of the current facility began in 1963; the field was dedicated on August 22, 1965, along withAir Wisconsin, which started operations out of the airport the next day.[15]
Since 2009, the airport has been completing a number of renovation projects under aPFC plan. Parts of the project already completed include rehabilitating runway 12/30 and taxiway B as well as expanding taxiway N and installing runway guard lights throughout the field.[16] In January 2017, a newrental car facility opened across from the terminal building.[17][18][19][16]
In December 2017, the airport started a project to remodel the terminal with the addition of meeting space, a brand new restaurant with airfield views, remodeled/expanded security area, and remodeled check-in area.[19][20]
Furthermore the airport is currently studying the construction of adding additional gates either through expanding the airport's current concourse or building a second concourse.[21][22]
In 2011, the airport was one of ten nationwide airports selected to participate in an FAA airport sustainability project with a goal to make the airport 70% more energy efficient by 2030. In 2017, the airport constructedsolarcarports (covered parking structure with solar panels on the roof) in the short-term parking lot. Additional solar carports were constructed and completed in October 2019.[23] The solar carports supplement a system of solar panels installed on the roof of the terminal building which were installed in the early 2010s.[24][25]
The Appleton Flight Center Terminal, which was constructed in 2013, is aLEED-certified facility and features zero VOC finishes, a roof-mounted 26 kW photovoltaic system, a ground source heat pump, in-floor radiant conditioning, and a rainwater collection system.[25] The terminal was the nation’s first airport terminal to achieve anet zero energy designation, receiving a Class D Net Zero Energy Building rating and is widely considered to be a leader in airport energy sustainability.[26]
TheOutagamie County Board rejected a proposal in 1983 to change the name to "Fox Cities Metro Airport," and three more name change efforts failed between 2003 and 2011.[27] In February 2014, the county board voted to rename the airport "Appleton International Airport."[28] The new name was officially implemented in 2015 on August 21, during thegolden anniversary celebration of the airport.[4]
Since the late 2010s, the airport has seen a period of mass growth. In May 2018 a report byBloomberg News revealed that Appleton International Airport was the fourth fastest-growing airport in the US, with a 26.8% increase in passengers compared to two years prior.[10] In 2022, the airport handled just under 830,000 passengers, the most in its history.[3] In March 2024, the airport handled 100,800 passengers, its busiest month to date.[29]
On August 10, 2021,Allegiant Air announced that they would baseAirbus A320 aircraft at the airport beginning March 2, 2022. They will also open a crew/maintenance base to support these aircraft.[30]
In November 2023, the airport began work on a major multi-phase expansion of the terminal that nearly doubled the size of the terminal. The project added six new gates (while eliminating three of seven existing gates). There is room for two additional jet bridges if needed in the future. The new gates are designed to accommodateEmbraer E-Jet,Boeing 737, orAirbus A320 family aircraft.[31] The check-in/ticketing hall and passenger loading areas will also be expanded as well as the addition of a new international arrivals building will occur in later phases.[32][33] The $66 million project is expected to be completed in the spring of 2025.[34][35][36]
In August 2024, there were 74 aircraft based at this airport: 50 single-engine, 17 multi-engine and 7 jets.
Appleton International Airport has 2 runways that are perpendicular to one another forming an X shape.[2] All taxiways are equipped with LED taxiway edge lighting and all entrances to runways haverunway guard lights.
| Runway | Length / width | Runway | Surface | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 → | 8,003 by 150 ft 2,439 by 46 m | ← 21 | Concrete | Runway 3/21 is equipped withhigh intensityrunway edge lighting. Both equipped with aPAPI system. RWY 3 has anILS/DMECat 1 Approach Both have certified GPS approaches capable ofLPV precision allowing for approaches similar to an ILS. |
| 12 → | 6,502 by 150 ft 1,982 by 46 m | ← 30 | Concrete | Runway 12/30 is equipped with high intensity runway edge lighting. Both equipped with aPAPI system. RWY 30 has a ILS/DME Cat 1 Approach : Both have certified GPS approaches capable of LPV precision. |
Theterminal was built in 1974, with the first several expansions in 1983, 1990, and 1998.[37]
The airport added a new ground-level seven-gate concourse in 2000 and renovated the existing passenger terminal, which was designed by architect Paul W. Powers. The architectural theme was representative of the river flowing through the historicpaper manufacturing region.
Theterminal next underwent an extensive renovation and expansion in 2001. The new 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m2) gate area included more spacious seating areas with natural lighting, in floor heating, new passenger paging system, and five aircraft boarding bridges; a 6th and 7th bridge for larger planes was added later.[38] It cost $10.7 million and was designed by Mead & Hunt, Inc.
The airport's main entrance at CTH CA features a complete reproduction of the Apollo 11 statue located in the Moon Tree Garden of theKennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. It was donated to the airport in 2020 by local car salesmen giant John Bergstrom.[39]
In November 2023, the airport began work on a major multi-phase expansion of the terminal that nearly doubled the size of the terminal and added second-level boarding positions. This most-recent addition brought the current gate and jet bridge count to ten, with room for an additional two jet bridges at the end of the concourse addition, that can be added later if needed.[31]
Appleton International Airport is located 2 miles (3.2 km) west ofInterstate 41 and 3 miles (4.8 km) north ofUS Highway 10.
Valley Transit bus service does not have a stop servicing the airport, but there are stops nearby.
Vehicle for hire companies includingUber,Lyft, andtaxicabs are allowed to pick up and drop off passengers on airport property.[40][41]
Six car rental companies offer service at the airport out of aconsolidated rental car facility across from the terminal.[42]
The airport has anFBO, Appleton Flight Center, which offers AvGas and jet fuel, as well as a number of other resources such as a crew car and WiFi.[43]
ATW holds the Old GloryHonor Flights for the Northeast Wisconsin area. These flights bring veterans fromWorld War II and theKorean War to see their memorials inWashington.[44] The airport has hosted many community events to raise money for these flights, including a plane pull event in September 2017.[45] The flights are flown bySun Country Airlines.
The airport, along withAllegiant Air, hosts a bi-annual event called "Wings for Autism". The event allows children on theautism spectrum, along with their parents, to go through a rehearsal flight in which they practice checking in for their flight, going throughairport security, boarding their flight, and collecting checked baggage. The event is sponsored by many local organizations and companies.[46][47] It is one of the largest versions of the event held nationally.
Every April, the airport celebrates autism awareness month by lighting the terminal blue.[48]
The airport is home to the Fox Cities Composite Squadron of theCivil Air Patrol, which houses a fleet ofCessna 182s at the airport.[49]
| Airlines | Destinations | Refs |
|---|---|---|
| Allegiant Air | Denver,[50]Fort Lauderdale,[50]Fort Myers,[51]Gulf Shores,[52]Las Vegas,Nashville,Newark,[53]Orange County (begins May 20, 2026),[54]Orlando (begins January 16, 2026),[55]Orlando/Sanford,Phoenix/Mesa,Punta Gorda (FL),Sarasota,[50]St. Petersburg/Clearwater Seasonal:Portland (OR),[56]Savannah[citation needed] | [57] |
| American Eagle | Charlotte,Chicago–O'Hare,Dallas/Fort Worth Seasonal:Phoenix–Sky Harbor[58] | |
| Delta Air Lines | Atlanta Seasonal:Detroit | [59] |
| Delta Connection | Detroit,Minneapolis/St. Paul Seasonal:Atlanta[citation needed] | [59] |
| Sun Country Airlines | Seasonal:Fort Myers (begins January 30, 2026) | [60] |
| United Express | Chicago–O'Hare,Denver | [61] |
| Destinations map |
|---|
 Appleton All passenger destinations from Appleton International Airport (ATW) Red = Year-round destination Green = Seasonal destination Blue = Future destination |
| Airlines | Destinations | Refs |
|---|---|---|
| FedEx Express | Memphis Seasonal:Bloomington/Normal,Indianapolis,Madison,Milwaukee | [62] |
| Freight Runners Express | Green Bay,Milwaukee | |
| PACC Air | Marquette,Rhinelander |
| Carrier | Passengers (arriving and departing) |
|---|---|
| SkyWest Airlines | 463,000(38.28%) |
| Allegiant | 454,000(37.54%) |
| Envoy Air | 154,000(12.69%) |
| Delta | 58,250(4.82%) |
| Air Wisconsin | 57,740(4.77%) |
| Other | 22,850(1.89%) |
| Rank | Airport | Passengers | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois | 140,850 | American, United |
| 2 | Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota | 67,050 | Delta |
| 3 | Detroit, Michigan | 62,750 | Delta |
| 4 | Orlando/Sanford, Florida | 39,420 | Allegiant |
| 5 | Phoenix/Mesa, Arizona | 38,920 | Allegiant |
| 6 | Punta Gorda, Florida | 36,860 | Allegiant |
| 7 | Denver, Colorado | 34,980 | Allegiant, United |
| 8 | Atlanta, Georgia | 34,250 | Delta |
| 9 | Clearwater, Florida | 29,020 | Allegiant |
| 10 | Las Vegas, Nevada | 24,130 | Allegiant |
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For the twelve-month period ending December 31, 2022, the airport had 49,384 aircraft operations, an average of 135 per day: 65%general aviation, 20%air taxi, 15% commercial airline and less than 1% military.[64]
Appleton generated $676 million in local impact
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