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Kansas's second busiest commercial airport is Manhattan Regional Airport, located in Riley County, in the United States. The airport lies five miles southwest of Manhattan's downtown and is owned by the city of Manhattan, Kansas. Flying to Chicago O'Hare International Airport and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport five times a day, American Airlines services the airport. Situated only four miles east of Fort Riley and eight miles southwest of Kansas State University's athletic complex, the airport serves both military and collegiate sports teams in addition to general aviation and charter flights. The airport is classified as a key commercial service airport (with over 10,000 annual enplanements) in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2013–2017.
The airport experienced an increase in traffic once American Eagle started operating in August 2009. Records from the Federal Aviation Administration indicate that the airport's yearly passenger boardings (enplanements) increased from 16,489 to over 69,000 between 2008 and 2012. According to the latest recent data, there were 70,705 enplanements in 2018. When Continental Airlines started operating Douglas DC-3 flights in April 1953, it became the first scheduled carrier at Manhattan. A route that ran between Denver and Kansas City was extended to include Manhattan as a stop. The route stopped at 10 different smaller communities spread across Colorado and Kansas. 1961 saw Continental Airlines withdraw, and Central Airlines took its place.
Manhattan Regional Airport is still an important center for transportation, providing services to the neighborhood and fostering regional economic growth. The 1997 terminal was replaced by the present airline terminal, which opened in two stages between 2015 and 2016. The $18 million installation can handle planes as big as the Boeing 737 or Airbus A320 and offers three jet bridge parking spots from two gates. More room is available at the new terminal for ticketing, baggage claim, vehicle rentals, and security checks. Although there is room for a restaurant, no tenant has been identified as of August 2017. There are two concrete runways at the airport. The airport features two parking aprons and five taxiways that can accommodate aircraft up to the size of a Boeing 767 or C-17. However, according to a local regulation, any aircraft that has a landing weight more than 110,000 must notify the airport director before landing to avoid breaking any rules.
