Years ago, fast and convenient travel to major cities was a bit of a distant dream for Omahans, but now passengers have more destinations than ever that are just one flight away.
International trips. Direct flights to Florida. Flying straight to Philadelphia. All from Omaha.
Omaha’s Eppley Airfield is spreading its wings with an unprecedented expansion and the addition of direct flight offerings—and there’s more to come. Passengers find it easier than ever to travel to cities they always wanted to visit with fewer hassles, such as layovers or out-of-the-way connections.
This major airport expansion marks a significant milestone in enhancing connectivity for Omaha residents.
Omaha passengers coming and going from Eppley are excited for the upcoming expansion of the airport and its available offerings, and so is the Omaha Airport Authority, which manages the airport. Their goal is to make Eppley Airfield a more enjoyable experience for travelers, whether they’re jetting off for a business trip or embarking on a long-awaited vacation.
“Omaha is a strong and growing community with a lot of opportunities,” said Steve McCoy, chief strategy and technology officer with the Omaha Airport Authority. “The airlines have recognized this and have provided more capacity, in terms of available seats, than ever before in Omaha. This has led to the growth in passenger activity we’ve experienced at Eppley Airfield both for business and leisure travel.”
Expansion in travelers—a new record for passenger traffic was set in 2024—isn’t simply from Omaha continuing to be a great destination. It’s a direct result of Omaha’s efforts to greatly expand and modernize Eppley Airfield.
The new facilities and flights are due to the Build OMA Terminal Modernization Program, a nearly $1 billion terminal modernization project that is scheduled for completion in 2028. It’s the most significant update to the airport in nearly four decades and is coming after nearly a decade of planning and research.
With the tagline “building a better travel experience,” the project will span several years and is focused on enhancing passengers’ travel experience and anticipating further growth of Omaha’s airport.
A multitude of changes will modernize the airport, including a single combined ticketing and security entrance that feels streamlined for passengers, more restaurants and shops to make for a better travel experience, larger gate areas, and expanded restrooms to provide more comfort for folks waiting to depart.
Perhaps most important of all will be a single, unified concourse, where passengers will have an easier time locating their gate.
“The additional space, amenities, and passenger processing systems will benefit business and leisure travelers flying into and out of our airport for decades to come,” McCoy said.
That has led to Eppley Airfield adding seasonal nonstop service to Sarasota, Florida. American Airlines will begin offering daily nonstop flights to Philadelphia in June. That’s in addition to nonstop flights already heading to dozens of major American cities, including Atlanta, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, Orlando, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.
The Omaha Airport Authority works directly with airlines about expansion options.
“While the decision to start new routes ultimately rests with the airlines, we meet and communicate with them regularly throughout the year to share updates on Omaha developments along with passenger demand in our community,” McCoy said.
The news of more flights—particularly more direct flights—is good for passengers, especially those who are frequent travelers.
“I spent a lot of time in airports,” said Tommy Culhane, an Omahan who frequently traveled for his sales job for more than a decade.
Every year, Culhane made up to 25 round trip flights for his job and flew on numerous airlines—including United, American, and Southwest—as he went across the country for work. And he’s excited for more nonstop options.
Direct flights mean more convenience and less time traveling, which can be a huge time saver for workers. Traveling to Phoenix is about a two-hour flight, and Culhane has made the trip many times. If there’s a stop, it could be in Denver, meaning more time in the air, more time spent during layovers and, perhaps most importantly, more chances for delays.
If any leg of the flight is delayed, it can impact the next part.
“If your flight is delayed coming out of Omaha and you miss that, it can be a whole day of travel instead of a half day of travel,” Culhane said. “Ultimately, any time you can cut out a middle airport it’s going to speed it up.”
Direct flights from Omaha are continuing to prove popular with passengers. In 2024, the most popular destination was Phoenix, McCoy said. An average of 900 passengers flew between the two cities daily.
Of the top 25 destinations of flights from Omaha, 22 are served by direct flights, McCoy said.
Additionally, the expansion of the airport will provide opportunities for further growth, particularly with international travel. With the construction of a new U.S. Customs and Border Protection international arrivals hall, Omaha will be able to accept scheduled international flights.
“Over the years, we have seen significant demand to near international destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean…Omaha’s largest unserved destination is Cancún, Mexico,” McCoy said. “International nonstop flights will become possible, which is an exciting development for our community.”
In addition to work trips, Culhane has also traveled domestically and internationally from Omaha for vacations. If he was weighing where to go for a future trip, an international flight out of Omaha—skipping the time and expense of adding a connecting flight through another city—would factor in his decision.
“If I knew I wanted to go to a beach and I could do a direct flight to Cancún or do two flights to go to the Florida Keys, I’d go to Cancún,” he said. “That sounds fun.”
And it’s not simply the convenience, he said. It matters when you’re taking paid time off from work. Extra time traveling—as well as extra time sitting in airports during a layover—can force people to feel like they’re wasting their already limited vacation time.
Eppley continues to be a busy airport through construction.
In 2024, 5.28 million passengers—a new record—came through Omaha’s airport, marking a 5% increase over the previous year. The modernization program will allow for continued expansion of passenger traffic for years to come.
Construction continues at Eppley, but passengers have already seen benefits. Culhane said expanded parking near the airport is a godsend, especially when lots and garages nearest the airport used to be frequently full, necessitating a trip back up Abbott Drive to a different lot.
Work has begun on the airport’s new central pavilion, which will house a centralized security checkpoint and new concessions areas. The central pavilion is set to open in 2027.
Additionally, work is continuing on the roadway and canopy projects outside the airport building. That will include an additional passenger drop-off lane, expand ADA accessibility, and provide cover from weather, which makes for smoother drop-offs and pick-ups amid unpredictable Midwestern weather. That should wrap up this spring.
“This project is set to deliver an enhanced experience for travelers and add capacity to also accommodate long-term growth for Eppley Airfield,” McCoy said. “With the Build OMA Terminal Modernization Program, we’re expanding the number of available gates at Eppley Airfield, which will provide the airlines with more opportunities for growth in the future.”
For more information, visit flyoma.com/omaha-airport-authority.
This article originally appeared in the April/May 2025 issue of B2B Magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
