Coe contributes to CID’s 10th consecutive monthly passenger record
Coe College’s aviation management & flight operations program is taking off in multiple literal ways! The latest civil aviation operation numbers from the Eastern Iowa Airport demonstrate just how often Kohawks have been taking to the skies — all Coe aviators are able to fly in their first term.
Congratulations to the Eastern Iowa Airport on setting another passenger traffic record and thank you for facilitating the growth of our program and the Aviation Workforce Development Campus.
The release from the Eastern Iowa Airport:
CID marks 10th consecutive passenger record
It is the 10th consecutive record-breaking month for passenger traffic at the Eastern Iowa Airport (CID). The total number of passengers who flew CID in October was 146,643. That is 7.3 percent higher than the October total in 2024 of 136,668.
Year-to-date, CID has eight percent more passenger traffic than the same time period in 2024.
Marty Lenss, airport director, says the reason the numbers continue to break records is because Eastern Iowans are choosing to fly CID.
“We are often asked, ‘How can we help grow the airport?’” Lenss says. “The No. 1 way is to fly out of CID for business and leisure travel. Airlines will consider CID for expanded capacity and the addition of new nonstop services when their existing flights are full.”
CID is on pace to set its third consecutive annual total passenger record. In 2023, the total number of passengers choosing CID was 1.4 million, and in 2024, the number increased to 1.5 million.
Along with seeing a passenger increase, CID is seeing an increase in airport operations (takeoffs and landings). Total operations year-to-date (January-October) have increased 5 percent. But one specific area – civil aviation – saw a 190 percent increase for October. Civil aviation includes operations related to the Coe College aviation management & flight operations program that began this fall.
In 2024, the total number of civil operations in October was 391; compared to 1,134 operations in October 2025.
Lenss says it is tremendous to see all the Coe students active on the field and he anticipates that number to continue to grow.
“More operations add to growth for the airport, and increased economic development for Eastern Iowa,” he says.