Is Your Airport in Danger? Whiteman Field Provides a Cautionary Tale

It happens with alarming frequency: You read a story in your local newspaper about someone pushing for the closure of the local airport. Perhaps it’s an election year, or locals accuse the airport of being solely a playground for the rich, a danger to public health, and/or an economic drain on the community. 

There are calls for the airport to be shut down and the property redeveloped—and sometimes these efforts span decades and are successful. Other times, the pilots and businesses in the community are able to thwart the closure effort using facts at a time when emotions are running high.