Airport project will give passengers more room

Renovations to be done next year

After passengers flying out of Fort Dodge Regional Airport clear the security checkpoint, they must sit or stand in a relatively small area while they wait to board their plane.

And there is no bathroom there. Anyone needing to use the bathroom has to go back into the main part of the terminal and then pass through security again.

A renovation project set for next year will provide the passengers with a bigger waiting area complete with a family restroom and a room for nursing mothers.

The Airport Commission recently awarded a $1,644,394 contract to Jensen Builders Ltd., of Fort Dodge, to do the work. That company was the sole bidder for the job.

The work is scheduled to begin in March 2027 and be done by June 2027, according to Sarah Rustvold, the airport's director of aviation.

She said the airport will remain open for United Express flights throughout the construction project.

"You'll still always be able to fly in and out," she said.

She said the waiting area beyond the security checkpoint "will be a little tight for awhile" when the construction is underway.

The airport received a $1 million grant from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to help pay for the project. Rustvold said this was the last year an airport could get a grant under that law.

She said the grant requires a 5 percent local match.

The project will add 580 square feet to the airport terminal building. That addition will extend out from the terminal toward the ramp where planes park to load and unload passengers.