Eppley Airfield

Eppley Airfield is the primary commercial airport for Nebraska and the largest in a multi-state region that also draws from western Iowa, northwestern Missouri, and southeastern South Dakota. Located just 5 km (3 mi) northeast of downtown Omaha along the Missouri River at 984 ft (300 m) elevation, OMA is uncommonly close to its central business district — one of the shortest airport-to-downtown distances of any US airport in the top 70. The airport handled around 5.6M passengers in 2024 and consistently ranks in the top 70 US airports by enplanements. Originally established in 1925 as Omaha Municipal Airport, the field was renamed in 1960 after Omaha hotel magnate Eugene C. Eppley, whose foundation funded the original terminal. Today Southwest Airlines is the leading carrier, followed by American, Delta, and United, with Frontier and Allegiant providing low-cost overlays. The 33-airline route map spans 179 scheduled services to 124 destinations, concentrated on domestic hubs: Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Las Vegas. OMA operates three runways — a 9,502 ft (2,896 m) primary (14R/32L) plus an 8,500 ft (2,591 m) parallel (14L/32R) and an 8,154 ft (2,486 m) crosswind (18/36) — out of a single unified terminal with two concourses, A and B, all behind one security checkpoint. A multi-year, multi-billion-dollar modernization program committed in the 2020s will add a new terminal headhouse, consolidated concourses, and an expanded rental-car facility, positioning Eppley to absorb projected growth driven by the region's corporate base (Berkshire Hathaway, Union Pacific, Mutual of Omaha, TD Ameritrade) and the continued buildup of Offutt Air Force Base nearby.