Fort Wayne Airport Celebrates Record-Breaking 2025
FWA ended 2025 breaking the all-time record for passengers traveling through the airport, which had previously been broken in 2024. FWA saw nearly half a million passengers choose to start their journey from the airport with 494,014 enplaned (outbound) passengers – an increase of 14.75% over 2024. In total, the airport saw 983,042 passengers fly in and out of their local airport – an increase of 14.7% over 2024. Both enplanement and total passenger numbers marked record-breaking traffic for FWA. The airport had previously broken the record for passenger traffic in 2024 with 856,803 total passengers – an 8% increase over the previous year.
Over the past year FWA has seen a number of wins with airlines adding flights and capacity, with increased frequency and larger aircraft. Among the wins of 2025:
- Allegiant Air introduced non-stop service to Fort Lauderdale (FLL) in November 2025.
- Delta Air Lines added a second daily, non-stop flight to Detroit (DTW) in June 2025.
- United Airlines added a fourth daily flight to Chicago O’Hare (ORD) in August 2024, which extended through all of 2025 with certain high-traffic months seeing five daily flights.
- American Airlines upgauged aircraft on their non-stop FWA to Chicago O’Hare (ORD) route – increasing capacity on that route year-over-year.
“Ending 2025 in record-breaking fashion is a clear signal of the momentum behind FWA and the strong support of our passengers and the Northeast Indiana community,” said Scott Hinderman, Executive Director of Airports. “As the region’s airport, we’re proud to see more travelers choosing to fly local and putting their trust in FWA, while our team continues to raise the standard for what an airport experience can be. With this energy behind us, we’re ready to build on our success and accelerate growth alongside our community and airline partners in 2026.”
2026 is already off to a strong start, with United Airlines adding additional flight frequency to Chicago O’Hare (ORD). Beginning in April, the airline will increase flight activity from FWA to ORD from four times per day to six times per day.
FWA saw growth and success in other areas of airport operations as well. The airport passed its FAA, Federal Regulation Part 139 annual inspection that took place in March of 2025, with zero discrepancies for the eleventh consecutive year – a rare feat in the airport world. The Gateway Lounge Presented by STAR Bank opened in the airport terminal building in May 2025, beginning a partnership between FWA and STAR Financial Bank. The airport also broke ground on an extensive parking lot project that saw the realignment of the airport terminal drive, as well as the expansion of Long Term Parking – adding 551 new parking spaces that will open this spring. The airport’s parking lot expansion is a continuation of FWA’s ongoing parking improvements, which include the airport’s existing Valet Parking program that passengers can utilize for $20 per day.
The airport continues work on the East Terminal Expansion project, with a project completion projected for early summer 2026. The end of the East Terminal Expansion project will conclude a total of five years of construction at the airport that began with the West Terminal Expansion and Rehabilitation project in May 2021. The East and West Terminal Expansion projects have aimed to transform FWA into a modernized facility capable of handling the momentum and growth that the airport, as well as the Northeast Indiana region, has experienced over recent years.
As FWA reflects on a successful 2025 and aims for an even better 2026, it thanks the Northeast Indiana community for continuing to choose FWA.
The Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority (FWACAA) was created in 1985 and is responsible for managing Fort Wayne International Airport and Smith Field Airport. The airport authority is governed by a six-member board appointed by the Mayor of Fort Wayne and the Allen County Commissioners. Serving Northeast Indiana and the surrounding region, FWA offers nonstop service to 14 cities on four airlines. In 2025, FWA served 983,042 passengers, a record-breaking year for passenger traffic. As a result of FWACAA’s commitment to customer service, Fort Wayne International Airport was recognized by USA Today as one of the friendliest airports in the nation. For more information about the Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority, visit FWAirport.com.
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