Members of Lawrence’s Aviation Advisory Board think that with the right planning, the regional airport could become more accessible to the public and a linchpin of the city’s economic development.
When board member Jim Laster started reflecting on his hopes for the future of the Lawrence Regional Airport (LWC), he was focused on economic growth. Then, he realized safety and community access are part of that economic engine.
Laster drafted an LWC vision statement, for the board to chew on, and presented it during their Wednesday meeting.
“Lawrence Regional Airport will be the premier general aviation gateway for Northeast Kansas and a Top Regional airport to Kansas City as a safe, modern and economically vital facility that connects Lawrence and Douglas County to the world, fuels regional economic growth,” it reads.
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The rest of Laster’s preliminary visioning document underlines the need for transparency, stronger civic partnerships and continued infrastructure investment.
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Laster will host an Aviation Advisory Board visioning session in November to build on the vision statement. He said the document can clearly outline the board’s opinions for the city and airport manager.
“So, probably when the next master plan comes up in God knows how many years, we’re prioritizing the right things,” he said. “You know, like, we need 747s here, or we need more piston airplanes — just that kind of direction.”
Clancey Maloney, board chair, said the Federal Aviation Administration should be approving LWC’s Airport Layout Plan shortly, and work on the master plan will follow. It hasn’t been updated since 2012.
As it stands, many local residents don’t even know that the city owns and operates the regional airport at 1930 Airport Road, northeast of North Lawrence. But it welcomes tens of thousands of flyers each year.
Shaun Cookson, LWC’s new manager, said Wednesday that there have been 31,857 operations at the airport so far this year. There were 38,575 in 2025.
“It is pretty prevalent that our airport has a pretty national reach,” he said.
LWC has connected air travelers to California, Washington, Florida and even Canada near Maine.
Cookson said they saw a bump in traffic the weekend that the University of Kansas went head-to-head with Mizzou for the Border Showdown. Then, there were a fair amount of planes dropping folks off on Friday and picking them up on Sunday for KU’s parents weekend, Cookson said.
Laster said many people view LWC as a small general aviation airport without a tower for only four- and six-seat piston aircraft.
“Well, I don’t look at it that way. I look at it as an economic engine that we need more people coming in through here and increased fuel sales,” he said.
Maloney said they need to figure out if they want to cater to giant airplanes, smaller craft, or a mix.
Laster said that, between Cookson and Melissa Sieben, the director of the city’s Municipal Services and Operations Department, they’ve started on many of the necessary improvements.
“Safety first has got to be safety first,” Laster said. “But that also includes infrastructure, make sure tax rates don’t suck and our hangars aren’t falling over.”
He said that when he joined the board, pavement readings were “atrocious.”
The city completed three major projects at the airport between March and May 2026, including rehabilitation of an apron and Taxiway C, plus a runway. It also replaced lighting on Taxiway A.
However, the FAA froze some funds for the apron and Taxiway C rehabilitation project, according to Aaron Parker, a senior project engineer for the city. The FAA has alleged the city had some violations of grant assurances in recent years. To get back on track, Cookson said they’ve drafted a preliminary version of airport rules and regulations that have gone through FAA review twice.
“We are completing what we feel is going to be the final review from the FAA before it starts going public,” he said.
Cookson expects the document to go on the airport website in November.
The city is planning a full Taxiway A rehabilitation project to go through design in 2027 and construction in 2028, Parker said.
The project budget is $150K per the city’s Capital Improvement Plan. Parker said the city expects 10% of that, or about $15,000, will be local funds, and 90%, or $135,000, will come from the state.
And there is yet more in the works at LWC.
Cookson said the city is soliciting bids to convert the hangar and office space of the former Don’s Diesel hangar at 1905 N. Seventh St. Staff submitted a concept to the Kansas Department of Transportation’s Innovative Technology Grant for a charge cube in the airport, which would charge electric aircraft, aircraft support vehicles and electric cars. Plus, an outside development group is proposing a flight school to the city commission that would bring women pilots to Lawrence to train at LWC.
The airport also has its own CIP with a devoted board subcommittee that is compiling their top project recommendations, as staff and the board simultaneously tighten up regulations.
During Thursday’s meeting, the board either received or accepted multiple new airport policies, many of which will go before the city commission. Those included ground transportation policies, ground lease policies, a refreshed schedule of rates and charges and updated city code for wildlife at the airport.
The city will publish more information, including an agenda, for the visioning session at this link. It’s slated for 9 a.m. Friday, Nov. 13 at the new MSO campus, 1840 O’Connell Road.
People should send public comment on any LWC items to [email protected].
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Wulfe Wulfemeyer (they/them), reporter and news editor, has worked with The Lawrence Times since May 2025. They can be reached at [email protected].
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