MidAmerica St. Louis Airport Sets Passenger Records in 2025 as Routes and Infrastructure Expand
MidAmerica St. Louis Airport closed out 2025 with record passenger traffic, expanded nonstop service and continued investment in aviation, terminal and surface transportation infrastructure, reinforcing its role as a growing regional gateway for the St. Louis Metro East.
The airport reported more than 384,000 passengers for the year, a 25.3% increase over 2024 and an 18% gain over its previous annual record set in 2022. Airport officials said the growth was sustained throughout the year, with seven individual months establishing new passenger records. July was the busiest month in the airport’s history, handling approximately 57,000 travelers.
MidAmerica continued to expand its route network in 2025, adding a new twice-weekly nonstop service to Gulf Shores, Alabama, which launched in May. The airport now offers year-round or seasonal nonstop flights to destinations including Destin/Fort Walton Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers/Punta Gorda, Jacksonville, Knoxville, Las Vegas, Myrtle Beach, Orlando/Sanford, Sarasota/Bradenton, Savannah and Tampa Bay/St. Pete.
Airport leadership said the increase in passenger demand is occurring alongside significant capital investment. Construction is underway on a new 25,277-square-foot Federal Inspection Station (FIS) building, which includes an embedded General Aviation Facility. The GA facility is scheduled to open in early spring 2026 and will be capable of handling international flights of up to 20 passengers, while the full FIS is expected to be completed in spring 2027.
These projects build on the airport’s $34 million terminal expansion completed in 2023, which nearly doubled the size of the terminal and added updated passenger amenities.
Industrial and aviation development also advanced at the airport’s business park in 2025, with completion of a $200 million, 300,000-square-foot manufacturing facility operated by Boeing. The facility supports production of the MQ-25 Stingray, the U.S. Navy’s carrier-based unmanned aerial refueling aircraft, which is expected to conduct its first test flight in early 2026.
Regional connectivity is set to expand further with progress on the $97 million MetroLink extension linking MidAmerica St. Louis Airport to the Shiloh–Scott Transit Center. The project includes a new station adjacent to the terminal and a 2.4-mile frontage road, creating a direct rail connection to St. Louis Lambert International Airport. The extension is scheduled to open in June 2026 following system testing.
County officials said the airport, along with Scott Air Force Base and onsite tenants, supports more than 23,000 jobs and generates an estimated $3.1 billion in economic impact across the bi-state St. Louis region.
In addition to aviation growth, the airport also hosted the inaugural Southern Plane Pull competition in May, raising funds for Special Olympics Illinois and highlighting the airport’s expanding role as a regional community asset.
Airport officials said continued route development, international capability and multimodal access are expected to support further growth in 2026 and beyond.