The Dane County Regional Airport is coming off its most successful year ever. Last year, nearly 2.5 million passengers took to the skies from Madison’s airport, a 6% increase over 2024. The previous record was set in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic, about 100,000 passengers fewer than 2025.
A forthcoming master plan will guide the airport into the next several decades. With Dane County estimated to reach 887,000 people by 2050, according to the Regional Data Group, the need for a modern, larger and more effective airport is critical to support business and leisure travel in Wisconsin’s Capital Region, advocates say.
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“To be a global innovation hub, to be a place that imports the world’s talents and exports global solutions — the airport is the front door to that,” said Zach Brandon, president of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce, which has pushed for direct flights to business hubs and for the international designation.
The master planning process began late last year and will last for about 24 months. It is long overdue, said airport Director Mark Papko. The last airport master plan was completed in 1993.
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“Airport master plans are typically done every 10, 15, 20 years,” Papko said. “Think about how much aviation has changed since 1993 — we’re destined for… a different-looking master plan.”
