By Allison Peck
Listen to the full interview on our Kubota Podcast
NORTH PLATTE — For the first time in more than 70 years, travelers arriving at North Platte Regional Airport are walking into a terminal built for the way people travel today.
The new passenger terminal at Lee Bird Field officially opened Monday, marking the completion of a project that replaces the airport's 1952-era passenger facility with a modern terminal designed around passenger comfort, accessibility, sustainability and future growth.
The difference is immediately visible.
Natural light pours through the terminal's expansive windows and photovoltaic skylights. Mass-timber beams stretch across the ceiling, while rows of modern seating fill the passenger waiting areas. The new facility also features a jet bridge, allowing passengers to board and exit aircraft without walking outside.
But for State Senator Mike Jacobson, the significance of the new terminal goes well beyond its appearance.
“This is huge because we first needed to get a quality airline here, which we got in SkyWest,” Jacobson said during Monday's grand opening.
SkyWest operates North Platte's flights under the United Airlines brand, providing daily jet service to Denver and connections beyond. The airport says passengers can fly from North Platte with free parking, modern amenities and shorter check-in and security processes than larger airports.
Jacobson said the ability to book a trip from North Platte through to a final destination—and check baggage in North Platte rather than having to retrieve it during a Denver connection—is a major advantage.
“You can check your bag here in North Platte, and you can pick up your bag at the final destination, not to pick it up in Denver,” he said.
The new terminal also provides amenities that were difficult to accommodate in the old building.
“You've got free parking, you've got parking close to the terminal, and you've got great seating area,” Jacobson said. “They've got a jet bridge so you never go outside once you get into the terminal.”
From 50 passengers to a modern terminal
The airport's previous terminal was constructed in 1952 and was designed around a very different era of air travel.
According to the North Platte Airport Authority, the old facility's secure hold room was essentially designed around “50 seats for 50 passengers,” with little space for luggage or modern passenger amenities.
The new terminal was designed to address those limitations with expanded seating, modern restrooms, natural light, post-security food and beverage service and jet bridge boarding.
The building also addresses accessibility shortcomings in the old terminal. It includes ADA-compliant restrooms, a mother's room, accommodations for service animals and other features intended to provide more equitable access for travelers.
The Airport Authority describes the terminal as a new “front door” to North Platte and western Nebraska.
That description goes beyond the passenger experience.
An economic development tool
The North Platte Regional Airport serves a 15-county, 14,000-square-mile area and is the only primary airport within that service area, according to the Airport Authority.
Jacobson said reliable air service can be an important factor for people deciding whether to live and work in North Platte.
He pointed to physicians considering jobs in the community, along with their spouses and families, who may want easy access to larger cities such as Denver or Omaha.
“If you're going to come to work for the hospital, generally speaking, there are physicians that come here who have a spouse, whether that be male or female, who are saying, how can I go to Denver or Omaha or some larger city?” Jacobson said.
“Well, it's a quick flight, and you're not going to have to drive for four hours to get there.”
Jacobson said North Platte has long benefited from its location along Interstate 80, but air service adds another important connection.
“Being on the interstate is important, but having air travel is important,” he said.
The Airport Authority says the airport already plays a significant role in the regional economy. A 2019 Nebraska Aviation Counts! Economic Impact Study estimated the airport supports 1,397 jobs, welcomes 14,385 visitors to the region annually and generates approximately $155 million in direct, indirect and induced economic impacts.
The new terminal is intended to build on that economic role as North Platte continues to see major development.
The Airport Authority points to the 560,000-square-foot beef processing facility near the airport, which brought approximately 850 jobs to North Platte, as well as the 300-acre rail park being developed near Hershey.
Jacobson said the airport can help make the region more attractive to businesses that need to bring executives and other professionals into the area.
He pointed to Sustainable Beef as an example.
“They're going to need support facilities, and people will start looking at locating their business here because their executives can fly in and out,” Jacobson said.
“It's easier to get here if they want to visit various facilities.”
Connecting the airport to the Port of the Plains
Jacobson also sees the airport as part of a larger transportation network that includes the Port of the Plains inland port.
He said legislation expanding the inland port's footprint included a 15-mile area that allowed the airport to be included.
“I measured how far it was from the Hershey Inland Port of the Plains to the airport, and it was 15 miles,” Jacobson said. “So this is included.”
That could allow part of the airport facility to be used in connection with international trade, he said.
“That's the big deal about having an inland port as opposed to just having a rail park,” Jacobson said.
Passenger growth
Jacobson said the new terminal is also arriving at a time when passenger demand is increasing.
He said he was told more than 2,000 people boarded flights at North Platte last month.
“We used to do that in about a year,” Jacobson said. “Now we're doing it in a month, and I think that will continue to grow with this new facility.”
The airport currently offers daily nonstop jet service to Denver, with flights operated by SkyWest Airlines for United.
Designed for the future
The terminal was designed with sustainability in mind as well as passenger comfort.
The Airport Authority is anticipating LEED certification for the building. Its design incorporates mass timber construction and cross-laminated timber roofing, which the airport says can reduce embodied carbon compared with steel construction.
The building also includes photovoltaic skylight glass to generate renewable energy, a geothermal ground-source heat pump system for heating and cooling, and a system to capture, store and reuse stormwater for non-potable water needs.
The parking area is designed to accommodate public transit, rideshare services and electric vehicle charging stations.
Construction began in October 2024, with the existing terminal remaining operational throughout the project.
A project built with federal and state support
Jacobson credited federal and state officials with helping bring the project to completion.
He specifically credited U.S. Senator Deb Fischer with securing $17 million in federal funding for the terminal.
Jacobson also credited Governor Jim Pillen and the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics and Nebraska Department of Transportation for directing additional funding toward North Platte to help complete the project.
He said the airport will continue receiving approximately $1.3 million annually in Federal Aviation Administration funding.
“We've got great representation in Washington, and the governor has done a great job,” Jacobson said. “They all know where North Platte is. They care about North Platte in this region, and they were all very instrumental in helping secure this facility.”
For Jacobson, the new terminal ultimately comes down to something bigger than easier boarding, better seating or a more attractive building.
It's about whether North Platte can remain connected as the community grows.
“Being connected is so important,” he said.
And now, travelers arriving by air have a very different first impression of North Platte than they did just a few months ago.
“Having an airport, a real airport, is being connected,” Jacobson said.