CrankyOldDude wrote: Tue Sep 01, 2026 2:25 pm
AA gets $2 million a year.
Breeze gets 4 years $3.75 million with $1.5 million the first year.
In the end what does it hurt I guess. Were I a taxpayer I would have been a bit upset that the airports gets a piece of the property tax but at least they have more (7 a day at most, mostly 5) flights. I think I would have also been upset that they added three gates when they had four already & it's hard for me to understand the expansion when not necessary for the foreseeable future.
I think the thing I just can't understand is why there isn't a Runza at the Lincoln airport. Seems like a no brainer.
I think there's a pretty strong argument that a single combined airport for both Omaha and Lincoln out by Ashland could both avoid subsidies and increase route coverage. Instead, we're paying a ton to rebuild OMA, and LNK is actively trying to poach traffic from OMA.
On net, I think it's a bad deal for the state of Nebraska.
riceweb wrote: Thu Sep 10, 2026 11:03 am
I think there's a pretty strong argument that a single combined airport for both Omaha and Lincoln out by Ashland could both avoid subsidies and increase route coverage.
Here's the bottom line. OMA draws from western Iowa, eastern Nebraska, southeast South Dakota, northwest Missouri and northeast Kansas. It's not just eastern Nebraska. Omaha does about 5.25 million a year while LNK does maybe 250,000. If it was going to happen it was proposed since the 60s and neither Omaha nor Lincoln powers that be wanted it.
If there was a real push for high speed rail between Lincoln and Omaha AND IF LNK was relegated to general aviation and military aviation and gave up commercial, THEN the combined numbers would POSSIBLY bring more destinations and/or frequencies and/or airlines...but maybe not. Who knows these days if adding MAYBE 250,000 to Omaha's numbers would tip the scales.
In the end a combined airport would cost a ton of cash and force everyone in the Omaha-Lincoln metros to drive to the middle of nowhere to catch a flight. Oh sure, there would be a mega saver nearby for tourists to visit but not much else.