ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
The Liberal City Commission had the chance to hear some positive news about Liberal Municipal Airport at its most recent meeting Tuesday evening.
Chief Communications Officer Keeley Young gave an update on recent marketing efforts for the facility.
“Our end-of-year performance report for Mid-America Regional Airport prepared by our airline consultant firm, ArkStar, highlights positive performance and growth trends in 2025 compared to prior years,” Young said. “Notable metrics from the report include a 16 percent increase of round-trip enplanements vs 2024, an increase of 1,228 in outbound enplanements compared to the prior year, and a 1 percent increase in load factor, meaning an average of 15 passengers per outbound flight. Also, only one controllable flight cancellation was reported in 2025 and in Quarter 2 of 2025, the average one-way fare was 23 percent lower than GCK (Garden City) and 11 percent lower than ICT (Wichita). We kicked off a new advertising campaign through ArkStar on Jan. 15 with a goal of reaching 10,000 enplanements in 2026. The campaign targets travelers to 14 of our most flown-to markets. Advertisements feature "visiting friends and relatives" messaging using 140 different display ad formats and five video commercials for distribution across six platforms and Google Responsive search advertising. Marketing messages are also tailored to target business travelers by promoting United's multiple travel programs for businesses of all sizes. As of Feb. 2, the ad campaign has made nearly 160,000 impressions with more than 2,600 ad clicks for a click-through rate of 1.63 percent. The campaign runs through April 12 and is funded in large part by advertising dollars allocated to us through SkyWest Airlines.”
Also on the agenda was discussion of work on Loraine Ave.
“On July 8, the owners of parcels located on Loraine Ave., which extends north from East 8th Street, requested the Liberal City Commission waive the subdivision regulations and allow them to install less than the required street improvements. The owners had already obtained a fill permit from KDHE-DWR at that time to place fill in the floodplain, making the parcels suitable for development,” Liberal City Manager Scarlette Diseker said. “Per Building Services Director Keith Bridenstine, the subdivision regulations require a minimum of a 35-foot-wide concrete or asphalt street to be installed prior to building structures on the parcels. The original improvement plans provided by the owners show the installation of a concrete street that meets the subdivision regulations. As the Zoning Administrator, he has no option to waive the required improvements, but the subdivision regulations do allow for the commission to waive any improvement requirements if they are not technically feasible or necessary. If you’ll remember, at the end of the commission’s July 8 meeting, the commission voted to uphold the regulations as written but asked for city staff to possibly pursue the RHID incentive option. Then, on July 17, city staff hosted a meeting with the landowners to discuss their improvements and run cash flow analysis numbers, and those numbers were shared at the Dec. 9 special meeting. At that time, commissioners directed the landowners to obtain an official engineering estimate.”
After several minutes of discussion and questions, the commission ultimately voted to approve waiving the Subdivision Regulations on streets with restrictions for a development on Lorraine Ave.
The commission also granted approval to apply for a T-Mobile Grant (which would support several needed operational efficiency projects at the Liberal Animal Shelter), and the purchases of new mowers for the Parks Department and Willow Tree Golf Course, both of which will be coming from Keating Tractor & Equipment.
