Cedar Rapids Municipal Airport was completed with military funding in 1944 but was not dedicated until April 27, 1947. The Cedar Rapids Parks Department operated the airport until a new Airport Commission was established in 1945; Donald Hines, who led the effort to build the airport, was the commission's director until he retired in 1973; he died in 1975. Scheduled east–west passenger service from United Airlines began in 1947, and north–south passenger service from Ozark Air Lines began in 1957. In 1969, the airport had 31 airline arrivals each weekday and recorded 353,000 passengers that year. The present terminal designed by Brown, Healey, Bock Architects and Planners was dedicated in 1986 with a ceremony that U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elizabeth Dole attended. The Cedar Rapids Airport was renamed The Eastern Iowa Airport in 1997 to reflect its status as a regional airport. In 2008 the airport enplaned and deplaned one million passengers for the first time in its history; it set a record in 2017 with 1,143,335 passengers. In 2019, CID set an all-time record with 1,342,496 passengers served. Airlines and destinations Passenger Cargo Statistics Annual traffic Top destinations Airport management Marty Lenss: C.M., Airport Director Donald Swanson: Director of Finance & Administration Todd Gibbs: C.M., Director of Operations Pamela Hinman: Director of Marketing & Communications Kathleen Bell: Deputy Director of Finance & Administration Accidents and incidents August 30, 1970 – US Navy Blue Angels pilot Lt. Ernie Christensen belly-landed his F-4J Phantom at the Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids with one engine stuck in afterburner during an airshow at the airport. He ejected safely, while the aircraft ran off the runway. July 11, 1975 – A Grumman G-159 Gulfstream I took off from Cedar Rapids to Dallas-Addison Airport in Dallas, Texas. The aircraft encountered heavy rain on short final, and attempted a go-around. The plane crashed on the runway on its second attempt to land. The probable cause was wind shear or sudden windshift. All occupants survived. General aviation Scheduled airline traffic shares the Eastern Iowa Airport with cargo and general aviation traffic. Numerous nearby airports specialize in general aviation; the closest is Green Castle Airport. See also List of airports in Iowa Cedar Rapids Transit References The Eastern Iowa Airport: History from The Eastern Iowa Airport's website, accessed February 26, 2006 External links The Eastern Iowa Airport (official site) Airports in Iowa Buildings and structures in Cedar