The Kansas City Aviation Department is part of the City of Kansas City, Missouri. The department owns and operates Kansas City International and Charles B. Wheeler Downtown airports, and employs more than 400. Kansas City International Airport (MCI) generated 60,787 full-time equivalent jobs with a total direct payroll of $1.5 billion and contributed $5.5 billion to the area economy in 2006. In a 2005 study annual economic benefit from Wheeler Airport was $44,548,500 with direct and indirect employment of 572 yielding payroll of over $12 million. Kansas City International Airport is one of the nation’s largest airports, covering more than 10,000 acres with more than 7,000 acres available for development. Its three runways can accommodate up to 139 aircraft operations per hour. The airlines provide convenient service to most major U.S. markets with some of the lowest fares in the region. More at http://flykci.com/ Originally home to commercial aviation, the Charles B. Wheeler Airport (MKC) now attracts a large number of corporate, charter and recreational flyers. Located on 695 acres, Downtown Airport is just across the Missouri River from Kansas City's business center. Airport users have easy access to all interstate highways that serve the metropolitan area, as well as other major thoroughfares. The airport also serves as an ideal refueling stop for air travelers thanks to its central geographic location. In the shadows of the downtown skyline, up to 700 aircraft per day take off or land at the airport - everything from single-engine propeller craft to sleek corporate jets. The facility and its control tower are open 24 hours a day and consistently rank highly among private and corporate pilots for their full range of service to general aviation. Fixed-base operators service nearly 300 based aircraft, as well as itinerant and charter aircraft, offering fuel, full maintenance, aircraft rentals, sales and flight training. More at http://flymkc.com/.