The Eastern Iowa Airport (CID) has launched a new Aviation Workforce Development Campus aimed at addressing growing labor shortages across the aviation industry.
The initiative, which includes academic partnerships with Coe College and Kirkwood Community College, is designed to train students in flight operations and aircraft maintenance directly on-site at CID.
The campus spans two hangars and hosts programs from both educational institutions. Coe College offers an aviation management and flight operations program that will begin this autumn, with flight training operated by ATD Flight Systems. According to airport officials, the program was developed to help close an estimated gap of 17,000 pilots, driven in part by age-related retirements in the industry.
Kirkwood Community College’s aviation maintenance technology program, which began in 2023, is also housed at the campus. The program targets demand for aviation maintenance technicians and avionics specialists, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting more than 13,000 openings in the field annually through 2031.
“We recognized the need to take a leadership role in addressing aviation workforce challenges,” said Eastern Iowa Airport director Marty Lenss. “By establishing this Aviation Workforce Development Campus, we’re not only preparing students for positions throughout aviation to sustain industry operations locally and worldwide, but we’re also positioning CID as a regional hub for aviation education. These students will be entering professions that have already seen significant growth and are primed for more.”
The Eastern Iowa Airport has provided hangar space for both programs to operate, creating a dedicated training environment within a fully operational airport.
In 2024, more than 1.5 million passengers flew through CID, Iowa’s second largest airport. The airport also hosts 124 based general aviation aircraft, the most of any airport in the state.
Coe College President David Hayes said the campus will help meet the needs of both the region and the broader industry.
“The Eastern Iowa Airport’s vision for this campus creates a special opportunity to help fill a need for both the Corridor and a larger industry that’s crucial to economic growth on a local to global scale,” Mr. Hayes said. “I’m most excited for the students who, because of this dynamic arrangement at CID, are going to enter the workforce prepared to thrive.”
Kirkwood Community College President Kristie Fisher said demand for training has been strong.
“This campus represents a serious response to workforce needs and a terrific opportunity for our students to be part of the airport’s leadership in aligning education and training with national demand,” she said.
Aviation is key to Eastern Iowa’s origin story. The Wright Brothers spent a portion of their childhood in Cedar Rapids, where their love of aviation began, and Collins Radio Company pioneered aviation communication.
Today, major employers including Collins Aerospace and BAE Systems continue that legacy.
