Overview
- Organizers say the weeklong EAA AirVenture, which began Monday, includes 250th-anniversary programming and visits by rare aircraft that keep attendance and tourism high.
- A University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh analysis based on the 2024 event estimates a $257 million total economic impact for the Fox Valley, with about $170 million in direct visitor spending.
- The study found $117 million of that impact went to Oshkosh specifically and that AirVenture supports roughly 2,100 jobs across the region and about 815 jobs in the city.
- Wittman Regional Airport becomes one of the world’s busiest during the event, with air-traffic operations coordinating more than 16,000 flights and thousands of aircraft arrivals concentrated over the week.
- Local vendors and hospitality businesses report major sales bumps during the show, with hundreds of exhibitors and food and lodging providers describing AirVenture as a top revenue week for their operations.