Citizen Academy gets behind-the-scenes tour of Bismarck Airport

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) - Last year, the city of Bismarck introduced the Citizen Academy. The group is made up of residents who tour and learn about essential parts of city government and services offered.

People who use the airport are usually in a hurry to catch a flight or anxious to get home after a long trip. But on Thursday night, a group of Bismarck residents spent hours at the air terminal, but not because they missed their flight.

The Bismarck Citizen Academy got an in-depth look and a behind-the-scenes tour of the Bismarck Airport.

“It sounded like a fun opportunity to learn more about the city and the way it functions. And I’ve always been curious about the different departments that they have and work behind the scenes,” said Kathy Lampman.

The group learned about how the airport receives funding and about the commercial and private sectors of the facility. One thing that surprised many was the role of contracted workers from the commercial air companies.

“The independent worker that they had, I thought they were all city employees but understanding how they all function as a unit,” said Lampman.

One academy student remembered what the original airport looked 1955 when she took her first trip. She was amazed at all the process that has been made.

“The entire family was standing out on the runway almost with the plane coming to greet us. Grandma and grandpa and all the relatives. That wouldn’t happen now, you wouldn’t just walk out of the plane,” said Lampman.

The final approach of the evening was learning about how the baggage carrier system works.

The Academy is a 12 week long course. Next, the group with learn about community development and engineering within the capital city.

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