1.1 Million Passengers: Why South Bend's Airport Is Booming | Julie Curtis, South Bend International Airport

On today's show I sat down with Julie Curtis, VP of marketing and air service development at South Bend International Airport, about its growth and operations.

We discuss SBN surpassing 1.1 million passengers in 2025 (best since 1997), how air service development works (retaining routes, adding new ones, addressing "leakage" to Chicago), and the airport's current nonstop network of 16 destinations on five airlines (American, Delta, United, Allegiant, and Breeze). She explains Breeze's 2024 launch in South Bend and the American-Landline luxury motor coach connection that functions gate-to-gate between SBN and O'Hare.

Our conversation also covers Notre Dame game-week surges, ramp improvements enabling mainline aircraft at all gates, the SBN Up Front front-drive modernization project, the South Shore rail station at the terminal, and how airports operate like "mini cities" with many independent tenants and agencies.

If you like this episode and want to hear more Get IN. episodes where I interview Hoosiers making a difference, visit getindiana.com/podcast.

You are going to learn about:

- South Bend International Airport's Growth and Record 2025

- How Air Service Development Works

- SBN's Nonstop Network

- How Airports are Like Mini Cities

Thank you to our partners:

NCW

Rohrman Automotive Group