COLUMBUS, Ohio — Rickenbacker International Airport (LCK) was recently named the 2021 Airport of the Year by the Ohio Aviation Association.

The award at the association's annual Ohio Aviation Conference honors airports that have made extraordinary accomplishments in aviation.

Rickenbacker was recognized for its leadership for bringing emergency PPE shipments, record-breaking shipments of international cargo, and its first passenger aircraft converted for cargo, officials said in a press release.

“We’re honored that LCK could play a key role to ensure vital medical equipment and PPE could get to our essential front-line workers around the nation,” said Joseph R. Nardone, president and CEO of the Columbus Regional Airport Authority. “Not only did we weather the storm, but Rickenbacker came out stronger and we will continue to serve as a critical global air cargo gateway.”

While many businesses and organizations shut down during the global pandemic, Rickenbacker and other airports stayed open, serving as an essential asset, officials said.

“Rickenbacker International Airport is a key asset in southern Franklin County. The facilities they have on-site, plus the facilities immediately adjacent to it, make it a star in the multimodal world,” said Stacey Heaton, executive director of the Ohio Aviation Association. “But this award looks beyond their day-today and wants to give additional credit where it is due: for their integral part of getting Ohio back on its feet during COVID.”

Rickenbacker has continued to increase its capacity in order to keep up with demand for PPE as well as more traditional shipments of consumer goods and manufacturing components, officials said in a press release.

The airport broke records for international all-cargo arrivals in June 2020 with 120 flights, and again in June 2021 with 150 flights. And the airport continues to expand air cargo capability with a new pharmaceutical cargo transfer facility scheduled to open later this year.