Kearney and Grand Island effectively competed as locations for defense airports which would serve as storage for aircraft made at Offutt Field and the Glenn L. Martin Bomber Plant near Omaha.

[5] In December 2022, U.S. Sen. Deb Fisher (R) announced that Kearney Regional Airport had been earmarked as the recipient of a $6.28 million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration.

According to Mike Morgan, the City Manager of Kearney, funds allocated by the grant will go toward a variety of facility renovation and expansion projects that should enable the airport to "meet the increased passenger demand for years to come."

The federal grant comes on the heels of several years of record growth at the airport and a construction project, contracted out by the city of Kearney earlier that year, for a $4.77 million expansion that would increase the terminal building's size by 64% and include an additional TSA screening checkpoint, a baggage scanner, greater secure holding space, and more baggage storage and family restrooms.

[1] In the year ending October 31, 2021 the airport had 21,770 aircraft operations, average 60 per day: 87% general aviation, 10% airline, 3% air taxi, and <1% military.