MidWest Missionair

What is the advantage of flying with MidWest Missionair? Isn't it less expensive to drive or take the airlines?

It depends on where you are starting and where you are going. Sometimes driving or flying the airlines is better.

Believe it or not though, there are still places in North and Central America that can only be reached by dog sled, dugout canoe or small airplane. Native peoples in northern Alaska and Canada are one example and there are people groups in Mexico and Central America that can be reached in no other way.

It is only practical to reach Haiti by air and there is only one airline serving that country so the rates are quite high. In fact most missionaries in Haiti are completely dependent on mission aviation groups such as MidWest Missionair for transportation and shipping.

But there are also times when MidWest Missionair can do better right here in the USA. When an F5 tornado flattened Greensburg, Kansas, local medical services were also destroyed. For eight weeks volunteer medical workers traveled back and fourth from the Kansas City area. The drive time was 5 hours but MidWest Missionair was able to make the trip in 1 ½ hours.

When Katrina first hit the Gulf Coast MidWest Missionair shuttled medical workers for weeks. Then as rebuilding began numerous volunteers traveled to Louisiana and Mississippi.

It took 18 to 20 hours of road time to drive from eastern Kansas. Round trip expenses averaged about $110 per volunteer when you added up fuel, motels and meals.

If you went by airlines you drove to a large airport and went through security and boarding procedures. Then you landed at another big airport, waited for your bag and drove 2 hours to the job. It took the volunteer about 12 hours to get from home to the job site. He or She paid $350 in airfare if able to plan more than a month ahead but had to pay $500 or more if needing to go within 2 to 3 weeks.

MidWest Missionair flew from a small airport within 30 minutes of the volunteer’s home directly to a small airport within 30 minutes of the job. Total time in route averaged 4.5 hours. Average cost was $250 per volunteer.

Slightly more expensive than driving but our volunteers were able to spend 20 more hours on the job than those who drove.

Compared to airlines we were both faster and less expensive.