# Des Moines International Airport (DSM)

> Des Moines, US · IATA: DSM · ICAO: KDSM · Medium Airport · Cargo Hub

## Quick Facts

| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| IATA | `DSM` |
| ICAO | `KDSM` |
| City | Des Moines |
| Country | US |
| Type | Medium Airport |
| Elevation | 292 m |
| Cargo | ✅ |
| GPS | 41.53400, -93.66310 |

## Description

Iowa's busiest airport is not its busiest freight airport — and Des Moines International (DSM) proves the point. With roughly three million passengers a year, DSM is the state's dominant passenger gateway, served on the cargo side by FedEx Express, UPS and DHL Aviation. Yet tonnage has slipped sharply since the U.S. Postal Service ended its FedEx-operated Des Moines air contract in April 2024: air cargo through September 2025 ran about 42% below the prior-year period. For dependable, high-volume air freight, Iowa's anchor remains The Eastern Iowa Airport (CID) in Cedar Rapids. DSM's strengths lie elsewhere — a central position at the crossroads of Interstates 35 and 80 and a new terminal whose first six gates open in January 2027, with three more to follow by 2030. Every four years the airport also takes centre stage as candidates fly in for the Iowa Caucus.

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*Freight Academy — Airport Profile: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/des-moines-international-airport-dsm](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/des-moines-international-airport-dsm)*

*Markdown mirror: [https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/airports/en/des-moines-international-airport-dsm](https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/airports/en/des-moines-international-airport-dsm)*

*LLM-Summary (JSON): https://www.freight-academy.com/api/v1/airports/des-moines-international-airport-dsm/llm-summary*