Appleton airport awaits funding for expansion.(Focus on Business in Fox Valley & Green Bay)

On a rainy Monday morning, Debra Giuffre watches passengers descend the steps of a ComAir jet airliner that has just landed at Outagamie County Regional Airport in Appleton.

They stand in the drizzle on the apron while a baggage handler fetches from the cargo hold their "pink tag" bags, luggage passengers wanted to carry onto the plane but couldn't for lack of room.

"I do a lot public speaking and invariably, the question I get is, 'When are we going to get those covered jet bridges, those Jetways?'" said Giuffre, airport director. "It is the number one most requested amenity."

Passenger loading bridges that let passengers walk from the plane to the terminal protected from the elements are among almost $12 million worth of …