Kirksville Regional Airport (IATA: IRK, ICAO: KIRK, FAA LID: IRK) is four miles south of Kirksville, Missouri,[1] on the west side of US highway 63.[2] One airline schedules passenger flights, subsidized by the Essential Air Service program.
Federal Aviation Administration records say the airport had 684 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2008,[3] 926 in 2009 and 2,127 in 2010.[4] The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a general aviation facility (the commercial service category requires at least 2,500 enplanements per year).[5]
Cape Air is the current airline, averaging 900 to 1,000 passengers per month[6] on three daily round trips to St. Louis Lambert International Airport.[7] After Cape Air notified the city in November 2022 of their plans to terminate their service, the Kirksville City Council approved a contract on February 6, 2023 with Contour Airlines, with service beginning in June to Chicago O'Hare International Airport.[8]
Local resident Nick Sparling is credited as being Adair County's first aviator, in 1909.[citation needed] In 1924, Roy B. "Cap" Dodson started the first airport in the area, located on the north edge of Kirksville.[citation needed] However, an airfield at the present location of Kirksville Regional Airport wasn't created until 1930 when the Federal Aviation Administration built a series of emergency landing strips across the nation. With America's entry into World War II, the Kirksville Municipal Airport, as it had been declared in the late 1930s, received a major upgrade from the Civilian Pilots Training Program and the US Army Air Corps War Training Service.[citation needed] In 1942 a paved all-weather landing strip, hangars, a control tower and small restaurant were built; the paved runway was 3870 ft until 1968.[citation needed]
In 1960, Ozark Air Lines began scheduled flights.[citation needed] The Ozark route began in Kansas City to Chicago with stops in Kirksville, Ottumwa, Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Moline, Illinois.[citation needed] Airport improvements came after a bond issue was approved by Kirksville voters in 1967. A new six-thousand foot concrete runway was built, as well as a new terminal building and improved hangar facilities. The longer runway was needed for the faster Fairchild prop-jet that began flights to Kirksville in late 1968.[citation needed] Also in the 1960s, Ozark switched Kirksville service from a Kansas City-Chicago route to a Des Moines-to-St. Louis one. With the airport improvements came a new name, Clarence Cannon Memorial Airport—chosen to honor long-time US Congressman Clarence Cannon of Missouri who had done much to help secure air service and funding for the airport.[citation needed]
Ozark Airlines found flew their final route on April 23, 1976.[citation needed] Fortunately a local pilot and dentist, Dr. Stephen Barber, has established a small commuter air service, Horizon Airways, in 1972.[citation needed] Horizon was able to help fill the void left by Ozarks departure, eventually expanding to five aircraft and service to both Kansas City and St. Louis.[9][10]
Air Choice One began scheduled flight operations twice daily, to and from Lambert-St. Louis International Airport during July 2009.[citation needed] Scheduled operations are currently subsidized by the Essential Air Service Act. Previously service was operated by Air Midwest (operating as US Airways Express) to Kansas City International Airport[11] and by RegionsAir (operating as American Connection) with flights to Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. In September, 2010 Cape Air replaced Air Choice One.[citation needed]
In November 2022, Cape Air notified Kirksville of their plans to terminate service. However, the airline was still required to continue their flights until the city selected a replacement. The Kirksville City Council approved a contract on February 6, 2023 with Contour Airlines, with 12 flights per week beginning in June to Chicago O'Hare International Airport.[12]
The airport covers 476 acres (193 ha) at an elevation of 966 feet (294 m). It has two runways: 18/36 is 6,005 by 100 feet (1,830 x 30 m) concrete; 9/27 is 1,370 by 100 feet (418 x 30 m) turf.[1]
In the year ending April 30, 2023 the airport had 5,888 aircraft operations, average 113 per week: 50% general aviation, 37% airline, 12% air taxi, and <1% military. 20 aircraft were then based at the airport: 17 single-engine, 2 multi-engine, and 1 jet.[1]
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