MBS International Airport
Encyclopedia
MBS International Airport is located in Freeland, Michigan
, serving the nearby cities of Midland
, Bay City
, and Saginaw
. It was formerly named Tri City Airport or Freeland Tri-City Airport. The airport was renamed to MBS International Airport in 1994 (representative of its IATA airport code
) to prevent confusion with other airports named "Tri City Airport" across the United States
.
The commercial airport is a special municipal body owned by Bay County
and the cities of Midland and Saginaw. The airport's name is an initialism formed from the names of these three communities and it is governed by a nine-member commission made up of three members from each of them.
In 2009, the airport had 31,385 aircraft operations, down from 50,254 in 2006.
, it was used to hold prisoners of war. Civilian control of the airport resumed in the mid 1940s.
The 1980s and 1990s saw a lot of growth at MBS. During this time, airline service expanded and many airlines began serving MBS.
in Flint
, which offers more flights to more destinations and often cheaper fares.
2006 enplanements were 200,150 boardings, a 6.33% drop from the previous year.
Air Wisconsin runs ground services for United Express.
Delta Air Lines merged with Northwest Airlines.
Until October 1, 2009 Mesaba Airlines ran ground services for Delta Connection.
Compass Airlines, Comair, and Mesaba Airlines ground handling merged into one service called Regional Elite Airline Services. Regional Elite is 100% owned by Delta Air Lines.
Regional Elite runs ground services for Delta and Delta Connection at MBS.
Freeland, Michigan
Freeland is an unincorporated community in Tittabawassee Township, Saginaw County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also a census-designated place for statistical purposes and without any legal status as an incorporated municipality. As of the 2000 census, the CDP population was 5,147. The...
, serving the nearby cities of Midland
Midland, Michigan
Midland is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan in the Tri-Cities region of the state. It is the county seat of Midland County. The city's population was 41,863 as of the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Midland Micropolitan Statistical Area....
, Bay City
Bay City, Michigan
Bay City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 34,932, and is the principal city of the Bay City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Saginaw-Bay City-Saginaw Township North...
, and Saginaw
Saginaw, Michigan
Saginaw is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw was once a thriving lumber town and manufacturing center. Saginaw and Saginaw County lie in the Flint/Tri-Cities region of Michigan...
. It was formerly named Tri City Airport or Freeland Tri-City Airport. The airport was renamed to MBS International Airport in 1994 (representative of its IATA airport code
IATA airport code
An IATA airport code, also known an IATA location identifier, IATA station code or simply a location identifier, is a three-letter code designating many airports around the world, defined by the International Air Transport Association...
) to prevent confusion with other airports named "Tri City Airport" across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The commercial airport is a special municipal body owned by Bay County
Bay County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the 2000 census, there were 110,157 people, 43,930 households, and 30,048 families residing in the county. The population density was 248 people per square mile . There were 46,423 housing units at an average density of 104 per square mile...
and the cities of Midland and Saginaw. The airport's name is an initialism formed from the names of these three communities and it is governed by a nine-member commission made up of three members from each of them.
Facilities
MBS International Airport covers 3,200 acres (13 km²) and has two runways:- Runway 5/23: 8,002 x 150 ft (2,439 x 46 m), Surface: Asphalt
- Runway 14/32: 6,400 x 150 ft (1,951 x 46 m), Surface: Asphalt
In 2009, the airport had 31,385 aircraft operations, down from 50,254 in 2006.
History
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, it was used to hold prisoners of war. Civilian control of the airport resumed in the mid 1940s.
The 1980s and 1990s saw a lot of growth at MBS. During this time, airline service expanded and many airlines began serving MBS.
- During the 1980s, Air CanadaAir CanadaAir Canada is the flag carrier and largest airline of Canada. The airline, founded in 1936, provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and cargo to 178 destinations worldwide. It is the world's tenth largest passenger airline by number of destinations, and the airline is a...
operated the Jetstream 31, linking MBS with Toronto, Canada. - American Eagle AirlinesAmerican Eagle AirlinesAmerican Eagle Airlines is a brand name used by American Eagle Airlines, Inc. , based in Fort Worth, Texas, and Executive Airlines based in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in the operation of passenger air service as regional affiliates of American Airlines. All three airlines are wholly owned subsidiaries...
operated Shorts 360Shorts 360The Short 360 is a commuter aircraft built by Short Brothers. The Short 360 seats up to 36-39 passengers and was introduced into service in 1981. It is a larger version of the Short 330.-Development:...
turboprop aircraft between MBS and Chicago, Illinois, as well as LansingLansing, MichiganLansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
, Grand RapidsGrand Rapids, MichiganGrand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
, KalamazooKalamazoo, MichiganThe area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...
, and Traverse CityTraverse City, MichiganTraverse City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Grand Traverse County, although a small portion extends into Leelanau County. It is the largest city in the 21-county Northern Michigan region. The population was 14,674 at the 2010 census, with 143,372 in the Traverse...
. American left MBS in the late 1980s. - Chicago Express Airlines, the now-defunct ATA AirlinesATA AirlinesATA Airlines, Inc., formerly known as American Trans Air, was an American low-cost scheduled service and charter airline based in Indianapolis, Indiana. ATA operated scheduled passenger flights throughout the US mainland and Hawaii, as well as military and commercial charter flights around the world...
carrier, served MBS in the early 1990s with daily service to Chicago Midway Airport using the Jetstream 31 turboprop aircraft. - ComairComairComair is a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines headquartered on the grounds of Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport in unincorporated Boone County, Kentucky, United States, west of Erlanger, and south of Cincinnati, Ohio...
(Delta ConnectionDelta ConnectionDelta Connection is the name under which a number of individually owned regional airlines and one wholly owned regional carrier operate short and medium haul routes in association with Delta Air Lines Inc...
) briefly linked MBS with Cincinnati, OhioCincinnati, OhioCincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, using Embraer EMB 120 BrasiliaEmbraer EMB 120 Brasilia-Accidents:*Brazilian Air Force on July 8, 1988 an Embraer EMB 120RT Brasília registration FAB-2001 crashed during and engine-out landing at São José dos Campos. Five of the 9 occupants died....
, a 30-seat turboprop. Comair left MBS and started service in FlintFlint, MichiganFlint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the...
, where they terminated service years later. - Continental AirlinesContinental AirlinesContinental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
provided mainline service in the 1980s to Cleveland, OhioCleveland, OhioCleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
. The airline used McDonnell Douglas DC-9McDonnell Douglas DC-9The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 is a twin-engine, single-aisle jet airliner. It was first manufactured in 1965 with its maiden flight later that year. The DC-9 was designed for frequent, short flights. The final DC-9 was delivered in October 1982.The DC-9 was followed in subsequent modified forms by...
and Boeing 737Boeing 737The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
aircraft on this route. Mainline service was downgraded to Continental ExpressContinental ExpressContinental Express is the operating brand name used by a number of independently owned regional airlines providing regional jet feeder service under agreement with Continental Airlines...
service in the late 1980s. Continental Express used Beechcraft 1900Beechcraft 1900The Beechcraft 1900 is a 19-passenger, pressurized twin-engine turboprop airplane manufactured by the Beechcraft Division of the Raytheon Company . It was designed, and is primarily used, as a regional airliner...
turboprop aircraft. Service to Flint and Chicago Midway also existed in 1992. The airline left MBS in the mid-1990s and returned in 2002. Service was dropped to Cleveland again in 2003. - Republic AirlinesRepublic Airlines (1979-1986)Republic Airlines was an airline formed on July 1, 1979 by the merger of North Central Airlines, Southern Airways, and Hughes Airwest. Its headquarters were located on the grounds of Minneapolis-St...
served MBS in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. The airline linked MBS with DetroitDetroit, MichiganDetroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
using the DC-9 aircraft. During this time, Republic Express provided turboprop service to Flint, Grand Rapids, and Traverse City. Republic stopped MBS service when they merged with Northwest AirlinesNorthwest AirlinesNorthwest Airlines, Inc. was a major United States airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines by a merger approved on October 29, 2008, making Delta the largest airline in the world...
in the 1980s, and in 2010, Northwest merged with Delta Air Lines. Delta still serves MBS today. - Skyway AirlinesSkyway AirlinesSkyway Airlines is an American ramp and aircraft ground handling services and catering company based in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. Until April 5, 2008, it operated as a regional airline under the business name Midwest Connect, feeding Midwest Airlines's hub at General Mitchell International Airport with...
(The Midwest Express Connection) served MBS in the 1990s with service to Milwaukee, WisconsinMilwaukee, WisconsinMilwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
, using the Beechcraft 1900Beechcraft 1900The Beechcraft 1900 is a 19-passenger, pressurized twin-engine turboprop airplane manufactured by the Beechcraft Division of the Raytheon Company . It was designed, and is primarily used, as a regional airliner...
turboprop aircraft. Skyway also tried service to Toronto, Flint, and Grand Rapids in the late 1990s. The airline pulled out in the late 1990s. - United AirlinesUnited AirlinesUnited Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
provided MBS with mainline service since commercial service was started. In the 1980s and 1990s, United linked MBS with Chicago using Boeing 737 and 727Boeing 727The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
aircraft. Service to Denver, ColoradoDenver, ColoradoThe City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, also existed in the 1980s. Mainline United left MBS in the late 1990s, and was replaced with United ExpressUnited ExpressUnited Express is a brand name under which eight regional airlines operate feeder flights for United Airlines. They primarily connect smaller cities with United's domestic hub airports and “focus cities,” although they offer some point-to-point service such as Sacramento to Eureka.As of Sept...
, which still serves MBS with service to Chicago's O'Hare International AirportO'Hare International AirportChicago O'Hare International Airport , also known as O'Hare Airport, O'Hare Field, Chicago Airport, Chicago International Airport, or simply O'Hare, is a major airport located in the northwestern-most corner of Chicago, Illinois, United States, northwest of the Chicago Loop...
using the 50 seat Bombardier Canadair Regional JetBombardier Canadair Regional JetThe Bombardier CRJ is a family of regional airliners manufactured by Bombardier:* CRJ100 - 50 seats* CRJ200 - 50 seats* CRJ700 - 70 seats* CRJ705 - 75 seats* CRJ900 - 90 seats* CRJ1000 - 100 seats...
(CRJ) aircraft. - US AirwaysUS AirwaysUS Airways, Inc. is a major airline based in the U.S. city of Tempe, Arizona. The airline is an operating unit of US Airways Group and is the sixth largest airline by traffic and eighth largest by market value in the country....
began service to MBS in 1996, operating Fokker 100 and Boeing 737 aircraft to Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
. Mainline service ended soon after, and US Airways ExpressUS Airways ExpressUS Airways Express is an airline brand name, rather than a fully certified airline, and as such, the US Airways Express name is used by several individually owned airlines or airline holding companies which provide regional airline and commuter service for US Airways.Operations are conducted from...
assumed the Pittsburgh flights using the Beech 1900 and Saab 340Saab 340The Saab 340 is a discontinued Swedish two-engine turboprop aircraft designed and initially produced by a partnership between Saab and Fairchild Aircraft in a 65:35 ratio...
aircraft. US Airways suspended service to MBS just two days after entering Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in late 2002. At the time it was the only city for US Airways to drop. Since then, US Airways has also left Flint, Lansing, Kalamazoo, and Grand Rapids, leaving Detroit as the only Michigan destination served by US Airways. - Air Force OneAir Force OneAir Force One is the official air traffic control call sign of any United States Air Force aircraft carrying the President of the United States. In common parlance the term refers to those Air Force aircraft whose primary mission is to transport the president; however, any U.S. Air Force aircraft...
landed at the airport two times during the 2004 United States Election for nearby rallies in support of George W. BushGeorge W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
(Air Force One also visited the airport in 1974 when then President Richard M. Nixon made a speech at the airport and arrived to give endorsement to James Sparling, a Congressional candidate).
Current operations
Once the third busiest airport in Michigan, MBS has fallen in air service and passenger numbers. One major reason for this is the low-cost competition at nearby Bishop International AirportBishop International Airport
Bishop International Airport is an airport located in the city of Flint, Michigan. The third busiest airport in Michigan, it surpassed competitor MBS International Airport in terms of airline operations in 2002. In 2007, 1,072,420 passengers used Bishop Airport, followed by a slight drop to...
in Flint
Flint, Michigan
Flint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the...
, which offers more flights to more destinations and often cheaper fares.
2006 enplanements were 200,150 boardings, a 6.33% drop from the previous year.
Air Wisconsin runs ground services for United Express.
Delta Air Lines merged with Northwest Airlines.
Until October 1, 2009 Mesaba Airlines ran ground services for Delta Connection.
Compass Airlines, Comair, and Mesaba Airlines ground handling merged into one service called Regional Elite Airline Services. Regional Elite is 100% owned by Delta Air Lines.
Regional Elite runs ground services for Delta and Delta Connection at MBS.
New Terminal
In early 2007, the Airport Commission announced it had approved plans for the construction of a new state-of-the-art passenger terminal. This new $48-million, 75000 sq ft (6,967.7 m²) project would begin sometime in 2011 and will take 18 months to complete. The new terminal will be built just north of the current terminal. Airport officials hope this will bring more airlines and more competition to MBS.Airlines
Accidents and incidents
- On 6 April 1958, Vickers ViscountVickers ViscountThe Vickers Viscount was a British medium-range turboprop airliner first flown in 1948 by Vickers-Armstrongs, making it the first such aircraft to enter service in the world...
N7437, operating Capital Airlines Flight 67Capital Airlines Flight 67Capital Airlines Flight 67 was domestic scheduled passenger flight operated by Capital Airlines that crashed on final approach to Freeland, Michigan, USA, during a severe snowstorm on April 6, 1958...
, stalled and crashed on approach. All 47 on board were killed. The cause was attributed to ice accretion on the horizontal stabilizer.
- On August 16, 1987, a Northwest AirlinesNorthwest AirlinesNorthwest Airlines, Inc. was a major United States airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines by a merger approved on October 29, 2008, making Delta the largest airline in the world...
MD-80, Northwest Airlines Flight 255Northwest Airlines Flight 255Northwest Airlines Flight 255 was a flight that originated at MBS International Airport in Saginaw, Michigan, and was scheduled to terminate at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, with intermediate stops at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Romulus, Michigan, near Detroit,...
, originated at MBS. After departing MBS, the flight dropped off and picked up passengers at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County AirportDetroit Metropolitan Wayne County AirportDetroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport , usually called Detroit Metro Airport, Metro Airport locally, or simply DTW, is a major international airport covering in Romulus, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. It is Michigan's busiest airport....
before crashing on takeoff en route to Phoenix, ArizonaPhoenix, ArizonaPhoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, killing 148 passengers and six crew members.