MidAmerica St. Louis Airport
Encyclopedia
MidAmerica St. Louis Airport is an airport co-located on the grounds of Scott Air Force Base
. MidAmerica has operated as a Joint Use Airport since beginning operations in November 1997 and has not been served by any commercial airlines since Allegiant Air
pulled out of the airport on January 3, 2009.
, but has never had service from any major airline and has been criticized as a pork barrel
project. Featured several times as a "Fleecing of America" segment on the NBC Nightly News
, it was called a "Gateway to Nowhere" by Tom Brokaw
, costing taxpayers $313 million. Supporters credit MidAmerica's additional runway with saving Scott AFB from closure during BRAC 2005. They also describe MidAmerica as a "Gateway to the World", citing a new cargo terminal and customs facility designed to attract international cargo. As of January 2010, one air cargo company uses the airport to import flowers from Colombia, totalling one flight each week, although when it was originally constructed, FedEx seriously considered using it as a central hub for the midwest, but due to delays in its construction and governmental red tape, they ultimately decided on Memphis instead. Allegiant Air also offered flights to both McCarran Airport in Las Vegas
and Orlando Sanford International Airport
until 2009.
MidAmerica's construction has included creation of the 10000 feet (3,048 m) 14L/32R (east) runway, adding 1000 feet (304.8 m) to the existing west runway, adding passenger and cargo terminals on the east side of the facility and a 7000 feet (2,133.6 m) taxiway connecting the two runways. A new air traffic control tower staffed by Air Force personnel was also constructed midway between the two runways.
In CY2008, the dual-use facility was ranked 314 in the United States with 27,002 passenger enplanements. This placed it ninth in the state of Illinois. By comparison, Lambert-St. Louis International Airport was ranked 31 with over 6.74 million enplanements. Congestion at Lambert-St. Louis has not been a problem since American Airlines
reduced hub operations and a new billion-dollar runway opened. The civil operations are administered by St. Clair County, Illinois
, which also pays the maintenance costs for the east runway. Over half of all air operations at the facility utilize the eastern runway.
s:
Scott Air Force Base
Scott Air Force Base is a base of the United States Air Force in St. Clair County, Illinois, near Belleville.-Overview:The base is named after Corporal Frank S. Scott, the first enlisted person to be killed in an aviation crash...
. MidAmerica has operated as a Joint Use Airport since beginning operations in November 1997 and has not been served by any commercial airlines since Allegiant Air
Allegiant Air
Allegiant Air is an American low-cost airline owned by Allegiant Travel Co. that operates scheduled and charter flights. Allegiant Travel Company is a publicly traded company with 1,300 employees and one billion USD market capitalization...
pulled out of the airport on January 3, 2009.
History
MidAmerica St. Louis Airport was created to alleviate some crowding of Lambert-St. Louis International AirportLambert-St. Louis International Airport
Lambert-St. Louis International Airport is a Class B international airport serving Greater St. Louis. It is located approximately northwest of downtown St. Louis in unincorporated St. Louis County between Berkeley and Bridgeton. It is the largest and busiest airport in the state with 250 daily...
, but has never had service from any major airline and has been criticized as a pork barrel
Pork barrel
Pork barrel is a derogatory term referring to appropriation of government spending for localized projects secured solely or primarily to bring money to a representative's district...
project. Featured several times as a "Fleecing of America" segment on the NBC Nightly News
NBC Nightly News
NBC Nightly News is the flagship daily evening television news program for NBC News and broadcasts. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is located in the center...
, it was called a "Gateway to Nowhere" by Tom Brokaw
Tom Brokaw
Thomas John "Tom" Brokaw is an American television journalist and author best known as the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News from 1982 to 2004. He is the author of The Greatest Generation and other books and the recipient of numerous awards and honors...
, costing taxpayers $313 million. Supporters credit MidAmerica's additional runway with saving Scott AFB from closure during BRAC 2005. They also describe MidAmerica as a "Gateway to the World", citing a new cargo terminal and customs facility designed to attract international cargo. As of January 2010, one air cargo company uses the airport to import flowers from Colombia, totalling one flight each week, although when it was originally constructed, FedEx seriously considered using it as a central hub for the midwest, but due to delays in its construction and governmental red tape, they ultimately decided on Memphis instead. Allegiant Air also offered flights to both McCarran Airport in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
and Orlando Sanford International Airport
Orlando Sanford International Airport
Orlando-Sanford International Airport is a public commercial air service airport in Sanford, Florida, near Orlando. It was originally constructed as a military installation known as Naval Air Station Sanford that was in operation as a Master Jet Base for carrier-based attack and reconnaissance...
until 2009.
MidAmerica's construction has included creation of the 10000 feet (3,048 m) 14L/32R (east) runway, adding 1000 feet (304.8 m) to the existing west runway, adding passenger and cargo terminals on the east side of the facility and a 7000 feet (2,133.6 m) taxiway connecting the two runways. A new air traffic control tower staffed by Air Force personnel was also constructed midway between the two runways.
In CY2008, the dual-use facility was ranked 314 in the United States with 27,002 passenger enplanements. This placed it ninth in the state of Illinois. By comparison, Lambert-St. Louis International Airport was ranked 31 with over 6.74 million enplanements. Congestion at Lambert-St. Louis has not been a problem since American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
reduced hub operations and a new billion-dollar runway opened. The civil operations are administered by St. Clair County, Illinois
St. Clair County, Illinois
St. Clair County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. In 1970, the U.S. Census Bureau placed the mean center of U.S. population in St. Clair County. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 270,056, which is an increase of 5.5% from 256,082 in 2000. Its county seat is...
, which also pays the maintenance costs for the east runway. Over half of all air operations at the facility utilize the eastern runway.
Facilities
MidAmerica St. Louis Airport covers 7003 acres (2,834 ha) and has two runwayRunway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
s:
- Runway 14L/32R: 10,000 x 150 ft (3,048 x 46 m), Surface: ConcreteConcreteConcrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
, ILSInstrument Landing SystemAn instrument landing system is a ground-based instrument approach system that provides precision guidance to an aircraft approaching and landing on a runway, using a combination of radio signals and, in many cases, high-intensity lighting arrays to enable a safe landing during instrument...
equipped. - Runway 14R/32L: 8,001 x 150 ft (2,439 x 46 m), Surface: AsphaltAsphaltAsphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
/ConcreteConcreteConcrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
, ILSInstrument Landing SystemAn instrument landing system is a ground-based instrument approach system that provides precision guidance to an aircraft approaching and landing on a runway, using a combination of radio signals and, in many cases, high-intensity lighting arrays to enable a safe landing during instrument...
equipped.