: ''For the United States Air Force use of this facility, see
Duluth Air National Guard Base
Duluth Air National Guard Base is a United States Air National Guard base located on the grounds of Duluth International Airport. It is home to the 148th Fighter Wing.
History
The City of Duluth purchased the original property for the airport in ...
.''
Duluth International Airport is a city-owned public-use joint civil-military airport located five nautical miles (9 km) northwest of the central business district of
Duluth
, settlement_type = City
, nicknames = Twin Ports (with Superior), Zenith City
, motto =
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top: urban Duluth skyline; Minnesota ...
, a city in
Saint Louis County,
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, United States.
It serves the
Twin Ports
The Duluth MN-WI Metropolitan Area, commonly called the Twin Ports, is a small metropolitan area centered around the cities of Duluth, Minnesota and Superior, Wisconsin. The Twin Ports are located at the western part of Lake Superior (the weste ...
area, including
Superior, Wisconsin
, native_name_lang = oj
, nickname =
, total_type =
, motto =
, image_skyline = Tower Avenue.jpg
, imagesize =
, image_caption = Downtown Superior
, ima ...
. Mostly used for
general aviation
General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...
but also served by three airlines, it is Minnesota's third-busiest airport, behind
Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport (MSP) and
Rochester International Airport
Rochester International Airport is an international airport located seven miles (11 km) south of downtown Rochester in Olmsted County, Minnesota. It is the second-busiest airport in Minnesota. It used to be "Rochester Municipal Airport", ...
.
The
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the ter ...
's
148th Fighter Wing
The 148th Fighter Wing is a unit of the Minnesota Air National Guard located at Duluth Air National Guard Base, Minnesota. The 148th is equipped with the General Dynamics F-16C Fighting Falcon. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained ...
, equipped with
F-16C Fighting Falcons, is based at
Duluth Air National Guard Base
Duluth Air National Guard Base is a United States Air National Guard base located on the grounds of Duluth International Airport. It is home to the 148th Fighter Wing.
History
The City of Duluth purchased the original property for the airport in ...
, which is located on the grounds of the airport. Aircraft manufacturing company
Cirrus
Cirrus may refer to:
Science
*Cirrus (biology), any of various thin, thread-like structures on the body of an animal
*Cirrus (botany), a tendril
*Infrared cirrus, in astronomy, filamentary structures seen in infrared light
*Cirrus cloud, a type ...
is also based on the airport grounds, where it has its main manufacturing facility and headquarters.
History
The City of Duluth purchased the original property for the airport in 1929 from Saint Louis County. The airport was constructed on of land with two sod runways. In 1930, the airfield was dedicated as Williamson–Johnson Municipal Airport.
In 1940, Northwest Airlines began the first regularly scheduled air service to Duluth. Two years later, operations were temporarily halted by World War II.
In 1942, three runways were paved. Each runway was long, wide, and at nearly equal angles from each other, 30, 90, and 130 degrees. They were identified as runways 3–21, 9–27, and 13–31, respectively. The Corps of Engineers extended Runways 9–27 and 3–21 to in 1945. In 1951, the USAF extended Runway 9–27 to with a overrun and the control tower was built. Runway 9–27 was rebuilt in 1956 and extended in 1966 to in length.
The original terminal building was built in 1954, south of Runway 9–27 and west of Runway 3–21. The terminal floor area was with 280 parking spaces. It would serve the airport for nearly 20 years.
In 1961, the Duluth Airport Authority Board renamed the facility Duluth International Airport.
In 1973, a new Terminal Building and U.S. Customs, International Arrivals Building, were completed east of Runway 13–31 and opened for operation. Runway 13–31 was shortened to to accommodate construction of an addition to the International Arrivals building. This resulted in Runway 13–31 being closed as a runway due to obstructions. Runway 13–31 was re-striped in 1980, decreasing its width to , for use as a taxiway. In 1989, the newer terminal building and the adjacent structures were connected to form one enclosure. The original terminal building was then converted for use as offices for general aviation, the FAA, and the U.S. Weather Bureau. The 1973 terminal building had its last flight take place on January 13, 2013.
In 2013, a new passenger terminal was built directly in front of the 1973 terminal. This new building solved several problems of the previous terminal building, including that the tails of parked airplanes extended too close to the runway due to FAA airspace changes made after the building's completion. This terminal building has restrooms and concessions beyond the TSA security checkpoint, something the previous terminal lost when screening processes were put in place after 9/11. The first flight to leave the new terminal was on January 14: United Express Flight 5292 to Chicago O'Hare.
On October 30, 2015, the new terminal was named for the late U.S. Representative
Jim Oberstar
James Louis Oberstar (September 10, 1934 – May 3, 2014) was an American politician who served in the United States House of Representatives from 1975 to 2011. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party, he represented nor ...
, who represented the congressional district in which the airport lies from 1975 to 2011 and helped secure funding for the facility before its 2013 opening.
A 370-stall parking ramp with skywalk connection to the terminal was completed in fall 2014.
On May 23, 2019,
American Airlines
American Airlines is a major airlines of the United States, major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the world when measured ...
began twice-daily service to
Chicago O'Hare International Airport
Chicago O'Hare International Airport , sometimes referred to as, Chicago O'Hare, or simply O'Hare, is the main international airport serving Chicago, Illinois, located on the city's Northwest Side, approximately northwest of the Loop business ...
. American ceased operations into Duluth in April 2020, citing lackluster demand.
In 2020, the airport received a $5,246,844 federal grant via the
CARES Act
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES Act, is a $2.2trillion Stimulus (economics), economic stimulus bill passed by the 116th U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump on March 27, 2 ...
.
Facilities and aircraft
Duluth International Airport covers an area of at an elevation of 1,428 feet (435 m) above
mean sea level
There are several kinds of mean in mathematics
Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. ...
. It has two
runway
According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and takeoff of aircraft". Runways may be a man-made surface (often asphalt concrete, as ...
s: 9/27 is with a concrete surface and 3/21 is with an
asphalt
Asphalt, also known as bitumen (, ), is a sticky, black, highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. It may be found in natural deposits or may be a refined product, and is classed as a pitch. Before the 20th century, the term a ...
surface.
For the year ending December 31, 2017, the airport had 64,053 aircraft operations, an average of 175 per day: 79%
general aviation
General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...
, 7%
military
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
, 13%
air taxi
An air taxi is a small commercial aircraft that makes short flights on demand.
In 2001 air taxi operations were promoted in the United States by a NASA and aerospace industry study on the potential Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) an ...
and 2%
scheduled commercial. In October 2018, there were 88 aircraft based at this airport: 49 single-engine, 10 multi-engine, 4 jet, 4
helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...
and 21
military
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
.
Airlines and destinations
Ground transportation
The
Duluth Transit Authority
The Duluth Transit Authority (DTA) is the transit agency that provides mass transit service — currently, only buses — in the city of Duluth, Minnesota, United States. The agency also serves nearby Proctor, Minnesota, and Superior, Wiscons ...
operates two bus routes from the airport, including Route 8 on weekdays and Route 5 on weekends.
Statistics
Top destinations
Accidents
*On May 31, 1954, a
USAF
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sign ...
Douglas C-47
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota (RAF, RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF, and SAAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in f ...
crashed in a gravel pit in heavy fog at then Duluth-Williamson-Johnson Municipal Airport. Seven of the 14 occupants on board were killed.
See also
*
Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame
Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame, Inc. is a nonprofit corporation, recognized by the State of Minnesota as a means of honoring aviation pioneers (both living and deceased) within the state.
The Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame collects and maintain ...
*
List of airports in Minnesota
This is a list of airports in the U.S. state of Minnesota, grouped by type and sorted by location. It contains all public-use and military airports in the state. Some private-use and former airports may be included where notable, such as airports t ...
*
Duluth Transit Authority
The Duluth Transit Authority (DTA) is the transit agency that provides mass transit service — currently, only buses — in the city of Duluth, Minnesota, United States. The agency also serves nearby Proctor, Minnesota, and Superior, Wiscons ...
*
Duluth Union Depot
*
Duluth Transportation Center
*
Northern Lights Express
The ''Northern Lights Express'' (''NLX'') is a planned higher-speed rail service that would run between Minneapolis and Duluth primarily in the U.S. state of Minnesota. A portion of the proposed line would run through neighboring Wisconsin to ser ...
References
External links
Duluth International Airportofficial website
Aerial image as of 10 May 1991from
USGS
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, a ...
''
The National Map
''The National Map'' is a collaborative effort of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and other federal, state, and local agencies to improve and deliver topographic information for the United States. The purpose of the effort is to prov ...
''
* at
Minnesota DOT
The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT, ) oversees transportation by all modes including land, water, air, rail, walking and bicycling in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The cabinet-level agency is responsible for maintaining the state ...
Airport Directory
*
*
{{Airports in Minnesota
Airports in Minnesota
Transportation in Duluth, Minnesota
Buildings and structures in Duluth, Minnesota
Airports established in 1930
1930 establishments in Minnesota
Duluth, Minnesota