Williamson County Regional Airport
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Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois , also known as Williamson County Regional Airport, is five miles west of
Marion Marion may refer to: People *Marion (given name) *Marion (surname) *Marion Silva Fernandes, Brazilian footballer known simply as "Marion" *Marion (singer), Filipino singer-songwriter and pianist Marion Aunor (born 1992) Places Antarctica * Mario ...
, in Williamson County,
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...
, United States. The airport is owned by the Williamson County Airport Authority. It sees one airline, subsidized by the federal government's
Essential Air Service Essential Air Service (EAS) is a U.S. government program enacted to guarantee that small communities in the United States, which had been served by certificated airlines prior to deregulation in 1978, maintained commercial service. Its aim is t ...
program at an annual cost of $2,562,819 or $141 per passenger. On November 11, 2016 during the grand opening ceremony for the new terminal, the airport was renamed to "Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois" to honor veterans and better reflect the regional nature of the airport.
Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic ...
records say the airport had 3,631 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2008; 3,399 in 2009; and 8,047 in 2010. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a ''non-primary commercial service'' airport (between 2,500 and 10,000 enplanements per year). It is the tenth busiest of the 12 commercial airports in Illinois.


Facilities

The airport covers 1,300 acres (526 ha) at an elevation of 472 feet (144 m). 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, concre ...
s: 2/20 is 8,002 by 150 feet (2,439 x 46 m)
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 ...
; 11/29 is 4,997 by 100 feet (1,523 x 30 m) asphalt/concrete. In 2019 the airport had 20,745 aircraft operations, average 56 per day: 60%
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 ...
, 37%
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) ...
, 3% military, and .2% Air Carrier. It has one
fixed-base operator A fixed-base operator (FBO) is an organization granted the right by an airport to operate at the airport and provide aeronautical services such as fueling, hangaring, tie-down and parking, aircraft rental, aircraft maintenance, flight instruction, ...
, Midwest Aviation, which is located at the base of the control Tower. Midwest Aviation has one rental aircraft, a
Cessna 172 The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is an American four-seat, single-engine, high wing, fixed-wing aircraft made by the Cessna Aircraft Company.G1000 The Garmin G1000 is an electronic flight instrument system (EFIS) typically composed of two display units, one serving as a primary flight display, and one as a multi-function display. Manufactured by Garmin Aviation, it serves as a replacem ...
(N824MC). Midwest also has one crew car and also offers aircraft
hangar A hangar is a building or structure designed to hold aircraft or spacecraft. Hangars are built of metal, wood, or concrete. The word ''hangar'' comes from Middle French ''hanghart'' ("enclosure near a house"), of Germanic origin, from Frankish ...
space, aircraft washing, and fueling for both
100LL Avgas (aviation gasoline, also known as aviation spirit in the UK) is an aviation fuel used in aircraft with spark-ignited internal combustion engines. ''Avgas'' is distinguished from conventional gasoline (petrol) used in motor vehicles, ...
and
Jet-A Jet fuel or aviation turbine fuel (ATF, also abbreviated avtur) is a type of aviation fuel designed for use in aircraft powered by gas-turbine engines. It is colorless to straw-colored in appearance. The most commonly used fuels for commercial av ...
.


Airline and destinations

As of July 2022, scheduled passenger service is provided by Cape Air. Flights continue on to St. Louis, Missouri and Nashville, Tennessee. On November 6, 2006,
Mesa Airlines Mesa Airlines, Inc., is an American regional airline based in Phoenix, Arizona. It is an FAA Part 121–certificated air carrier operating under air carrier certificate number MASA036A issued on June 29, 1979. It is a subsidiary of Mesa Air ...
announced that in February 2007 subsidiary Air Midwest would begin flying to
Decatur Airport Decatur Airport is a public airport five miles east of Decatur, in Macon County, Illinois, United States. The airport is owned by the Decatur Park District. Airline service is subsidized by the federal government's Essential Air Service progra ...
and on to
Chicago Midway International Airport Chicago Midway International Airport , typically referred to as Midway Airport, Chicago Midway, or simply Midway, is a major commercial airport on the Southwest side of Chicago, Illinois, located approximately 12 miles (19 km) from the Lo ...
. Mesa announced service from Marion would end on November 9, 2007. On October 23, 2007,
Allegiant Air Allegiant Air (usually shortened to Allegiant) is an ultra low-cost U.S. carrier that operates scheduled and charter flights. It is a major air carrier, the fourteenth-largest commercial airline in North America. Allegiant was founded in 1 ...
announced service to McCarran International Airport in
Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...
. Service was to start on February 1, 2008 and be 2x weekly; however, Allegiant dropped the plan on November 9, 2007, citing high fuel prices. As of late 2022, Cape Air is the current flight provider at the airport. In November 2022, the airline requested to terminate its contract at the airport, citing rising costs that are causing it to lose money at the airport even with federal subsidies. Round-trip flights are continuing while the contract is up for debate.
Essential Air Service Essential Air Service (EAS) is a U.S. government program enacted to guarantee that small communities in the United States, which had been served by certificated airlines prior to deregulation in 1978, maintained commercial service. Its aim is t ...
was previously on
Great Lakes Airlines Great Lakes Airlines was an American regional airline operating domestic scheduled and charter services. Corporate headquarters were in Cheyenne, Wyoming, with a hub at Denver International Airport. As of November 2013, Great Lakes Airlines ...
. Ozark DC-3s started landing in 1955; their DC-9 flights ended in early 1982.


Accidents & Incidents

* On July 23, 1973, Ozark Air Lines Flight 809 between
Nashville International Airport Nashville International Airport is a public/military airport in the southeastern section of Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Established in 1937, its original name was Berry Field, from which its ICAO and IATA identifiers are derived. The ...
and
Lambert-St. Louis International Airport St. Louis Lambert International Airport is the primary commercial airport serving metropolitan St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Commonly referred to as Lambert Field or simply Lambert, it is the largest and busiest airport in the state of ...
had stops in
Clarksville, Tennessee Clarksville is the county seat of Montgomery County, Tennessee, United States. It is the fifth-largest city in the state behind Nashville, Memphis, Tennessee, Memphis, Knoxville, and Chattanooga. The city had a population of 166,722 as of the 202 ...
,
Paducah, Kentucky Paducah ( ) is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky. The largest city in the Jackson Purchase region, it is located at the confluence of the Tennessee and the Ohio rivers, halfway between St. Louis, Miss ...
,
Cape Girardeau, Missouri Cape Girardeau ( , french: Cap-Girardeau ; colloquially referred to as "Cape") is a city in Cape Girardeau and Scott Counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. At the 2020 census, the population was 39,540. The city is one of two principal citi ...
and Marion-Williamson County Airport before arriving in St. Louis in the midst of a tornado warning. The plane crashed on the campus of the
University of Missouri - St. Louis A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
, killing 38 of the 44 aboard. * On December 21, 1978, TWA Flight 541 from
Louisville International Airport Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport , formerly known as simply Louisville International Airport, is a civil-military airport in Louisville in Jefferson County, Kentucky. The airport covers and has three runways. Its IATA airport cod ...
to Kansas City International Airport was hijacked by 17-year-old Robin Oswald to Williamson in attempt to secure the release of
Garrett Brock Trapnell Garrett Brock Trapnell (January 31, 1938 – September 7, 1993) was a con man, bank robber, and aircraft hijacker of the 1960s and early 1970s. Trapnell robbed a string of banks in Canada, frequently posed as an agent of the Central Intellig ...
, who was serving time at
United States Penitentiary, Marion The United States Penitentiary, Marion (USP Marion) is a large medium-security United States federal prison for male and female inmates in Southern Precinct, unincorporated Williamson County, Illinois. It is operated by the Federal Bureau of P ...
for the January 28, 1972 hijacking of TWA Flight 2 from Los Angeles to New York. Oswald's mother, Barbara Oswald, was killed May 24, 1978, after hijacking a helicopter in an attempt to rescue him (and Martin J. McNally who was serving time for the June 23, 1972 hijacking of a St. Louis-Tulsa American Airlines flight). Oswald surrendered after ten hours at the Williamson airport.


References


Other sources

* Essential Air Service documents
Docket OST-2000-7881
from the
U.S. Department of Transportation The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT or DOT) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It is headed by the secretary of transportation, who reports directly to the President of the United States and ...
: *
Order 2005-6-14
reselecting RegionsAir, Inc. d/b/a American Connection, formerly known as Corporate Airlines, to provide subsidized essential air service (EAS) at each of the above communities (Burlington, IA; Cape Girardeau, MO; Ft. Leonard Wood, MO; Jackson, TN; Marion/Herrin, IL; Owensboro, KY; Kirksville, MO) for a new two-year period from June 1, 2005, through May 31, 2007, for a combined annual subsidy of $7,306,249. Also by this order, the Department is terminating the show-cause proceeding tentatively terminating subsidy at Kirksville, Missouri, as RegionsAir's selected proposal is below the $200-per-passenger cap. *
Order 2007-3-5
selecting Big Sky Transportation Co., d/b/a Big Sky Airlines, and Great Lakes Aviation, Ltd. to provide subsidized essential air service (EAS) at the above communities (Burlington, IA; Cape Girardeau, MO; Fort Leonard Wood, MO; Jackson, TN; Marion/Herrin, IL, Owensboro, KY) for the two-year period from June 1, 2007, through May 31, 2009, using 19-seat Beech 1900D turboprop aircraft as follows: Big Sky at Cape Girardeau, Jackson, and Owensboro for a combined annual subsidy of $3,247,440; and Great Lakes at Burlington, Fort Leonard Wood, and Marion/Herrin for a combined annual subsidy of $2,590,461. *
Order 2009-10-13
selecting Hyannis Air Service, Inc. d/b/a Cape Air, to provide subsidized essential air service (EAS) at Marion/Herrin, Quincy, and Cape Girardeau, for a two-year period beginning when Cape Air inaugurates full EAS at each of the three communities and ending at the close of the 24th month thereafter, at a combined annual subsidy rate of $5,469,768 ($2,053,783 for Marion/Herrin, $1,946,270 for Quincy, and $1,469,715 for Cape Girardeau). The Department is selecting Multi-Aero, Inc. d/b/a Air Choice One to provide subsidized EAS at Decatur, Illinois, and Burlington, Iowa, for a two-year period beginning when it inaugurates full EAS and ending at the close of the 24th month thereafter, at a combined annual subsidy of $5,253,644 ($3,082,403 for Decatur and $2,171,241 for Burlington). The Department is selecting Great Lakes Aviation, Ltd. (Great Lakes) to provide subsidized EAS at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, for the two-year period from November 1, 2009, through October 31, 2011, at an annual subsidy of $1,292,906. *
Order 2011-4-12
re-selecting Hyannis Air Service, Inc. d/b/a Cape Air, to provide essential air service (EAS) at Marion/Herrin, Illinois (Marion) and Quincy, Illinois/Hannibal, Missouri (Quincy), and Cape Girardeau/Sikeston, Missouri (Cape Girardeau), for the four-year period from December 1, 2011, through November 30, 2015, for a combined annual subsidy rate of $5,689,438 ($2,104,616 for Marion, $1,956,856 for Quincy, and $1,627,966 for Cape Girardeau). Marion and Quincy will receive 36 weekly round trips and Cape Girardeau will receive 24 weekly round trips. All service will operate nonstop to/from Lambert-St. Louis International Airport (St. Louis) using eight- or nine-passenger Cessna 402 aircraft.


External links


Williamson County Regional Airport
official website
Aeroflite
the
fixed-base operator A fixed-base operator (FBO) is an organization granted the right by an airport to operate at the airport and provide aeronautical services such as fueling, hangaring, tie-down and parking, aircraft rental, aircraft maintenance, flight instruction, ...
(FBO) * *
{{authority control Airports in Illinois Essential Air Service Buildings and structures in Williamson County, Illinois