Springfield-Branson National Airport

Infobox Airport
name = Springfield-Branson National Airport


IATA = SGF
ICAO = KSGF
FAA = SGF
type = Public
owner = City of Springfield
operator =
city-served = Springfield / Branson, Missouri
location =
elevation-f = 1,268
elevation-m = 386
website = [http://www.sgf-branson-airport.com/ Springfield-Branson National Airport]
r1-number = 14/32
r1-length-f = 8,000
r1-length-m = 2,438
r1-surface = Asphalt/Concrete
r2-number = 2/20
r2-length-f = 7,000
r2-length-m = 2,134
r2-surface = Concrete
stat-year = 2006
stat1-header = Aircraft operations
stat1-data = 78,468
stat2-header = Based aircraft
stat2-data = 190
footnotes = Sources: FAAFAA-airport|ID=SGF|use=PU|own=PU|site=12138.*A, effective 2007-10-25] , airport website [http://www.flyspringfield.com/ Springfield-Branson National Airport] , official website, retrieved 2007-11-18]

Springfield-Branson National Airport Airport codes|SGF|KSGF|SGF, formerly Springfield-Greene County Airport, Springfield Municipal Airport and Springfield-Branson Regional Airport, is a public airport located five miles (8 km) northwest of the central business district of Springfield, a city in Greene County, Missouri, United States. It is owned by the City of Springfield.

History

The airport opened under the name of Springfield-Greene County Airport on July 2, 1945 following bond issues of $350,000 in 1942 and $150,000 in 1945 to build the airport. It replaced the Springfield Park and Airport on East Division Street (which now operates as Downtown Airport (Missouri)). Springfield Park was the former McCluer Flying Field which opened in 1925 and purchased by the city in 1928 and which had commercial service by American Airlines and Transcontinental and Western. The airlines discontinued service during the Great Depression. [ [http://www.sgf-branson-airport.com/history.htm - Airport history - flyspringfield.com] ]

The airport was shortly renamed Springfield Municipal Airport after the city and county disagreed on funding.

In 1946 American Airlines began first commercial service to the new airport.

In October 1964 a new terminal opened (paid for by a 1960 $600,000 bond issue).

In 1992 the airport was renamed Springfield-Branson Regional Airport capitalizing on the sudden rise of the Branson, Missouri tourist industry (the airport is northwest of Springfield and Branson is more than 50 miles southeast of the airport). In the same year the community of Lakeview, Missouri renamed itself Branson West, Missouri. The name changes prompted some locals to joke Springfield should change its name to "Branson North." [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=Wr7krhFAcNsC&pg=PA194&dq=%22Branson+North%22&sig=ACfU3U1rI7IifOJsz5gyHj95xSEhe8QIig#PPA257,M1 Insiders' Guide to Branson and the Ozark Mountains, 6th (Insiders' Guide Series) (Paperback) by Fred Pfister - 2006] ISBN 0762740426] ] Branson has no formal say in the running of the airport.

In May 2006 ground was broken for a new terminal and it was announced the airport would be renamed Springfield-Branson National Airport.

Competing Branson airports

The Branson area is scheduled to have two additional jetports by 2009.

In July 2007 ground was broken for a $155 million privately financed Branson Airport with a 7,140-foot runway and 58,000 square foot terminal is scheduled to open in May 2009. The City of Branson will pay $8.24 to Branson Airport LLC for each arriving visitor with an annual cap of $2 million. The airport is to be built on a ranch that once belonged to Tennessee Ernie Ford south of Branson on U.S. Highway 64. Plans also call for construction of an 8,000-seat arena and 15,000-seat amphitheater near the ranch. [ [http://www.cityofbranson.org/news/newspdfs/Airport%207-07.pdf City of Branson News Release - July 20, 2007] ] The construction is said to be the largest earth moving project in Missouri history. [ [http://articles.directorym.net/AT_BRANSON_UP_GOES_A_TERMINAL_Seattle_WA-r906317-Seattle_WA.html AT BRANSON, UP GOES A TERMINAL Seattle WA] ] The new airport is seeking commercial traffic.

Meanwhile Branson West hopes to open a $15 million airport with a 5,000 foot runway on the west side of the community to open in the fall of 2008 [http://www.bransoninvestmentproperty.com/xsites/Agents/DeveloperDirectRealty/content/uploadedFiles/BDN%20-%20Branson%20West%20Airport%20Could%20be%20Ready%20by%20Fall%20-%202-21-08.pdf] on 930 acres donated by Conco Companies of Springfield (200 acres), Kay Renfro (450 acres) and Martin Eastwood (200 acres). The City had initially proposed building the airport on the east side near Silver Dollar City but the plan was dropped due to protests. [http://www.mobuyers.com/pdf/SN-L%20-%20Branson%20West%20Growth%203-19-07.pdf] . The new airport currently has no plans for commercial traffic.

Incidents

*At 10:36pm March 20, 1955 American Airlines Flight 711 crashed more than a mile north of the airport. 11 of 32 passengers died along with the stewardess and copilot. The federal investigation blamed pilot error misjudging the altitude. It is the only commercial crash at the airport.

Facilities and aircraft

Springfield-Branson National Airport covers an area of 2,750 acres (1,113 ha) which contains two runways: 14/32 with an asphalt/concrete surface measuring 8,000 x 150 ft (2,438 x 46 m) and 2/20 with a 7,000 x 150 ft (2,134 x 46 m) concrete pavement.

For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2006, the airport had 78,468 aircraft operations, an average of 214 per day: 50% general aviation, 35% air taxi, 8% military and 6% scheduled commercial. There are 190 aircraft based at this airport: 71% single-engine, 20% multi-engine, 7% jet, 1% helicopter and 1% military.

Airlines and destinations

* Allegiant Air (Las Vegas, Orlando-Sanford, Phoenix/Mesa [begins October 22] , St. Petersburg/Clearwater)
* American Airlines
** AmericanConnection operated by Trans States Airlines (St. Louis)
** American Eagle (Chicago-O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, St. Louis)
* Delta Air Lines
** Delta Connection operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines (Atlanta)
** Delta Connection operated by Comair (Atlanta)
* Northwest Airlines (Memphis)
** Northwest Airlink operated by Pinnacle Airlines (Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis/St. Paul)
* United Airlines
** United Express operated by SkyWest Airlines (Chicago-O'Hare, Denver)

References

External links

* [http://www.sgf-branson-airport.com Springfield-Branson National Airport] - Official site
*WikiMapia|37.2457|-93.3886|13
*US-airport|SGF