Everything about Kalamazoo-battle Creek International Airport totally explained
Kalamazoo-Battle Creek International Airport is an
airport in
Kalamazoo, Michigan, near
Battle Creek, Michigan. It has a seven gate passenger terminal, and is serviced by five major
airlines.
The airport is serviced by an air traffic control tower and TRACON.
History
The plans for an airport in Kalamazoo began in 1925. In May of 1926, the City of Kalamazoo purchased 383 acres of land near Portage and Kilgore roads, and an airport opened. Shortly thereafter, the first regular air mail service started in July, 1928. In February 1929, the field was licensed as the first municipal airport in
Michigan. It was named Lindbergh Field in honor of famous aviator,
Charles Lindbergh.
The first airline service came to Kalamazoo in May, 1944. The airport was serviced by two commuter airlines,
Francis Airways, and
Northern Skyways. The two airlines provided serivce to other Michigan cities. This service lasted two years, and then ceased. Between the period of 1946 and 1955, many small airlines periodically served the Kalamazoo market with communter flights to nearby cities..
In May, 1955,
North Central Airlines began daily service from Kalamazoo to
Detroit, MI, and
Chicago, IL. North Central eventaully became Republic Airlines, which became Northwest Airlines which serves the airport to the present day. .
In 1961, an air traffic control tower was built, and the main runway was extended from 3,900' to 5,300'. In 1963, an instrument landing system was installed to help aircraft be able to use the longer runway in poor weather conditions. In 1977, the runway was further lengthened to 6,500'..
In 1975, the regional air traffic control facility was moved from Battle Creek to Kalamazoo, and in 1978, a radar facilty was installed. The airport eventually won an award for the most safe and most efficient air traffic control system in the great lakes region.
In 1982, the Core Council decided that the City of Kalamazoo should no longer bear the full cost of operating the airport, and in 1984, the City transferred ownership to the County of Kalamazoo. The County recognized the need to increase service at the Kalamazoo County Airport. The terminal was completely renovated in 1989, including a ramp expansion. This expansive project doubled the size of the terminal, and passenger traffic grew from 200,000 per year to over 500,000 per year by 1993. In 1989, the name was changed from Kalamazoo County Airport to Kalamazoo-Battle Creek International to stimulate economic growth in the Battle Creek area.
Today, the Kalamazoo-Battle Creek International Airport is served by five major airlines that fly thousands of passengers each day to major hubs with worldwide connections.
Major Jetport
In the 1970s, there were discussions between airline and local city officials about the construction of one major airport to serve both the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo markets. Since the two airports are extremely close, it wasn't economical for the airlines to fully serve both of the airports. North Central airlines proposed a "Major Jetport" in the Kalamazoo area, which had potential to be the third busiest commuter airport in the nation. No specific location could be agreed upon, and no planning was ever completed beyond the preliminary proposals and meetings. Soon after the concept failed, most airline service was shifted to Kalamazoo, as the Kalamazoo airport had higher passenger counts and more demand for flights.
Facilities
Currently, the airport has three runways.
- 17/35 (6,500'x 150')
- 05/23 (3436'x 100')
- 09/27 (2800'x 60')
In its early days, the airport had many different runway configurations. For example, present day taxiways delta and alpha were originally runways.
2007 Re-Phasing Plan
In 2007, the threshold of runway 17/35 was relocated 400' to the south, and taxiway B was closed north of taxiway C. South of runway 9/27, taxiway B was removed and reconstructed 100' west of its previous location.
Operations
General aviation
Kalamazoo Airport is used by transient and local private pilots flying for personal, business, or recreational purposes. Many local pilots have their aircraft based in the south tee hangar complex.
Kalamazoo is also home to
Pfizer, a major US drug manufacturer. Pfizer has an aviation unit on the airport, where business flights are handled multiple times daily.
General aviation aircraft are served by many fixed base operators (FBOs).
Kalamazoo is home to Duncan Aviation, a full service FBO. Maintenance is available through Kalamazoo Aircraft, and self serve fuel is available through Kalamazoo Pilots Association.
Flight Training
Flight training is currently offered only through Great Lakes Aviation Service.
The
Western Michigan University College of Aviation, founded in 1939, used the Kalamazoo-Battle Creek International Airport as a base for its
flight school until 1997. In the early 1990s, the flight school began to outgrow the facilities, and in 1997, the college moved to Battle Creek's
W. K. Kellogg Regional Airport, where all operations are presently housed. The WMU aviation unit at Kalamazoo has been used periodically by the college, but since May of 2006, it has ceased flight operations there.
In the 1970s, private flight training operations were restricted to two local FBOs- Kal Aero, and Lakala Aviation. The county government received many complaints about violations regarding unathorized lessons from private parties. Upon these reports, the county government added to the flight training ordinance that violators could be fined $500.00, or put in jail for 90 days if found guilty of offering flight lessons illegally. This restriction has since been lifted, and flight lessons can be offered by any party who wishes to do so.
Airlines and Destinations
The airport is serviced by five commercial airlines which offer service to 5 different destinations.
American Airlines (Gate 2)
Continental Airlines (Gate 5)
Delta Air Lines (Gate 2, 3)
Northwest Airlines (Detroit, Minneapolis/ St. Paul) (Gate 1)
United Airlines (Gate 4)
Competition
Kalamazoo is a strong competitor with larger, nearby airports, such as Grand Rapids Gerald R. Ford International Airport, and South Bend Regional Airport, who offer flights to the same destinations, but often at lower prices. Kalamazoo has received grants from the federal government under the Small Community Air Service Development Program to bring lower fares to Kalamazoo, and more flights. Delta's Atlanta flight was established with this funding, but Delta ceased to offer this flight as of December 8, 2007.
Terminal
The original Kalamazoo terminal was a small building made with scrap materials left over from other local projects. In 1958 a new terminal was constructed to replace the old terminal that housed passengers since the 1920’s. The consistent growth necessitated a terminal expansion in 1979 and the building increased from 12,000 to 30,000 square feet. The terminal was completely renovated in 1989, with the addition of a new concourse, an enlarged boarding area, and a new baggage claim area. A new terminal project was planned to be completed in the spring of 2007, but due to a lack of government funding which was originally expected, the project has been put on a long term hold. If in the future, a new terminal is constructed, it'll be much different from the original plan.
Currently, the Kalamazoo Airport has a 7 gate passenger terminal. The terminal also houses the air traffic control tower. Commissioned in 1969, the air traffic control tower is open from 6:00-23:00 local time. The airport has FAA Class "D" airspace with a terminal radar service area (TRSA), meaning it offers services such as clearance delivery, and approach and departure control. The Terminal Control Center (TRACON) facility wasn't established until 1975, and radar wasn't installed until 1978.
Recently, the current control tower has been deemed inadequate, and funding has been secured to construct a replacement.
Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum
Commonly referred to as the "Air Zoo", the museum offers many historic aircraft, simulators, restaurants, and one of the regions only 4-D theaters. The museum is comprised of two buildings, and is located on the south section of the field. It is an attraction for the public, and for pilots. The museum also has a fly in ramp, making it an attraction for many visiting pilots.
Incidents and accidents
Several accidents and incidents have occurred at Kalamazoo-Battle Creek International Airport. These incidents are responded to by the on site CFR team. On 4 April 2004, a Cessna 172 crashed. The airplane, operated by a university aviation training program, was blown off of the runway by high winds. No injuries were reported. On 26 June 1999, a Boeing 75PT crashed. The airplane ground looped while landing. On 28 May 1999, a Cessna 172 crashed. The aircraft overran the departure end of runway 27, and struck an airport boundary fence and an automobile on Portage Road, which runs perpendicular to the runway. On 19 April 1998, a Piper PA-28 Series Aircraft crashed. Witnesses reported seeing the airplane liftoff runway 5 past the runway 17/35 intersection located approximately 3108 feet from the approach end of runway 5. Runway 5 was 3,999 feet long at the time of the accident. Witnesses reported the airplane climbed to 250 to 300 feet when the airplane rolled left and went straight down. The airplane burst into flames and the cockpit and fuselage were consumed by fire. All passengers died. On 21 November 1983, a Republic Airlines DC-9 headed for Kalamazoo from Detroit was hijacked. The hijacker was overthrown.
Crime
In October of 1978, comedian and actor Tim Allen was arrested at the Kalamazoo-Battle Creek International Airport for attempting to sell 1.4 pounds of cocaine to a narcotics officer for $43,000. His testimony against his partner reduced his sentence and reportedly resulted in the arrest of 21 others. He served 28 months in the Sandstone, Minnesota Federal Correctional Institution.Further Information
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