Lea County Regional Airport , also known as Lea County-Hobbs Airport, is a public airport

Airport

An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...

 located four miles (6.4 km) west of the central business district

Central business district

A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...

 (CBD) of Hobbs

Hobbs, New Mexico

Hobbs is a city in Lea County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 28,657 at the 2000 census.Hobbs is the principal city of the Hobbs, New Mexico Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Lea County.-Geography:...

, a city in Lea County

Lea County, New Mexico

-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*75.0% White*4.1% Black*1.2% Native American*0.5% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*2.6% Two or more races*16.5% Other races*51.1% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...

, New Mexico

New Mexico

New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...

, USA

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The airport covers 898 acres (363 ha) and has four runway

Runway

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. It is mostly used for general aviation

General aviation

General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...

, but is also served by two commercial airlines.

Airlines and destinations

History

The current Lea County Regional Airport was originally called the Me-Tex Airport and opened as a commercially operated airport on July 23, 1937. In 1937 the Me-Tex Supply Company leased the land where the airport is located from the State of New Mexico. Oiled runways were installed and a hangar constructed.

In 1940, the City of Hobbs passed a bond issue for funds to purchase the airport and some adjoining acreage, with the intent of bringing regular airline service and airmail delivery to the City. Federal grants helped pay for improvements such as paved runways and taxiways and a terminal building for the renamed Hobbs Municipal Airport.

The first air mail arrived in Hobbs via Continental Airlines in May 1940 which also initiated air passenger service that same year.

Ownership of the airport was transferred from the City of Hobbs to Lea County on November 19, 1945

Continental Airlines continued service to the airport until 1963, when they were replaced by Trans-Texas Airlines. Supplemental service was provided by Bison Airlines from 1963 to 1964.