St. Louis Regional 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 km) east 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"...

 of Alton

Alton, Illinois

Alton is a city on the Mississippi River in Madison County, Illinois, United States, about north of St. Louis, Missouri. The population was 27,865 at the 2010 census. It is a part of the Metro-East region of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area in Southern Illinois...

, a city in Madison County

Madison County, Illinois

Madison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. Madison County is part of the Metro-East region of the St. Louis Metro Area. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 269,282, which is an increase of 4.0% from 258,941 in 2000. The county seat is Edwardsville, home to...

, Illinois

Illinois

Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

, United States

United States

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

. It is located in the village of Bethalto

Bethalto, Illinois

Bethalto is a village located in Madison County, Illinois, USA. Bethalto, like the rest of Madison County, is part of the Illinois Metro-East portion of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area...

, but its mailing address is in East Alton

East Alton, Illinois

East Alton is a village in Madison County, Illinois, United States. The population was 6,830 at the 2000 census.-Geography:East Alton is located at ....

.

Its operations are paid for by an airport taxation district that was created in 1946, which collects taxes from property owners in the Madison County townships of Alton

Alton Township, Madison County, Illinois

Alton Township is located in Madison County, Illinois. The population was 30,496 at the 2000 census.- External links :***...

, Wood River

Wood River Township, Madison County, Illinois

Wood River Township is located in Madison County, Illinois. The population was 33,410 at the 2000 census.- External links :***...

, Foster

Foster Township, Madison County, Illinois

Foster Township is located in Madison County, Illinois. The population was 4,172 at the 2000 census.- External links :***...

 and Fort Russell

Fort Russell Township, Madison County, Illinois

Fort Russell Township is located in Madison County, Illinois. The population was 7,710 at the 2000 census.- External links :***...

.
The St. Louis metropolitan area is also served by Lambert-St. Louis International Airport

Lambert-St. Louis International Airport

Lambert-St. Louis International Airport is a Class B international airport serving Greater St. Louis. It is located approximately northwest of downtown St. Louis in unincorporated St. Louis County between Berkeley and Bridgeton. It is the largest and busiest airport in the state with 250 daily...

 in St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...

; MidAmerica St. Louis Airport

Scott Air Force Base

Scott Air Force Base is a base of the United States Air Force in St. Clair County, Illinois, near Belleville.-Overview:The base is named after Corporal Frank S. Scott, the first enlisted person to be killed in an aviation crash...

 in Belleville, Illinois

Belleville, Illinois

Belleville is a city in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city has a population of 44,478. It is the eighth-most populated city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area and the most populated city south of Springfield in the state of Illinois. It is the county...

; St. Louis Downtown Airport

St. Louis Downtown Airport

St. Louis Downtown Airport is a public-use airport located in the St. Louis Metropolitan Area, one mile east of the central business district of Cahokia, in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. It is owned by the Bi-State Development Agency. The airport is located less than 3 miles from...

 in Cahokia, Illinois

Cahokia, Illinois

Cahokia is a village in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 16,391. The name is a reference to one of the clans of the historic Illini confederacy, who were encountered by early French explorers to the region.Early European settlers also...

; and Spirit of St. Louis Airport

Spirit of St. Louis Airport

Spirit of St. Louis Airport is a public airport located 17 miles west of the central business district of St. Louis, in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. It is owned by St. Louis County.- Facilities and aircraft :Spirit of St...

 in Chesterfield, Missouri

Chesterfield, Missouri

Chesterfield is a second-ring western suburb of St. Louis and is the largest city in west St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. As of the 2010 census the population is 47,484. Chesterfield also celebrated its 20th birthday in 2008.- Geography :...

.

History

The airport was formerly known as Civic Memorial Airport when it opened in 1946 and later received its current name in 1984.

In the spring of 2004, the airport was at the center of a scandal. At the time, its recently-retired manager Marion Richardson and other current and former employees were investigated for suspicion of misappropriation of airport property.

Facilities and aircraft

The 2250 acres (910.5 ha) airfield sits at 544 ft (166 m) MSL. It has an 8100 by 150 ft (2469 by 46 m) primary 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...

 that runs roughly east-west (11/29) and a 6500 by 100 ft (1981 by 30 m) crosswind runway that runs north-south (17/35). With an ILS

Instrument Landing System

An instrument landing system is a ground-based instrument approach system that provides precision guidance to an aircraft approaching and landing on a runway, using a combination of radio signals and, in many cases, high-intensity lighting arrays to enable a safe landing during instrument...

 instrument approach and tower-controlled class D airspace

Airspace

Airspace means the portion of the atmosphere controlled by a country above its territory, including its territorial waters or, more generally, any specific three-dimensional portion of the atmosphere....

, the facility can accommodate aircraft as large as a Boeing 747

Boeing 747

The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...

.

For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2006, the airport had 42,537 aircraft operations, an average of 116 per day: 93% 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...

, 4% air taxi

Air taxi

An air taxi is an air charter passenger or cargo aircraft which operates on an on-demand basis.-Regulation:In the United States, air taxi and air charter operations are governed by Part 135 of the Federal Aviation Regulations , unlike the larger scheduled air carriers which are governed by more...

, 3% military

Military aviation

Military aviation is the use of aircraft and other flying machines for the purposes of conducting or enabling warfare, including national airlift capacity to provide logistical supply to forces stationed in a theater or along a front. Air power includes the national means of conducting such...

 and <1% scheduled commercial

Airline

An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...

. At that time there were 102 aircraft based at this airport: 91% single-engine

Aircraft engine

An aircraft engine is the component of the propulsion system for an aircraft that generates mechanical power. Aircraft engines are almost always either lightweight piston engines or gas turbines...

, 6% multi-engine, 2% jet

Jet aircraft

A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...

 and 1% helicopter

Helicopter

A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...

.

West Star Aviation is the largest fixed base operations (FBO) company at the airport. In 2008, Premiere Air changed their name to West Star aviation and the company has remained since that time. The company provides a wide range of services from engine repair, interior and exterior paint services, avionics

Avionics

Avionics are electronic systems used on aircraft, artificial satellites and spacecraft.Avionic systems include communications, navigation, the display and management of multiple systems and the hundreds of systems that are fitted to aircraft to meet individual roles...

 installation and repair, refurbishing, aircraft part sales, and airframe

Airframe

The airframe of an aircraft is its mechanical structure. It is typically considered to include fuselage, wings and undercarriage and exclude the propulsion system...

inspections.

External links

• St. Louis Regional Airport, official web site