Chicago Rockford International Airport

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Chicago Rockford International Airport

IATA: RFD – ICAO: KRFD – FAA: RFD
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner Greater Rockford Airport Authority
Serves Rockford, Illinois
Elevation AMSL 742 ft / 226 m
Coordinates 42°11′43″N 089°05′50″W / 42.19528, -89.09722
Website www.FlyRFD.com
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
1/19 8,199 2,499 Asphalt
7/25 10,004 3,049 Asphalt/Concrete
Statistics (2006)
Aircraft operations 77,558
Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1]
Chicago Rockford Passenger Terminal
Chicago Rockford Passenger Terminal
Domestic destinations served fromChicago Rockford International Airport(As of June 6, 2008)
Domestic destinations served from
Chicago Rockford International Airport
(As of June 6, 2008)
FAA diagram of Chicago Rockford International Airport
FAA diagram of Chicago Rockford International Airport

Chicago Rockford International Airport or Greater Rockford Airport (IATA: RFD, ICAO: KRFD, FAA LID: RFD), is a general aviation and commercial airport in Winnebago County, Illinois, United States. It is located 68 miles (109 km) northwest of Chicago[1] and four miles (6 km) south of Rockford. The airport served over 215,000 passengers in 2007. [2]

Contents

[edit] History

RFD traces its history back to 1917, when Camp Grant — a U.S. Army Cavalry Camp was established during the First World War. During the events of the second World War, Camp Grant was made into a military training base and prisoner of war confinement center.

Following the war, the state of Illinois adopted the Airport Authority Act. The Greater Rockford Airport Authority was created in 1946. For more than forty years this airport was referred to as the Greater Rockford airport.

Being less than 90 miles (145 km) from downtown Chicago, the airport's name was changed to the Northwest Chicagoland Regional Airport in the early 2000s. In 2004 the airport became the Chicago/Rockford International Airport (the slash was removed in 2007[3]) when the airport gained an official US port of entry and achieved international status. The airport is marketed to residents of Rockford and surrounding areas as an alternative to Chicago Midway International Airport and O'Hare International Airport, as well as limited service airports such as the one at Dubuque, Iowa. The airlines at RFD also often use their low fares and free airport parking as a selling point as well.

Larry Morrissey, the mayor of Rockford, has pushed for high-speed rail to link the airport with O'Hare International.

[edit] Facilities and aircraft

Chicago Rockford International Airport covers an area of 2,900 acres (1,174 ha) which contains two runways, both with an Instrument Landing System: 1/19 measuring 8,199 x 150 ft. (2,499 x 46 m) and 7/25 measuring 10,004 x 150 ft. (3,049 x 46 m). For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2006, the airport had 77,558 aircraft operations, an average of 212 per day: 72% general aviation, 18% scheduled commercial, 6% air taxi and 3% military.[1]

[edit] Airlines and destinations

[edit] Passenger


RFD is also the company headquarters for Ryan International Airlines, staging many of its aircraft at the airport for charter hire.

[edit] Cargo

The airport is in a foreign-trade zone. With runway 7/25 being 10,000 feet long, virtually any commercial and cargo aircraft can land at RFD; the largest aircraft to land at RFD is the Antonov An-124 Ruslan.

RFD has two cargo aprons. The north cargo apron is home to the UPS facilities and is adjacent to the passenger terminal. The south cargo apron between the two runways is home to BAX Global and DHL cargo operations.

[edit] Rockford AirFest

The airport began hosting the Rockford AirFest in 2005. From 1986 to 1994, the Greater Rockford Airport (as it was known until 2003) hosted the Midwest AirFest which twice featured the Air Force Thunderbirds. They returned again in 2006, and the Navy Blue Angels were featured in 2007. The Thunderbirds will once again perform at the Rockford AirFest 2008 on June 6,7,and 8.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c FAA Airport Master Record for RFD (Form 5010 PDF), effective 2007-10-25
  2. ^ Rockford Area Economic Development Council | Helping Employers Retain and Create Quality Jobs
  3. ^ The Passenger Seat » Another airport name change (this time, it’s simple)

[edit] External links

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