MidAmerica St. Louis Airport

MidAmerica St. Louis Airport
Scott Air Force Base

Summary
Airport type Public / Military
Owner St. Clair County & USAF
Serves Belleville, Illinois and St. Louis, Missouri
Elevation AMSL 459 ft / 140 m
Coordinates 38°32′43″N 089°50′07″W / 38.54528°N 89.83528°W / 38.54528; -89.83528Coordinates: 38°32′43″N 089°50′07″W / 38.54528°N 89.83528°W / 38.54528; -89.83528
Website www.FlyMidAmerica.com
Map
BLV
BLV

Location of airport in Illinois/United States

Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
14L/32R 10,000 3,048 Concrete
14R/32L 8,011 2,442 Asphalt/Concrete
Statistics (2010)
Aircraft operations 21,508
Based aircraft 35

MidAmerica St. Louis Airport (IATA: BLV, ICAO: KBLV, FAA LID: BLV) is a public use airport co-located on the grounds of Scott Air Force Base. It is located 14 nautical miles (16 mi, 26 km) east of the central business district of Belleville, in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States.[1]

The airport is the secondary domestic passenger airport for the St. Louis, Missouri metropolitan area. Lambert-St. Louis International Airport is the largest and main domestic and international airport for the region. MidAmerica has operated as a joint use airport since beginning operations in November 1997 and is currently served by Allegiant Air with direct flights to Orlando Sanford International Airport, McCarran International Airport, St. Pete–Clearwater International Airport, Punta Gorda Airport, Jacksonville International Airport, Destin–Fort Walton Beach Airport, and Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport.

Per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 32,589 passenger enplanements in 2015[2] (63,000 total passengers[3]). It was included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2017–2021, which categorized it as a primary commercial service airport based on enplanements (more than 10,000 per year).[4]

History

MidAmerica St. Louis Airport was created to alleviate crowding at St. Louis Lambert International Airport, but has been criticized as a pork barrel project.[5] Featured several times as a "Fleecing of America" segment on the NBC Nightly News, it was called a "Gateway to Nowhere" by Tom Brokaw, costing taxpayers $313 million.[6] Supporters credit MidAmerica's additional runway with saving Scott AFB from closure during BRAC 2005. They also describe MidAmerica as a "Gateway to the World", citing a new cargo terminal and customs facility designed to attract international cargo.[7] Congestion at Lambert Airport has not been a problem since American Airlines reduced hub operations by fifty percent in 2003 and a new billion-dollar runway opened in 2006.[8][9]

Passenger service has increased dramatically since Allegiant Airlines re-started service in 2012 with flights to eight destinations and further frequency increases in 2017.[10] Allegiant recently announced a ninth destination (Phoenix-Mesa) to begin in November 2017.

Passenger airlines

Four passenger airlines have started operations at MidAmerica. While the first three went out of business or closed operations at the airport,[11] Allegiant Airlines currently offers eight destinations (nine beginning in November 2017):

Passenger facilities

From the onset, the passenger terminal was planned as an expandable facility that would provide passenger accommodations for the initial opening of MidAmerica Airport and allow for easy expansion if needed. The passenger terminal is located in a 250-foot-wide by 700-foot long terminal building expansion envelope, bounded by a runway and parking lot. The initial build-out provides two upper level departure gates (both have jet bridges) with additional ground-level gates to serve smaller commuter aircraft.

Airline and destinations

The following airline offers scheduled passenger service:

AirlinesDestinationsReferences
Allegiant Air Fort Lauderdale, Fort Walton Beach, Jacksonville, Las Vegas, Orlando/Sanford, Phoenix/Mesa (begins November 17, 2017), Punta Gorda (FL), St. Petersburg/Clearwater
Seasonal: Myrtle Beach

Cargo airlines

Between late 2009 and August 2010, one air cargo company, LAN Cargo, used the airport to import flowers from Bogota, Colombia, totaling one flight each week until the county abruptly ended the flights.[15][16]

Both Boeing Defense, Space & Security and North Bay Produce currently have facilities on site. North Bay Produce primarily shipps blueberries from Michigan and Chile into the airport and using a completely refrigerated warehouse for packaging and distribution. Boeing uses the facility at MidAmerica for sub-assemblies for multiple military aircraft.[17][18]

Boeing and North Bay have recently constructed additions to their facilities at MidAmerica Airport.

Airlines Destinations References
AirNet Express Dallas-Addison
Flight Development Dallas-Addison

Cargo facilities

Runways

MidAmerica St. Louis Airport covers 7,003 acres (2,834 ha) and has two runways:

MidAmerica's construction has included creation of the 10,000-foot (3,000 m) 14L/32R (east) runway, adding 1,000 feet (300 m) to the existing west runway, adding passenger and cargo terminals on the east side of the facility and a 7,000-foot (2,100 m) taxiway connecting the two runways. A new air traffic control tower staffed by Air Force personnel was also constructed midway between the two runways.[19]

Maintenance and operations

The civil operations are administered by St. Clair County, Illinois, which also pays the maintenance costs for the east runway. Over half of all air operations at the facility utilize the eastern runway.[7]

Statistics

USDOT's most current data indicates 166,000 passengers used BLV between April 2016 and March 2017[3] and the airport was ranked 237th in the United States. USDOT's Calendar Year 2016 data indicated 80,000 enplanements (157,000 total passengers[3]), nearly triple the 2015 total. FAA's Calendar Year 2015 data indicated 32,589 enplanements[2] (63,000 total passengers[3]), nearly double the 2014 total. In calendar year 2014, the airport was ranked 363 in the United States with 16,328 passenger enplanements. This was a 20.57% increase over 2013.[20] In calendar year 2013, the dual-use facility was ranked 373 in the United States with 13,542 passenger enplanements. This placed it ninth in the state of Illinois.[21] By comparison, Lambert-St. Louis International Airport was ranked 31 in the United States with over 6.21 million enplanements.

For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2010, the airport had 21,508 aircraft operations, an average of 58 per day: 66% military, 34% general aviation, and <1% scheduled commercial. At that time there were 35 military aircraft based at this airport.[1]

Busiest domestic routes out of BLV (May 2016 – Apr 2017)[3]
Rank Airport Passengers Carrier
1 St. Petersburg, FL: PIE 21,130 Allegiant
2 Sanford, FL: SFB 19,730 Allegiant
3 Punta Gorda, FL: PGD 15,010 Allegiant
4 Las Vegas, NV: LAS 14,340 Allegiant
5 Destin, FL: VPS 13,050 Allegiant
6 Jacksonville, FL: JAX 3,970 Allegiant

Total Passengers (BLV)

Annual Domestic Passenger Traffic, 2005-Present[3]
Year Total Passengers % Change
2005 28,000 Steady
2006 49,550 Increase 76.96%
2007 51,370 Increase 3.67%
2008 47,030 Decrease 8.45%
2009 374 Decrease 99.20%
2010 274 Decrease 26.74%
2011 0 Decrease 100%
2012 3,830 Steady
2013 25,550 Increase 567.10%
2014 31,340 Increase 18.47%
2015 62,730 Increase 100.16%
2016 157,000 Increase 151.77%
2017 72,891 (Through May) Increase49.71%

Public transportation

Light rail

Shiloh-Scott St. Louis MetroLink rail station links Scott Air Force Base with direct trains to downtown St. Louis on MetroLink's Red Line. One-ride and all-day tickets can be purchased from vending machines on the platforms. MetroLink lines provide direct or indirect service to St. Louis, the Clayton area, and Illinois suburbs in St. Clair County.

MetroBus

Five MetroBus lines serve Scott Air Force Base via Shiloh–Scott (St. Louis MetroLink) station.

References

  1. 1 2 3 FAA Airport Master Record for BLV (Form 5010 PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. Effective April 5, 2012.
  2. 1 2 "Final Enplanements at All Commercial Service Airports (by Rank)" (PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. September 28, 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "RITA | BTS | Transtats". www.transtats.bts.gov. Retrieved 2017-06-27.
  4. ↑ "2017–2021 NPIAS Report". https://www.faa.gov/airports/planning_capacity/npias/reports/. Federal Aviation Administration. September 30, 2016. External link in |work= (help)
  5. ↑ Tom Brokaw. MidAmerica St. Louis Airport was featured several times on a "Fleecing of America" segment on the NBC evening news.January 5, 1998. May 27, 1999. August 16, 2000.
  6. ↑ Marson, Barrett (1998-01-05). "NBC 'Fleecing' Telecast Snipes At MidAmerica Airport". Belleville News-Democrat. Archived from the original on November 10, 2006. Retrieved 28 December 2009.
  7. 1 2 Imbs, Christine (March 2006). "Gateway to the World". St. Louis Commerce Magazine. Retrieved December 28, 2009.
  8. ↑ http://www.slfp.com/071603BIZp.htm
  9. ↑ http://www.stlrcga.org/x1820.xml
  10. ↑ Bustos, Joseph (November 29, 2016). "Allegiant Air to increase flights from MidAmerica this summer". Belleville News-Democrat. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
  11. ↑ http://www.bnd.com/2012/02/22/2068650/business-has-failed-to-take-off.html#storylink=misearch
  12. 1 2 "TransMeridian Airlines to Finish Year at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport". Belleville News Democrat, Distributed by the Associated Press. April 6, 2005.
  13. ↑ "Pan Am Will Stop Flying To MidAmerica". St Louis Post-Dispatch (MO). November 2, 2001.
  14. ↑ "Final airline departing MidAmerica airport". UPI.com. November 17, 2008.
  15. ↑ Louis, St. (October 3, 2011). "MidAmerica Airport's flower flights cost taxpayers millions".
  16. ↑ NBC Nightly News, January 12, 2009
  17. ↑ Lippmann;Proud, Rachel;Kelsey (February 7, 2011). "Boeing starts production at new Mascoutah, Ill. facility".
  18. ↑ Dittman, Megan (June 15, 2012). "North Bay Produce Comes to MidAmerica Airport".
  19. ↑ Grandone, Jim (February 2000). "Emerging Roles of Scott Air Force Base & MidAmerica". St. Louis Commerce Magazine. Retrieved 28 December 2009.
  20. ↑ "Enplanements at All Commercial Service Airports, 2014". Federal Aviation Administration. September 22, 2015.
  21. ↑ "Commercial Service Airports CY2013 Enplanements" (PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. December 17, 2013. Retrieved December 28, 2013.
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