Wikipedia

Kirksville Regional Airport

(Redirected from Kirksville Airport)
"IRK" redirects here. For other uses, see Irk (disambiguation).

Kirksville Regional Airport (IATA: IRK, ICAO: KIRK, FAA LID: IRK) is four miles south of Kirksville, Missouri, on the west side of U.S. Highway 63.[2] One airline provides scheduled passenger flights, subsidized by the Essential Air Service program.

Kirksville Regional Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerCity of Kirksville
ServesKirksville, Missouri, US
LocationPettis Township, near Millard
Elevation AMSL966 ft / 294 m
Coordinates40°05′36″N 092°32′42″W / 40.09333°N 92.54500°W / 40.09333; -92.54500
Websitewww.kirksvillecity.com/p/airport
Map
IRK is located in Missouri
IRK
IRK
IRK is located in the United States
IRK
IRK
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
18/36 6,005 1,830 Concrete
9/27 1,370 418 Turf
Statistics (2023)
Aircraft operations (year ending 4/30/2023)5,888
Based aircraft20

Contour Airlines is the current airline serving Kirksville, with 12 weekly flights to Chicago O'Hare International Airport using CRJ and Embraer 135 regional jets.[3] Contour began its Kirksville service on August 1, 2023, and offers either one or two round trips per day between Chicago and Kirksville.[4] Contour has interline agreements with American Airlines, United Airlines, and Alaska Airlines, which facilitate passenger bookings and connections on itineraries that include flights operated by those carriers.[5]

The airport reported 5,842 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2024,[6] an increase of 36% from 2023, when Federal Aviation Administration records show the airport had 4,281 enplanements.[7] The FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2025–2029 categorized it as a Regional facility with nonprimary commercial service. The commercial service category requires at least 2,500 enplanements per year.[8]

A groundbreaking ceremony was held in March 2025 to mark the start of construction of a new 6,500 square foot terminal at Kirksville, which will be nearly double the size of the current building. Completion of the project is planned for July 2026.[9]

Clarence Cannon Memorial Terminal at Kirksville Regional Airport.

History

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In 1924, Roy B. "Cap" Dodson started the first airport in the area, located on the north edge of Kirksville. However, an airfield at the present location of Kirksville Regional Airport wasn't created until 1930 when the federal government built a series of emergency landing strips across the nation.[10]

With America's entry into World War II, the Kirksville Municipal Airport, as it had been declared in the late 1930s, received a major upgrade from the Civilian Pilot Training Program and the U.S. Army Air Corps War Training Service.[10] In 1942 a paved all-weather landing strip, hangars, and small restaurant were built.[11]

On October 1, 1960, Ozark Air Lines began scheduled flights to Kirksville.[12] The initial Ozark route flew between Kansas City and Chicago with stops in Kirksville, Ottumwa, Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Moline, Illinois.[13] Later in the 1960s, Ozark switched Kirksville service from a Kansas City-Chicago route to a Des Moines-to-St. Louis one.[14]

Airport improvements came after a bond issue was approved by Kirksville voters in November of 1967. A new six-thousand foot concrete runway was built, as well as a new terminal building and improved hangar facilities. The longer runway was needed for the faster Fairchild FH-227B prop-jets that Ozark began using for its Kirksville flights, in place of Douglas DC-3's. With the airport improvements came a new name, Clarence Cannon Memorial Airport—chosen to honor long-time U.S. Congressman Clarence Cannon of Missouri who had done much to help secure air service and funding for the airport.[15]

Ozark flew its final route to Kirksville on April 23, 1976.[16] Fortunately a local pilot and dentist, Dr. Stephen Barber, had established a small commuter air service, Horizon Airways, in 1972. Horizon was able to help fill the void left by Ozark's departure, eventually expanding by 1976 to offer service to both Kansas City and St. Louis, and changing its name to Air Missouri.[17] [18][19]

From 1978 to 1987, Kirksville was served by Green Hills Aviation with commuter flights to St. Louis.[20][21]

From 1987 through 1989, Midcontinent Airlines flew to Kansas City as Braniff Express on behalf of Braniff (1983-1990).[22][23]

Kirksville went without commercial service during 1990 until Redwing Airways began commuter flights to Kansas City which continued until October 2001.[24]

From 2001 through 2006 Corporate Airlines, which later became RegionsAir, provided flights to St. Louis Lambert International Airport. The carrier first operated as Trans World Express on behalf of TWA,[25] then as American Connection on behalf of American Airlines.[26]

Air Midwest (operating as US Airways Express), a subsidiary of Mesa Air Group, provided flights to Kansas City International Airport from November 2006 through May 2008.[27][28]

Kirksville went without service until August 2008, when Air Choice One began scheduled flight operations twice daily, to and from St. Louis Lambert International Airport.[29]

In September, 2010 Cape Air replaced Air Choice One with service to St. Louis that continued until 2023, providing three daily round trips.[30][31] In October 2022, Cape Air notified Kirksville of its plans to terminate service. However, the airline was still required to continue their flights until the city selected a replacement.[32]

The Kirksville City Council approved a contract on February 6, 2023 with Contour Airlines, with 12 flights per week beginning in June 2023 to Chicago O'Hare International Airport using Embraer 135 regional jets. This is the first scheduled jet service to Kirksville.[33][34]

Scheduled operations are currently subsidized by the federal Essential Air Service program.

Facilities

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The airport covers 476 acres (193 ha) at an elevation of 966 feet (294 m). It has two runways: 18/36 is 6,005 by 100 feet (1,830 x 30 m) concrete; 9/27 is 1,370 by 100 feet (418 x 30 m) turf.[1] An instrument landing system (ILS) was installed for Runway 36 in 2007.[35]

In the year ending April 30, 2023 the airport had 5,888 aircraft operations, average 113 per week: 50% general aviation, 37% airline, 12% air taxi, and <1% military. 20 aircraft were then based at the airport: 17 single-engine, 2 multi-engine, and 1 jet.[1]

Airline and destination

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AirlinesDestinationsRefs.
Contour Airlines Chicago–O'Hare [36]

Incidents

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  • On October 19, 2004, Corporate Airlines Flight 5966 crashed on approach to Kirksville. Thirteen individuals died and two sustained injuries. The National Transportation Safety Board determined pilot error to be the cause of the accident.[37][38]
  • On May 12, 2005 a Midwest Airlines Boeing 717 en route from Kansas City to Washington, D.C., made an emergency landing at Kirksville Regional Airport after encountering icing and subsequent pilot induced loss of control.[39] To date it is the largest aircraft to have landed at Kirksville Airport.
  • On November 5, 2013 American business executive Robert Groh, President of Geo-Syntheics, LLC, and an instructor pilot were killed when their plane crashed on final approach to Kirksville Regional Airport. The plane, a Piper PA-32 Saratoga, went down in a rural area of Adair County approximately 2.5 miles northeast of the runway shortly after a radio check-in with airport personnel. At that time the pilot reported no difficulties. The plane was on a cross-country flight from Centennial Airport near Denver, Colorado to Waukesha, Wisconsin, the home city for Geo-Syntheics.[40]

The emergency landing strip at the Kirksville airport’s future site also played an indirect role in a 1935 crash that impacted U.S. aviation history. On May 6, 1935, TWA Flight 6, a Douglas DC-2, crashed near Barnesville, Mo., while trying to reach the emergency strip. The crash killed five of the 13 people on board, including U.S. Sen. Bronson M. Cutting of New Mexico. His death led Congress to examine the management of U.S. civil aviation under the Bureau of Air Commerce – a political battle that led to the establishment in 1938 of the Civil Aeronautics Authority, a predecessor of the FAA.[41]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c FAA Airport Form 5010 for IRK PDF. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective August 10, 2023.
  2. ^ City of Kirksville. "Airport". www.kirksvillecity.com. Retrieved 2025-03-28.
  3. ^ Bachman, Marty (February 12, 2023). "Kirksville City Council approves Contour Airlines as new Essential Air Service provider for Kirksville Airport". Kirksville Daily Express via website. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  4. ^ Todorovich, Nik and Garlock, John (2023-08-01). "Contour Airlines makes inaugural flight from Kirksville Regional". KTVO. Retrieved 2025-03-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ Department of Transportation (July 3, 2024). "Corporate Flight Management Inc. dba Contour Airlines (Proposal)". Regulations.gov. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
  6. ^ LaFountain, Jeffery (2025-03-04). "Airport Update memorandum". City of Kirksville. Retrieved 2025-03-18.
  7. ^ "Final CY23 All Enplanements at U.S. Airports by State" (PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. October 4, 2024.
  8. ^ "NPIAS, 2025-2029, Appendix A: List of NPIAS Airports, updated October 2024" (PDF, 2.03 MB). National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems. Federal Aviation Administration. September 30, 2024. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 September 2012.
  9. ^ McGee, Caelan (2025-03-04). "Kirksville Regional Airport set to break ground on new terminal". KTVO. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
  10. ^ a b City of Kirksville. "General Aviation". kirksvillecity.com. Retrieved 2025-03-21.
  11. ^ Burk, Samuel A., "Communication and Transportation," in A Book of Adair County History, Kirksville-Adair County Bicentennial Committee, 1976, pp. 281-83.
  12. ^ Burk, in Adair County History 1976, p. 282.
  13. ^ Burk, in Adair County History 1976, pp. 282-83
  14. ^ Burk, in Adair County History 1976, p. 283
  15. ^ Burk, in Adair County History 1976, pp. 282-83
  16. ^ Burk, in Adair County History 1976, p. 283
  17. ^ Burk, in Adair County History 1976, p. 283
  18. ^ 'Flying High!' by Tony Frost & Corey Pritchard, published in The Chariton Collector magazine Spring, 1987.
  19. ^ "Air Missouri". timetableimages.com. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
  20. ^ "Green Hills Aviation". www.timetableimages.com. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
  21. ^ "Green Hills Aviation history from Americas, USA". Airline History. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
  22. ^ "Braniff Express December 15, 1988". departedflights2.com. 2022-09-24. Retrieved 2025-03-28.
  23. ^ "Midcontinent Airlines/Braniff Express September 1, 1989". departedflights2.com. 2022-09-24. Retrieved 2025-03-28.
  24. ^ Department of Transportation (May 9, 1997). "97-5-9 Order Tentatively Selecting Carrier and Setting Final Rates". www.regulations.gov. Retrieved 2025-03-30.
  25. ^ Department of Transportation (October 27, 2000). "2000-10-33 Order Selecting Carrier and Setting Final Rate". www.regulations.gov. Retrieved 2025-03-30.
  26. ^ Department of Tranportation (January 16, 2003). "2003-1-13 Order Setting Interim Subsidy Rates". www.regulations.gov. Retrieved 2025-03-30.
  27. ^ "Kirksville/Kansas City Flights to Begin Nov. 5". newsletter.truman.edu. October 24, 2006. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
  28. ^ "Mesa Air Group grounds Air Midwest, citing fuel costs". www.bizjournals.com. May 15, 2008. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
  29. ^ "Air Choice One begins offering flights to St. Louis - Kirksville, MO …". archive.ph. 2011-07-13. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
  30. ^ Chierek, Kevin (2010-09-17). "New regional air provider takes flight". KTVO. Retrieved 2025-03-21.
  31. ^ "Kirksville Regional Airport-Cape Air schedule". City of Kirksville website. Archived from the original on May 11, 2012. Retrieved May 12, 2012.
  32. ^ McGee, Caelan (2022-10-27). "Cape Air terminates contract with City of Kirksville, intends to renegotiate". KTVO. Retrieved 2025-03-21.
  33. ^ Bachman, Marty (February 12, 2023). "Kirksville City Council approves Contour Airlines as new Essential Air Service provider for Kirksville Airport". Kirksville Daily Express via website. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  34. ^ McGee, Caelan (2023-02-17). "City council officially picks new air carrier to fly over Kirksville". KTVO. Retrieved 2025-03-10.
  35. ^ "City of Kirksville 2014 Comprehensive Plan" (PDF). City of Kirksville. March 1, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) p.39, Retrieved March 21, 2025.
  36. ^ "Contour Airlines August 2023 Chicago Network Expansion". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  37. ^ "Aircraft Accident Report: Collision with Trees and Crash Short of Runway, Corporate Airlines Flight 5966, British Aerospaaace BAE-J3201, N875JX, Kirksville, Missouri, October 19, 2004". National Transportation Safety Board. 2006-01-24.
  38. ^ "Poor Behavior, Fatigue Led to '04 Plane Crash". Washington Post. 2006-01-25.
  39. ^ Ranter, Harro. "Incident Boeing 717-200 N910ME, 12 May 2005". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 2021-11-24.
  40. ^ Hunsicker, Jason (6 November 2013). "Plane crash victims were business owner, flight instructor". Kirksville Daily Express. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  41. ^ Zinecker, Hagan (2024-05-05). "TWA Flight 6: A history-changing plane crash". KTVO. Retrieved 2025-03-25.

Other sources

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  • Essential Air Service documents (Docket DOT-OST-1997-2515) from the U.S. Department of Transportation:
    • Order 2005-6-14: re-selecting RegionsAir, Inc. d/b/a American Connection, formerly known as Corporate Airlines (RegionsAir), to provide subsidized essential air service (EAS) at each of the above communities for a new two-year period from June 1, 2005, through May 31, 2007
    • Order 2006-8-19: selecting Air Midwest, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Mesa Air Group, Inc., d/b/a US Airways Express (Air Midwest), to provide essential air service (EAS) at Kirksville, Missouri, at an annual subsidy rate of $627,100. This rate and carrier selection will become effective for the two-year period beginning when Air Midwest replaces RegionsAir, Inc. (formerly Corporate Airlines, Inc.), d/b/a American Connection (RegionsAir) at Kirksville.
    • Order 2008-5-2: selecting Multi-Aero, Inc. d/b/a Air Choice One to provide essential air service at Kirksville, Missouri with 11 nonstop stop round trips each week to St. Louis on 6 or 9-seat Twin Engine aircraft. Annual subsidy rate $806,169.
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