Clinton National Airport

Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport
Adams Field
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner City of Little Rock
Operator Little Rock Municipal Airport Commission
Serves Little Rock
Opened June 19, 1931 (1931-06-19)[1]
Elevation AMSL 266 ft / 81 m
Coordinates 34°43′50.8″N 92°13′10.1″W / 34.730778°N 92.219472°W / 34.730778; -92.219472Coordinates: 34°43′50.8″N 92°13′10.1″W / 34.730778°N 92.219472°W / 34.730778; -92.219472
Website clintonairport.com
Map
LIT
Location within Arkansas
LIT
LIT (the US)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
4L/22R 8,273 2,522 Concrete
4R/22L 8,251 2,515 Concrete
18/36 6,224 1,897 Concrete
Helipads
Number Length Surface
ft m
H1 50 15 Concrete
Statistics
Aircraft operations (2017) 95,891
Based aircraft (2017) 142
Total Passengers Served (12 months ending Jun 2017) 1,917,000
Sources: FAA,[2] Airport website[3]

Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport (IATA: LIT, ICAO: KLIT, FAA LID: LIT), also known as Clinton National Airport, Adams Field, or simply Little Rock Airport, is a public airport located on the east side of Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S.[2][4] It is operated by the Little Rock Municipal Airport Commission.[5][6]

The largest commercial airport in Arkansas, it served more than 2.1 million passengers in the year spanning from March 2009 through to February 2010.[7] While Clinton National Airport does not have direct international passenger flights, more than 50 flights arrive or depart at Little Rock each day, with nonstop service to 14 cities.[8]

The airport is included in the FAA National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2017–2021, in which it is categorized as a small-hub primary commercial service facility.[9] Per FAA records, the airport had 1,181,846 passenger boardings (enplanements) in CY 2008,[10] 1,108,603 in 2009 and 1,097,403 in 2010.[11]

History

The airport was originally named "Adams Field" after Captain George Geyer Adams, 154th Observation Squadron, Arkansas National Guard, who was killed in the line of duty on September 4, 1937.[4] He was a strong advocate for the airport, and also a Little Rock city councilor. American Airlines was the first airline to serve Little Rock when it first landed at Adams Field in June 19, 1931.[1] During World War II the airfield was used by the United States Army Air Forces Third Air Force for antisubmarine patrols and training. In 1972 the airport opened its current 12-gate terminal.[4] On June 1, 1999 American Airlines Flight 1420 crashed upon landing at Little Rock National Airport on a flight from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, killing the captain and 10 passengers.[12]

In August 2008, the airport approved a plan to renovate the terminal over a 15-year period. The plan would expand the terminal from 12 to 16 gates.[13] On March 20, 2012, the municipal airport commission voted to rename the airport the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport, after former United States President Bill Clinton and his wife, United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.[14][15] The name Adams Field will continue to be used when referring to the airport's runways and air traffic and will be the airport's official designator. In October 2013, Travel + Leisure released a survey of travelers that ranked Clinton National Airport as the worst of the 67 domestic airports considered in the survey. The survey report cited long lines and few food and shopping choices, among other criticisms.[16][17] A survey commissioned by the airport contradicted Travel + Leisure's claim finding that more than 90 percent of passengers were satisfied with their experience.[18]

Facilities and aircraft

The airport, from an approach road
Welcoming sign at terminal

Clinton National Airport covers 2,000 acres (809 ha) at an elevation of 266 feet (81 m) above mean sea level. It has three concrete runways: 4L/22R is 8,273 by 150 feet (2,522 x 46 m); 4R/22L is 8,251 by 150 feet (2,515 x 46 m); 18/36 is 6,224 by 150 feet (1,897 x 46 m). It has one concrete helipad 50 by 50 feet (15 x 15 m).[2]

In the year ending February 28, 2015, the airport had 95,891 aircraft operations, an average of 263 per day: 42% general aviation, 21% scheduled commercial, 6% military, and 16% air taxi. The military operations are mostly C-130 transports from nearby Little Rock Air Force Base practicing touch-and-go landings. In September 2017, 142 aircraft were based at this airport: 53 single-engine, 26 multi-engine, 48 jet, and 5 helicopter.[2]

Dassault Aircraft Services (DAS), a subsidiary of Dassault Aviation, operates a large facility at the airport. It is the site of two Falcon aircraft operations: the main Completion Center for all Falcon jets worldwide, and the company-owned Service Center. Current production model Falcons are manufactured in France, then flown in "green" condition to the Completion Center where optional avionics and custom interiors are installed, and exteriors are painted. Dassault Aircraft Services (DAS) – Little Rock provides inspection, maintenance, modification, completion and repair needs for the Falcon product line. The Dassault Aircraft Services (DAS) – Little Rock Service Center and Completion Center combined occupy total nearly 1,000,000 square feet (93,000 m2), making Little Rock the largest Dassault facility in the world.

Terminal

The single terminal has 12 gates. Six gates are along the length of the terminal (three on either side) and a rotunda at the end has six more.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

AirlinesDestinations
Allegiant Air Orlando/Sanford
Seasonal: Los Angeles
American Eagle Charlotte, Chicago–O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Washington–National[19]
Delta Air Lines Atlanta
Delta Connection Atlanta
Seasonal: Detroit
Frontier Airlines Denver
Seasonal: Orlando (begins November 16, 2018)
Southwest Airlines Dallas–Love, Las Vegas, St. Louis
Seasonal: Phoenix–Sky Harbor
United Express Chicago–O'Hare, Denver, Houston–Intercontinental
ViaAir Austin

Cargo

Airline Destinations
UPS Airlines Louisville, Lubbock, Oklahoma City, Ontario, Shreveport

Other cargo services

Statistics

Passengers

Statistics for Clinton National Airport (LIT)
YearTotal Passengers (enplane and deplane)
2005 2,535,416
2006 2,543,091

Increase0.18%

2007 2,526,129

Decrease0.67%

2008 2,387,964

Decrease5.47%

2009 2,264,305

Decrease5.18%

2010 2,244,785

Decrease0.86%

2011 2,204,955

Decrease1.77%

2012 2,292,962

Increase3.99%

2013 2,167,430

Decrease5.47%

2014 2,076,551

Decrease4.19%

2015 1,979,590

Decrease4.67%

2016 1,991,504

Increase0.60%

2017 2,029,309

Increase1.90%


Top destinations

Busiest domestic routes from LIT (July 2017 – June 2018)[7]
Rank City Passengers Carriers
1 Atlanta, Georgia 249,870 Delta
2 Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas 159,000 American
3 Dallas–Love, Texas 100,750 Southwest
4 Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois 88,090 American, United
5 Houston–Intercontinental, Texas 78,140 United
6 St. Louis, Missouri 68,720 Southwest
7 Charlotte, North Carolina 61,040 American
8 Denver, Colorado 55,050 Frontier, United
9 Las Vegas, Nevada 42,310 Southwest
10 Phoenix–Sky Harbor, Arizona 35,560 Southwest

See also

Notes

References

  1. 1 2 Dougan, Michael B. (2016). "Aviation". Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture. Central Arkansas Library System. Retrieved January 1, 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 FAA Airport Master Record for LIT (Form 5010 PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. effective September 14, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Enplanements & Deplanements" (PDF). Little Rock National Airport. December 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-25.
  4. 1 2 3 "History". Clinton National Airport. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
  5. ↑ "About LIT". Little Rock National Airport. Archived from the original on April 7, 2012.
  6. ↑ "LIT – Adams Field". FAA data republished by AirNav. September 20, 2012. Archived from the original on October 18, 2012.
  7. 1 2 "RITA BTS Transtats - LIT". www.transtats.bts.gov. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
  8. ↑ "Non-Stop Jet Service". Clinton National Airport. Archived from the original on February 18, 2013.
  9. ↑ "List of NPIAS Airports" (PDF). FAA.gov. Federal Aviation Administration. 21 October 2016. p. 11. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
  10. ↑ "Enplanements for CY 2008" (PDF, 1.0 MB). faa.gov. Federal Aviation Administration. December 18, 2009.
  11. ↑ "Enplanements for CY 2010" (PDF, 189 KB). faa.gov. Federal Aviation Administration. October 4, 2011.
  12. ↑ "Aircraft Accident Report: Runway Overrun During Landing American Airlines Flight 1420" (PDF). National Transportation Safety Board. June 1, 1999.
  13. ↑ "LR airport terminal OK'd for redesign". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. August 20, 2008.
  14. ↑ "Bulletin: Clinton Airport Dedication". Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport. Archived from the original on March 15, 2013. Retrieved July 23, 2013.
  15. ↑ "Panel OKs renaming airport after Clintons". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. March 20, 2012.
  16. ↑ "America's Worst Airports: No. 1 Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport, Little Rock, AR (LIT)". Travel + Leisure, October 2013.
  17. ↑ Hibblen, Michael. "Little Rock Airport Ranked Worst In The Nation". UALR Public Radio, October 28, 2013. At the time of the ranking, the airport was undergoing the largest renovation in its history.
  18. ↑ "Passenger Satisfaction Flying High at Clinton National Airport". KLRT-TV. May 5, 2015. Archived from the original on August 15, 2016. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  19. ↑ "American to Add Nonstop Service from Little Rock to Washington, DC". Retrieved 31 October 2017.

Further reading

  • Shaw, Frederick J. (2004), Locating Air Force Base Sites History's Legacy, Air Force History and Museums Program, United States Air Force, Washington DC, 2004.
  • Manning, Thomas A. (2005), History of Air Education and Training Command, 1942–2002. Office of History and Research, Headquarters, AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas ASIN: B000NYX3PC
Government
General information
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