Southeast Iowa Regional Airport

Southeast Iowa Regional Airport
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner Southeast Iowa Regional Airport Authority
Serves Burlington, Iowa
Elevation AMSL 698 ft / 213 m
Coordinates 40°46′59″N 091°07′32″W / 40.78306°N 91.12556°W / 40.78306; -91.12556Coordinates: 40°46′59″N 091°07′32″W / 40.78306°N 91.12556°W / 40.78306; -91.12556
Website www.BRLairport.com
Maps

FAA airport diagram
BRL
Location of airport in Iowa
BRL
BRL (the US)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
18/36 6,701 2,042 Asphalt
12/30 5,351 1,631 Concrete
Statistics
Aircraft operations (2016) 20,172
Based aircraft (2018) 35
Departing Passengers (12 months ending June 2018) 8,200

Southeast Iowa Regional Airport (IATA: BRL, ICAO: KBRL, FAA LID: BRL) is a public use airport located two nautical miles (4 km) southwest of the central business district of Burlington, a city in Des Moines County, Iowa, United States.[1] It is owned by the Southeast Iowa Regional Airport Authority[1] which includes representatives from the city of Burlington, the city of West Burlington, and Des Moines County. The airport is mostly used for general aviation, but is also served by one commercial airline, a service which is subsidized by the federal government's Essential Air Service program at a cost of $1,917,566 (per year).[2]

It is included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2017–2021, which categorized it as a non-primary commercial service airport (between 2,500 and 10,000 enplanements per year).[3]

History

The airport launched in 1929 when the Burlington City Council adopted a resolution to establish a Municipal Airport on an "L"-shaped 55-acre (22 ha) sod field on Summer Street in Burlington, Iowa. Regularly scheduled commercial passenger service started two years later in 1931 when the National Air Transport company added Burlington to its Chicago to Kansas City route. National's two Ford Trimotor planes made two daily flights to Burlington carrying ten passengers each and lumbering across the sky with a top speed of 152 miles per hour (245 km/h).

In 1943, a contract was signed with the U.S. Government to pave the runways and expand the site to 500 acres (200 ha). Braniff Airlines began offering two daily departures to Kansas City to carry passengers and cargo in 1944. Three years later in 1947, a long-range airport development plan was created for building a Quonset hut administrative building, a U-shaped entrance road with parking, a gasoline service station for aircraft, a tourist court with recreational facilities, a maintenance building and hangars for aircraft.

The airport's hours of operation were extended in 1959 when runway lights were installed, enabling flights to takeoff and land at night. In 1967 an aviation easement was established, and the north-south runway was widened and extended to 1,351 feet (412 m). The terminal building was remodeled for comfort in 1989.

In 1996, the Burlington Regional Airport's name was changed to the Southeast Iowa Regional Airport to reflect the entire area that is served. Currently, SIRA employs about 20 people. Passengers report that the laid back, inviting atmosphere at the airport reminds them of the TV show Wings.[4]

Facilities and aircraft

Southeast Iowa Regional Airport covers an area of 537 acres (217 ha) at an elevation of 698 feet (213 m) above mean sea level. It has two runways: 18/36 is 6,701 by 150 feet (2,042 x 46 m) with an asphalt surface and 12/30 is 5,351 by 100 feet (1,631 x 30 m) with a concrete surface.[1]

For the 12-month period ending August 15, 2016, the airport had 20,172 aircraft operations, an average of 55 per day: 74% general aviation, 16% air taxi, 9% scheduled commercial and less than 1% military. In October 2018, there were 35 aircraft based at this airport: 32 single-engine, 2 multi-engine and 1 ultralight.[1]

Airline and destinations

The following airline offers scheduled passenger service:

AirlinesDestinations
Air Choice One Chicago-O'Hare, Mason City, St. Louis
Carrier shares: (July 2017 – June 2018)[5]
Carrier   Passengers (arriving and departing)
Air Choice One
16,010(100%)
Busiest domestic routes out of BRL
(July 2017 - June 2018) [6]
Rank City Passengers Carriers
1 Chicago-O’Hare, IL 4,200 Air Choice One
2 St. Louis, MO 2,980 Air Choice One
3 Mason City, IA 1,020 Air Choice One

Incidents

On November 19, 1996, United Express Flight 5925 (operated by Great Lakes Airlines) departed Burlington bound for Quincy, IL.. It later collided with a King Air near the runway 4/13 intersection at Quincy Regional Airport. Probable cause was likely that the King Air pilots did not monitor the Common Traffic Advisory Frequency due to Quincy having very low air traffic. 12 people perished in the accident. Seven were employees of Dresser Industries in Burlington.

On May 30, 2013, winds from a severe thunderstorm damaged and destroyed several hangars. Fortunately, no one was injured in this weather incident.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 FAA Airport Master Record for BRL (Form 5010 PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. effective October 11, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Essential Air Service Reports". U.S. Department of Transportation. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
  3. ↑ "2011–2015 NPIAS Report, Appendix A" (PDF, 2.03 MB). National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems. Federal Aviation Administration. October 4, 2010. External link in |work= (help)
  4. ↑ http://www.brlairport.com/about
  5. ↑ http://www.transtats.bts.gov/airports.asp?pn=1&Airport=BRL&Airport_Name=Burlington,%20IA:%20Southeast%20Iowa%20Regional&carrier=FACTS
  6. ↑ http://www.transtats.bts.gov/airports.asp?pn=1&Airport=BRL&Airport_Name=Burlington,%20IA:%20Southeast%20Iowa%20Regional&carrier=FACTS

Other sources

  • Essential Air Service documents (Docket OST-2001-8731) 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, to provide subsidized essential air service (EAS) at each of the above communities (Burlington, IA; Cape Girardeau, MO; Ft. Leonard Wood, MO; Jackson, TN; Marion/Herrin, IL; Owensboro, KY; Kirksville, MO) for a new two-year period from June 1, 2005, through May 31, 2007, for a combined annual subsidy of $7,306,249. Also by this order, the Department is terminating the show-cause proceeding tentatively terminating subsidy at Kirksville, Missouri, as RegionsAir's selected proposal is below the $200-per-passenger cap.
    • Order 2007-3-5: selecting Big Sky Transportation Co., d/b/a Big Sky Airlines, and Great Lakes Aviation, Ltd. to provide subsidized essential air service (EAS) at the above communities (Burlington, IA; Cape Girardeau, MO; Fort Leonard Wood, MO; Jackson, TN; Marion/Herrin, IL, Owensboro, KY) for the two-year period from June 1, 2007, through May 31, 2009, using 19-seat Beech 1900D turboprop aircraft as follows: Big Sky at Cape Girardeau, Jackson, and Owensboro for a combined annual subsidy of $3,247,440; and Great Lakes at Burlington, Fort Leonard Wood, and Marion/Herrin for a combined annual subsidy of $2,590,461.
    • Order 2009-10-13: selecting Hyannis Air Service, Inc. d/b/a Cape Air, to provide subsidized essential air service (EAS) at Marion/Herrin, Quincy, and Cape Girardeau, for a two-year period beginning when Cape Air inaugurates full EAS at each of the three communities and ending at the close of the 24th month thereafter, at a combined annual subsidy rate of $5,469,768 ($2,053,783 for Marion/Herrin, $1,946,270 for Quincy, and $1,469,715 for Cape Girardeau). The Department is selecting Multi-Aero, Inc. d/b/a Air Choice One to provide subsidized EAS at Decatur, Illinois, and Burlington, Iowa, for a two-year period beginning when it inaugurates full EAS and ending at the close of the 24th month thereafter, at a combined annual subsidy of $5,253,644 ($3,082,403 for Decatur and $2,171,241 for Burlington). The Department is selecting Great Lakes Aviation, Ltd. (Great Lakes) to provide subsidized EAS at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, for the two-year period from November 1, 2009, through October 31, 2011, at an annual subsidy of $1,292,906.
    • Order 2011-12-17: re-selecting Multi-Aero, Inc. d/b/a Air Choice One to provide essential air service (EAS) at Burlington, Iowa, and Decatur, Illinois, at a combined annual subsidy rate of $4,727,307 ($1,976,872 for Burlington and $2,750,435 for Decatur), for a one-year period from February 1, 2012, through January 31, 2013.
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