Meridian Regional Airport
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Meridian Regional Airport Key Field | |||||||||||||||
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AMSL 297 ft / 91 m | | ||||||||||||||
Coordinates | 32°19′57″N 088°45′07″W / 32.33250°N 88.75194°W | ||||||||||||||
Website | MeridianAirport.com | ||||||||||||||
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Runways | |||||||||||||||
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Statistics (2012) | |||||||||||||||
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Meridian Regional Airport
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, Meridian Regional Airport had 19,599 passengers board (enplanements) in 2008,[5] 18,560 in 2009, and 16,871 in 2010.[6] The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a primary commercial service facility.[7]
History
Meridian Regional Airport was established in 1928 and opened in November 1930 with the completion of the terminal, hangar, powerhouse, and a graded and packed dirt runway. Meridian city officials asked Al and Fred Key, who operated the Key Brothers' Flying School at Bonita, to co-manage the new facility. The brothers maintained their flying school at the new field as well as their other duties, such as selling commercial airline tickets, operating the terminal and hangar, and handling airmail delivery schedules.[8]
With the onset of the Great Depression, the City of Meridian considered abandoning the airport because of the cost of maintenance.[9] The Key Brothers, wanting to keep the airport in business, planned to break the standing flight endurance record of 23 days and therefore focusing worldwide attention on Meridian and its airport.[8]
From June 4 until July 1, 1935, the brothers flew over Meridian for a total flight time of over 27 days. Key Field is named in their honor. The hangar and offices used by the Key brothers preceding and following the flight are still in use today and are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
During World War II, the facility operated under the name Key Field Air National Guard Base and was controlled by the United States Army Air Corps.
Historic Airline Service
In 1979 Southern merged with
Three commuter airlines came to Meridian in 1984 after Republic ended service. Scheduled Skyways and
Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA), operating as the Delta Connection on behalf of Delta Air Lines, resumed Delta service to Meridian. The carrier used
Republic Express, operated by Express Airlines I on behalf of Republic Airlines via a code sharing agreement, brought back Republic service in 1985 with flights to Memphis. Republic then merged with Northwest Airlines in 1986 and Northwest Airlink took over Republic Express on behalf of Northwest. The carrier operated Jetstream 31 and Saab 340 turboprop aircraft, with this service continuing until 2002. The flights to and from Memphis would also make stops at Columbus, Georgia, Jackson, Mississippi, Tupelo, Mississippi, or Laurel/Hattiesburg.
American Eagle served Meridian on behalf of American Airlines via a code sharing agreement with flights to American's hub in Nashville from 1986 until 1992. The carrier flew Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner and British Aerospace Jetstream 31 commuter prop jet aircraft.
By 2012, service to Meridian became subsidized under the Essential Air Service act, and Silver Airways was selected to serve the city after the departure of Delta Connection. Silver provided flights to Atlanta using Saab 340 aircraft for two years, ending service in 2014.
American Eagle returned to Meridian in 2014 with flights to Dallas/Fort Worth and Chicago. This service was operated by SkyWest Airlines using Bombardier CRJ100/200 regional jets.
In 2020, service was shifted to United Express with flights to the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. The United Express flights are operated by SkyWest Airlines with CRJ-200 jets.[17]
Air National Guard Use
Key Field is home to the
Key Field is also home to the Mississippi
Navy
Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) capabilities are provided by the Air National Guard due to Key Field's stationing of the 186 ARW.
In 2008, the 186 ARW entered into an arrangement with the active Air Force, hosting an operational training detachment for USAF-operated
According to the
In 2011, the same year that the 2005 BRAC realignments were to be completed, the 186th ARW expected to receive two new missions. According to former Mississippi Governor
The 286th Air Operations Group activated on April 8, 2011, to support the missions of the Continental US NORAD Region and 1st Air Force (Air Forces Northern) at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. The new group belongs to Key Field's 186th Air Refueling Wing..[21]
Facilities and aircraft
Old Terminal Building, Hangar, and Powerhouse at Key Field | |
Location | 2525 US 11 S, Meridian, Mississippi |
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Coordinates | 32°20′14″N 88°44′33″W / 32.33722°N 88.74250°W |
Area | 1.6 acres (0.65 ha) |
Built | 1930 |
NRHP reference No. | 03000587[22] |
Added to NRHP | July 7, 2003 |
Key Field covers an area of 1,000
The old terminal building, hangar, and powerhouse at Key Field together form the earliest surviving airport complex in the state of Mississippi.[22] After being listed under the National Register for Historic Places, the buildings were rehabilitated for use as a Cessna flight training school and repair shop.[23]
The old terminal building is a two-story brick building with a gabled roof and parapeted end walls.[9] Facing east toward Highway 11, the building is supported by a concrete foundation. The side wings and front pavilion of the terminal have flat parapet roofs and a gable-roofed porte-cochère extends from the front pavilion and terminates at a taller brick wall that contains a large arched opening. The front pavilion has another arched opening that leads to a recessed entrance. A one-story polygonal porch is in the rear, facing the airfield. Arched openings in the side wings flank the porch. The second floor, a single room that originally housed the weather bureau, has a central door that opens onto the porch roof, forming an observation deck overlooking the airfield. The interior of the building contains a waiting room with the former manager's office to the north and the baggage and mailroom to the south. All the walls in the building are plastered and the floors are vinyl tile.[8]
The rectangular hangar accommodates 10 planes.[9] The building is made of brick and has a concrete foundation. The roof is gabled, and the walls have parapets. The end walls are capped by pent roofs and decorative brick panels encased by stucco. The north and south ends contain eight large sliding metal doors which allow planes to roll in. The interior has a concrete floor, unfinished brick walls, and an unfinished ceiling with exposed steel trusses. There is a small office and washroom on the east end, and a staircase leads to a narrow second floor room that overlooks the workroom and hangar storage area.[8] Located on the east side of the hangar, the Powerhouse is a one-story, one-by-one bay building with another gabled roof and parapet walls.[9] Entrance is gained through a door on the south side of the building, and the only other openings are a metal window on the east side, and a small vent on the west side.[8]
For the 12-month period ending March 31, 2021, the airport had 86,751 aircraft operations: 71% military, 25% general aviation, 4% air taxi, and <1% scheduled commercial. At that time there were 78 aircraft based at this airport: 44 single-engine, 7 multi-engine, 5 jet, 3 helicopter, 1 glider, and 18 military.[2]
Meridian Regional Airport Authority operates Meridian Aviation, a full service fixed-base operator (FBO) on the airport.
Airline and destinations
Airlines | Destinations |
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United Express | Hattiesburg/Laurel, Houston–Intercontinental |
Destinations map |
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Statistics
Rank | Airport name & IATA code | Passengers | Airline |
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1 | Houston–Intercontinental | 13,640 | United Express |
2 | Hattiesburg–Laurel | 740 | United Express |
Accidents and Incidents at MEI
- On June 9, 1944, a USAAF Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar suffered a landing accident at then Meridian-Key Field. All occupants survived.[25]
- On November 10, 1946, Delta Air Lines Flight DL10, a Douglas DC-3 which departed Jackson, Mississippi, attempted to land at MEI during a thunderstorm, but experienced runway excursion after landing. The aircraft went beyond the end of the runway, up the western slope of a ditch next to a highway that connected to the airport, bounced over said highway, and stopped with the nose extending partially over a railroad right-of-way. All 3 crew members and 19 passengers survived, but the aircraft was written off.[26]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Meridian Regional Airport". Meridian Airport Authority. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
- ^ PDF. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective May 31, 2012.
- ^ "IATA Airport Code Search (MEI: Meridian / Key Field)". International Air Transport Association. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
- ^ a b c "Meridian Regional Airport - Facts". Meridian Airport Authority. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
- ^ "Enplanements for CY 2008" (PDF, 1.0 MB). CY 2008 Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data. Federal Aviation Administration. December 18, 2009.
- ^ "Enplanements for CY 2010" (PDF, 189 KB). CY 2010 Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data. Federal Aviation Administration. October 4, 2011.
- ^ "2011–2015 NPIAS Report, Appendix A" (PDF). National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems. Federal Aviation Administration. October 4, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF, 2.03 MB) on September 27, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f Crook, Brenda R. (May 23, 2003). "NRHP Nomination: Old Terminal Building, Hangar, and Powerhouse at Key Field". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
- ^ a b c d "Old Terminal Building, Hangar, and Powerhouse at Key Field". National Park Service.
- ^ Feb. 1, 1976 Official Airline Guide North American Edition, Meridian flights schedules
- ^ Delta timetables from timetableimages.com
- ^ a b "MEI85p1".
- ^ Feb. 1, 1976 Official Airline Guide North American Edition, Meridian flight schedules
- ^ Dec. 1, 1979 Official Airline Guide North American Edition, Meridian flight schedules
- ^ Southern and Republic timetables from timetableimages.com
- ^ "TUP85p1".
- ^ Multiple editions of the Official Airline Guide and individual airline timetables
- ^ MC-12 Liberty, GlobalSecurity.org
- ^ Livingston, Brian (February 1, 2007). "186th gets two new missions: Air cargo and war fighting capabilities on the horizon". The Meridian Star. Archived from the original on January 28, 2013.
- ^ Gillespie, Steve (February 3, 2007). "Meridian Military Team reflects on BRAC fight, celebrates success". The Meridian Star. Archived from the original on January 28, 2013.
- ^ Romano, Lt. Col. Susan A. "Mississippi Airmen join CONR-1st AF team". AFNORTH Public Affairs. Archived from the original on March 2, 2013.
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ "2002 Heritage Awards". Mississippi Heritage Trust. Archived from the original on May 9, 2010.
- ^
"Meridian, MS: Key Field (MEI)". U.S. Department of Transportation. April 2020. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
- Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on March 14, 2022.
- Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on March 14, 2022.
Other sources
- Essential Air Service documents (Docket DOT-OST-2008-0112) from the U.S. Department of Transportation:
- Ninety-day notice (March 17, 2008): of Atlantic Southeast Airlines, Inc. (ASA) of intent to discontinue its unsubsidized service between Meridian, Mississippi and Atlanta, Georgia after June 15, 2008.
- Order 2008-3-24 (March 25, 2008): prohibiting Atlantic Southeast Airlines, Inc., d/b/a Delta Connection, from suspending service at Meridian, Mississippi, and requesting proposals by April 23 from carriers interested in providing replacement essential air service (EAS).
- Order 2008-5-12 (May 13, 2008): selecting Atlantic Southeast Airlines, Inc. d/b/a Delta Connection, (ASA) to provide essential air service at Meridian, Mississippi, at an annual subsidy rate of $686,489. The rate extends through June 30, 2010.
- Order 2010-5-28 (May 25, 2010): re-selecting Atlantic Southeast Airlines, Inc., d/b/a Delta Connection (ASA), to provide essential air service (EAS) at Meridian, Mississippi, at an annual subsidy rate of $678,936. The selection extends from July 1, 2010, through June 30, 2012.
- Notice of Intent (April 9, 2014): of Silver Airways Corp. ... to discontinue subsidized scheduled air service between Atlanta, Georgia ("ATL") and Meridian, Mississippi ("MEl"). Silver Airways intends to discontinue this service effective July 8, 2014.
- Order 2014-4-24 (April 22, 2014): prohibits Silver Airways Corp., from terminating service at Muscle Shoals, Alabama, Greenville, Laurel/Hattiesburg, Meridian, and Tupelo, Mississippi, for 30 days beyond the end of the air carrier's 90-day notice period, i.e. August 7, 2014. We are also requesting proposals from air carriers interested in providing Essential Air Service (EAS) at Muscle Shoals, Greenville, Laurel/Hattiesburg, Meridian, and/or Tupelo.
External links
- Meridian Regional Airport, official site
- Meridian Aviation, the fixed-base operator (FBO)
- Aerial image as of January 1997 from USGS The National Map
- FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective April 18, 2024
- FAA Terminal Procedures for MEI, effective April 18, 2024
- Resources for this airport:
- AirNav airport information for KMEI
- ASN accident history for MEI
- FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
- NOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three days
- SkyVector aeronautical chart for KMEI
- FAA current MEI delay information