6

Newcomers 2007

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Killeen-Fort Hood area served by regional airport

nformation.

From staff reports

The Killeen-Fort Hood Regional Air-

The Killeen-Fort Hood Regional Air-

port celebrated its third year of success

port has 19 daily departures and 19 arriv-

in the sky this August. John Sutton, di-

als Monday through Friday and almost

rector of aviation, said he is amazed at

the rate of growth the airport has expe-

as many on weekends, not counting mili-

tary operations at Robert Gray Army Air-

rienced since its opening.

field, which shares a runway

.

Enplanements, or the number of pas-

i engers boarding flights out of the air-

Delta/Atlantic Southeast Airlines of-

s

fers flights to and from Atlanta with de-

port, have continued to grow at record-

partures at 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. and arriv-

setting rates each year.

After only six months of operation, the

als at 12:35 p.m. and 9:05 p.m. seven days

airport was recognized in March as " ir-

A

a week.

American Eagle has 10 connecting

port of the Year" by the Federal Aviation

flights departing to Dallas-Fort Worth In-

Administration's Southwest Region, Sut-

ternational Airport and 10 arriving from

ton said.

there daily most are 50- to 70-seat regional

,

The airport opened its doors Aug. 2,

jets.

2004, after seven years of planning and

Colgan Airlines, a connector for Con-

construction efforts.

tinental Airlines, has seven flights in and

The city now shares the Army's 10,000-

seven out on weekdays, all to Houston In-

foot runway in a joint-use project that was

once forbidden by federal legislation.

ternational Airport.

Herald/STEVE TRAYNOR

This aerial view of the Killeen-Fort Hood Regional Airport shows the area surrounding

Located on Robert Gray Army Airfield

The airline terminal building is open

t h e facility, with its six departure gates. The terminal handles commercial flights, but

from 4 a.m. to midnight daily with the

at West Fort Hood, the airport offers a

the airfield is also used by the military.

first flight departing at 5:20 a.m. Sched-

separate public entrance to a passenger

ules are a little lighter on Saturday and

terminal off Clear Creek Road.

Killeen's old municipal airport runway

,

gram was critical because it provided an

Sunday but both commuter airlines still

,

The Army continues to use the airport

at 5,500 feet, limited the types of aircraft

additional $25 million to use for projects

have ample flights available both morn-

for its military operations, with its own

that could serve the community

.

that could not be paid for by normal FAA

ing and afternoon on the weekends.

facilities across the runway

.

Rather than try to extend the runway

,

funds.

Passengers

can

check

Killeen leaders had identified the need

which was flanked by two major high-

The combined programs provided

ith  their  airline  or  www.

for expanded airport facilities in the late

ways, Killeen leaders began looking to

about $50 million for the joint-use project.

lykilleen.net for up-to-date flight

1990s.

Fort Hood for an option.

The city and county contributed about

$18 million, and the state added $12 mil-

Before the Army would enter into for-

mal discussions, a law preventing joint

lion for a new highway near the facility

.

use on Fort Hood had to be changed.

Passenger facility charges paid about

After an extensive lobbying effort, U.S.

$3 million of the project.

Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco, worked to re-

Besides the new terminal, aircraft park-

peal the law, clearing the way for serious

ing apron, parallel taxiway and the fuel

conversation in 1998.

facility on the new civilian side, nearly

The city signed a 50-year lease with a

$20 million worth of improvements, in-

50-year option, which conformed to FAA

cluding a new tower, have been added to

requirements, opening the door for fed-

the military area.

eral funds. The old Killeen municipal air-

Along with providing the modern pas-

port was renamed Skylark Field and was

senger facilities, the new airport also

reappropriated.

provides an enormous boost to the local

Killeen was successful not only in se-

economy

.

curing substantial FAA funding for air-

A study by the Perryman Group said

port improvement, but it also qualified

the project would bring about 800 new

for additional funds through the Military

jobs, adding about $2.8 million to the lo-

Airport Program, or MAP The MAP pro-

.

cal economy by 2014.