Cecil Airport | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owner | Jacksonville Aviation Authority | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operator | Jacksonville Aviation Authority | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Jacksonville, Florida | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 80 ft / 24 m | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 30°13′07″N081°52′36″W / 30.21861°N 81.87667°W /30.21861; -81.87667 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | https://cecilspaceport.com/ | ||||||||||||||||||||||
 Interactive map of Cecil Airport | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Helipads | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Statistics (2018) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Source:Federal Aviation Administration[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Cecil Airport (IATA:VQQ,ICAO:KVQQ,FAALID:VQQ) is a publicairport and commercialspaceport located inJacksonville, Florida, United States.[1] It is owned by theJacksonville Aviation Authority and services military aircraft, corporate aircraft, general aviation, and air cargo. TheFlorida Army National Guard's primary Army Aviation Support Facility and theU.S. Coast Guard'sHelicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron (HITRON) are also located here, the former operatingCH-47 Chinook,UH-60 Blackhawk,UH-72 Lakota andC-12 Huron aircraft, and the latter operating theMH-65C Dolphin helicopter.
The airport hasARFF and structural fire protection provided by Jacksonville Fire/Rescue Station 56. Fire Station 73 (under construction) will be located on the airfield as well and will include ARFF, structural and rescue (ambulance) protection. A back-up, citywide 911 call/training center will also be located at Station 73.
In 2010, Cecil Airport became the United States' eighth licensed commercialspaceport and the first in Florida authorized to flyspace vehicles that take off and land horizontally.[2] As of 2025, theJacksonville Aviation Authority has applied to certify the airport to allow space vehicles to land there as well.[3]
TheNZC identifier was the airport's previous FAA identifier when it wasNaval Air Station Cecil Field, its former name until its closure as anaval air station in 1999. TheNZC IATA code is now allocated toMaria Reiche Neuman Airport serving Nazca, Peru (IATA:NZC,ICAO:SPZA).
The airport is located on the site of the formerNaval Air Station Cecil Field, which opened in 1941 and closed in 1999 following the1993 Base Realignment and Closure Commission decision. Covering a total area of 22,939 acres (92.83 km2), it was the largest military base in the Jacksonville area and supported all Atlantic FleetF/A-18 Hornet strike fighter squadrons andS-3 Viking sea control squadrons.[4]
Cecil Airport covers an area of 6,082acres (24.61 km2) and contains fourrunways and twohelipads:[1]
The airport has afixed-base operator that sellsfuel. It offers services such ascatering,hangars, courtesy cars, andrental cars; there are also amenities such as internet,conference rooms, vending machines, a crew lounge, andshowers.[5]
Cecil Airport houses the FSCJ (Florida State College Jacksonville) aviation course hangar and associated training aircraft. Sunrise Aviation, a flight training school and pilot supplies vendor is the flight training provider for FSCJ's aviation program. Facilities operated by major aerospace firms such as Logistic Services International (LSI),Boeing and Flightstar Aircraft Services are also located at Cecil, providing major training, maintenance and overhaul services for a variety of U.S. military aircraft.[6]
In September 2024, ground broke on a new testing facility forhypersonic aircraft. The company running the facility aims to develop an aircraft that could travel from New York to London in 90 minutes.[7]
As of May 2025, Texas-basedOtto Aviation is considering using Cecil as the location to build its new jet, aimed at being more efficient. Research and development could start at Cecil as early as 2027.[8] Jacksonville is offering Otto an incentives package to move to the airport.[9]
For the 12-month period ending February 5, 2018, the airport had 104,361 aircraft operations, an average of 286 per day: 52%military, 47%general aviation, <1%air carrier, and <1%air taxi. There were 84 aircraft based at this airport: 69military, 12 single-engine, 1 multi-engine, 1jet, and 1helicopter.[1]
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