Rickenbacker International Airport | |||||||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||
| Owner/Operator | Columbus Regional Airport Authority | ||||||||||||||
| Serves | Greater Columbus | ||||||||||||||
| Location | Franklin /Pickaway counties, nearColumbus, Ohio | ||||||||||||||
| Hub for | |||||||||||||||
| Occupants | 121st Air Refueling WingOhio Army National Guard Army Aviation Support Facility No. 2 | ||||||||||||||
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (-5) | ||||||||||||||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (-4) | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 744 ft / 227 m | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 39°48′50″N082°55′40″W / 39.81389°N 82.92778°W /39.81389; -82.92778 | ||||||||||||||
| Public transit access |   22,24,Great Blue, Red, Green shuttles | ||||||||||||||
| Website | rickenbackeradvantage | ||||||||||||||
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 FAA airport diagram | |||||||||||||||
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| Runways | |||||||||||||||
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| Helipads | |||||||||||||||
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| Statistics (2022) | |||||||||||||||
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Rickenbacker International Airport (IATA:LCK,ICAO:KLCK,FAALID:LCK) is a civil-military public airport 10 miles (16 km) south of downtownColumbus, nearLockbourne in southernFranklin County, Ohio, United States. The south end of the airport extends intoPickaway County. The base was named forflying ace and Columbus nativeEddie Rickenbacker. It is managed by theColumbus Regional Airport Authority, which also operatesJohn Glenn Columbus International Airport andBolton Field.[1] Rickenbacker International is primarily a cargo airport for the city of Columbus, although since 2012 it has served an increasing number of passenger flights as well as charter carriers.[2]
TheUnited States Air Force maintains a presence in the form of theOhio Air National Guard's121st Air Refueling Wing. Rickenbacker International is also home of the Ohio Army National Guard's Army Aviation Support Facility No. 2 and the headquarters for theOhio Military Reserve,one of the state defense forces ofOhio.
In 1999 and 2007, the airport held Gatherings of Mustangs and Legends. Dozens of Mustang airplanes attended each time.[3] The airport also hosted the Columbus Air Show in 2023.[4]
The facility opened in June 1942 asLockbourne Army Airfield, named for the nearby village ofLockbourne.[5][6] Soon renamed the Northeastern Training Center of theArmy Air Corps, it provided basicpilot training and military support; it also trainedWomen Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) to flyB-17 bombers and glider pilots to fly theWaco CG-4A. After the war, the airfield switched from flight training to developing and testing all-weather military flight operations. The primary unit at the base was the all-Black 447th Composite Group, also known as theTuskegee Airmen.
During theCold War, the facility was renamedLockbourne Air Force Base and was assigned to the USAFStrategic Air Command, then on May 18, 1974, redesignatedRickenbacker Air Force Base by Department of the Air Force Special Order GA-11 of March 6, 1974, to honor Columbus nativeEddie Rickenbacker, the leading American fighter pilot ofWorld War I.
The base was transferred from theStrategic Air Command (SAC) to theAir National Guard and redesignatedRickenbacker Air National Guard Base on April 1, 1980.
The base was recommended for closure by the1991 Base Realignment and Closure Commission, which would have moved the121st Air Refueling Wing and the160th Air Refueling Group of theOhio Air National Guard toWright-Patterson AFB. But following a proposal by the State of Ohio, the 1993 Commission recommended that the Air National Guard units remain at Rickenbacker, operating as tenants in a military cantonment area. The military facilities were renamedRickenbacker Air National Guard Station on September 30, 1994, by the 1991 Commission.
In August 2001 construction started on a consolidated Navy and Marine Corps Air Reserve Center at Rickenbacker International Airport. The $10 million center, scheduled for completion in early 2003, sits at the intersection of 2nd Avenue and Club Street next to the Air National Guard facility. Developed by the Navy Reserve, the project consolidated the Naval Air Reserve Center at Rickenbacker with the Navy and Marine Corps Reserve Center on Yearling Road in Columbus. The nearly 1,000 Navy and Marine Corps reservists at the two reserve centers shifted their activities to the new facility, allowing the old Naval Air Reserve Center at Rickenbacker to be redeveloped by the Columbus Regional Airport Authority, which operates the 5,000-acre (2,023 ha) airport.
In 2015,Cathay Pacific Cargo andEmirates SkyCargo boosted their services at the airport to support growth at the airport. Thanks to their additional service, logistics companyMorrison Express launched operations at Rickenbacker in 2016 to support them.[7][8]
A new Air Traffic Control tower was opened at the airport in 2016.[6]
In 2018, the airport launched a $565,000 improvement project to boost the efficiency of its jetways. New ground power units and pre-conditioned air units were installed. Funding was provided largely from an FAA grant awarded as part of itsVoluntary Airport Low Emissions program, which helps airports meet air quality standards set by the USClean Air Act.[9][10]
That same year, the company upgraded its animal transport facility to ensure operational efficiency and animal safety. The facility earned U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) status as both a certified Export Inspection Facility and a Permanent Port of Embarkation for livestock. The upgrade included 12 new animal stalls and an on-site USDA office.[11]
During theCOVID-19 pandemic, airlines such as Emirates, Korean Air, and Etihad serviced the airport with passenger aircraft converted to transport loose cargo when demand for air travel waned and demand for freight continued to rise. On April 1, 2021, Rickenbacker and the CRAA celebrated the 500th arrival of a converted passenger plane: Emirates flight 2501 from Copenhagen.
In 2020, Rickenbacker was one of the most cost-effective small commercial airports in the country for passengers. It ranked as the third-cheapest airport of its size that year.[12] TheCOVID-19 pandemic brought historical traffic levels to the airport. Monthly international arrivals peaked at 120 in 2020 and even higher in 2021 as airlines brought medical cargo in to the airport. 2021 was the airport's best year to date due to theCOVID-19 pandemic's impact on cargo aviation.[13][14] It was named the 2021 Airport of the Year by theOhio Aviation Association for its role in bringing emergency protective equipment, its record-breaking shipments of international cargo, and receiving its first passenger aircraft converted for cargo.[15][16]
Rickenbacker took part in an FAA research project on drones in 2021. It was one of five airports to participate in the agency’s Airport Unmanned Aircraft Systems Detection and Mitigation Research Program.[17][18]
Rickenbacker was run by the Rickenbacker Port Authority, until merging in 2003 with Port Columbus and Bolton field creating the Columbus Regional Airport Authority. As of July 2006, Rickenbacker is the world's 126th busiest cargo airport according to Air Cargo World.[19] Rickenbacker ranks as one of the world's top 20 fastest growing cargo airports in July 2006 with 112,888 tons, a 15.3% increase from the previous year. This is mainly due to the transfer ofAirNet Systems operations fromPort Columbus International Airport to Rickenbacker. This number is expected to increase with the introduction of the new intermodal facility that is under construction. As of now it has scheduled service fromFedEx Express along withFedEx Feeder contractors,Mountain Air Cargo andCSA Air andUPS Airlines along with contractorsAir Cargo Carriers. Multi-weekly 747 freighter service is operated byAtlas Air andKalitta Air. Another airline based at Rickenbacker is Snow Aviation.
Rickenbacker International Airport was also the site for filming all aircraft exterior shots in the movieAir Force One starringHarrison Ford while also acting asRamstein Air Base in the film. In 2007, Rickenbacker hosted the Gathering of Mustangs and Legends air show, one of the largest-ever gatherings of operable classic warbirds, especially the P-51 Mustang.
Rickenbacker International Airport covers 4,342 acres (1,757 ha) and has tworunways and onehelipad:[1]
In the year ending December 31, 2022 the airport had 24,168 aircraft operations, average 66 per day: 52%commercial, 35%general aviation, and 14%military. At the time, 50aircraft were based at the airport: 32military aircraft, 10jets, 4 single-engine, and 4 multi-engineairplanes.[1][20]
The airport has afixed-base operator that offersfuel – bothavgas andjet fuel – as well as services such as conference rooms, a crew lounge, snooze rooms,showers, and courtesy transportation.[21]
In December 2006,PlanetSpace entered negotiations with the Ohio government to build aspaceport at Rickenbacker.[22] The company has since been dissolved by theGovernment of Canada.[23]
Also in 2006, the Columbus Regional Airport Authority completed a noise compatibility study for the airport. This program helps to guide suggested flight paths and targets soundproofing of buildings exposed to high levels of aircraft noise.[24]
AirNet Express headquarters is at the airport.[25]
In 2008,Norfolk Southern opened the Rickenbacker Intermodal Terminal next to the airport.[26] This facility allows the handling of approximately 250,000Intermodal containers annually and anchors Norfolk Southern's Heartland Corridor. The project allows easy access to and from the deep water port atNorfolk, Virginia via the use of double stack containers as well as improved access to rail hubs in the Chicago area.[27]
In February 2022, Kintetsu World Express opened a sales office at the airport.[27]
Since the completion of the current passenger terminal in 2003, Rickenbacker has acted as a secondary airport for Columbus and has seen a number of carriers come and go,[28] includingSoutheast Airlines,Boston-Maine Airways,Hooters Air,Direct Air,USA3000 Airlines, Fly Mission Air, andVision Airlines.[29][30] In 2012, low-cost carrierAllegiant Air launched service toSanford and St. Petersburg, FL and has since been successful in expanding service to ten additional leisure destinations in theSouthern United States. Today, Allegiant is the sole passenger airline in Rickenbacker.
Multiple major cargo airlines, including a number of international carriers, also operate at Rickenbacker International Airport.
| Passenger Destinations Map |
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  Columbus-Rickenbacker Passenger destinations from Rickenbacker International Airport Year-round destination Seasonal destination Future destination |
| Rank | City | Passengers | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Punta Gorda/Fort Myers, Florida | 27,610 | Allegiant |
| 2 | St. Petersburg/Clearwater, Florida | 22,360 | Allegiant |
| 3 | Orlando/Sanford, Florida | 22,990 | Allegiant |
| 4 | Sarasota, Florida | 16,810 | Allegiant |
| 5 | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | 13,120 | Allegiant |
| 6 | Savannah, Georgia | 14,340 | Allegiant |
| 7 | Myrtle Beach, South Carolina | 12,700 | Allegiant |
| 8 | Destin–Fort Walton Beach | 11,530 | Allegiant |
| 9 | Charleston, South Carolina | 4,420 | Allegiant |
| 10 | Norfolk, Virginia | 1,120 | Allegiant |
In 1953 and 1954 the airport was used for two meetings organized by theSports Car Club of America.[53]
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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