Meridian Regional Airport Key Field | |||||||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||
| Owner | Meridian Airport Authority | ||||||||||||||
| Serves | Meridian, Mississippi | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 297 ft / 91 m | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 32°19′57″N088°45′07″W / 32.33250°N 88.75194°W /32.33250; -88.75194 | ||||||||||||||
| Website | MeridianAirport.com | ||||||||||||||
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  MEI Location of airport in Mississippi Show map of Mississippi MEI MEI (the United States) Show map of the United States | |||||||||||||||
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| Statistics (2012) | |||||||||||||||
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Meridian Regional Airport[1] (IATA:MEI[3],ICAO:KMEI,FAALID:MEI) is a joint civil-military public use airport located at Key Field, a joint-use public/military airfield.[2] It is located 3nautical miles (5.6 km; 3.5 mi) southwest ofMeridian, a city inLauderdale County, Mississippi, United States.[2] The Meridian Airport Authority owns the airport.[2] At 10,003 feet (3,049 m), Key Field is home to the longest public use runway in Mississippi.[4] It is mostly used forgeneral aviation andmilitarytraffic, but it is also served by one commercial airline with scheduled passenger service subsidized by theEssential Air Service program.
According to theFederal Aviation Administration, Meridian Regional Airport had 19,599 passengers board (enplanements) in 2008,[5] 18,560 in 2009, and 16,871 in 2010.[6] TheNational Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as aprimary commercial service facility.[7]
Meridian Regional Airport was established in 1928 and opened in November 1930 with the completion of theterminal,hangar,powerhouse, and a graded and packed dirtrunway. Meridian city officials askedAl 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 theGreat 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 theNational Register of Historic Places.
DuringWorld War II, the facility operated under the name Key Field Air National Guard Base and was controlled by theUnited States Army Air Corps.
Delta Air Lines began the first commercial air service to Meridian in 1930. Meridian became a stop on Delta's mainline route betweenDallas, Texas andCharleston, South Carolina. Various prop aircraft were used over the years, including theLockheed Model 10 Electra,Douglas DC-3,Douglas DC-4,Convair 340, andDouglas DC-6. By the 1970s, Delta had initiated jet service to Meridian using theMcDonnell Douglas DC-9-30. On Feb. 1, 1976, theOfficial Airline Guide (OAG) listed two flights a day operated by Delta with the DC-9, including a daily nonstop flight from Atlanta and a daily direct flight fromDallas Fort Worth International Airport, which made two intermediate stops en route atMonroe, Louisiana andJackson, Mississippi.[10] Delta's mainline jet service ended in the spring of 1979.[11] Delta would eventually return to Meridian with its service in 1985, operating as theDelta Connection via acode sharing agreement byAtlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA). Delta flew nonstop from both Atlanta andMemphis flown withde Havilland Canada DHC-7 Dash 7 andEmbraer EMB-110 Bandeirante turboprop aircraft.[12]
Southern Airways began serving Meridian in 1962 with direct flights to Atlanta, Memphis, and New Orleans, making intermediate stops en route at other cities. Southern was operating Douglas DC-3 andMartin 4-0-4 prop aircraft at this time. By 1968, Southern had introduced DC-9 jet service to Meridian and began nonstop flights to Atlanta. According to the Feb. 1, 1976OAG, Southern was operating five flights a day into Meridian, all with Douglas DC-9-10 jets, and nonstop fromBirmingham, Alabama,Columbus, Mississippi andLaurel/Hattiesburg, Mississippi, with direct service from Atlanta,Chicago O'Hare Airport, Memphis andTuscaloosa, Alabama.[13]
In 1979 Southern merged withNorth Central Airlines, and the combined airlines were renamedRepublic Airlines. The Dec. 1, 1979 OAG lists Republic as the only airline serving Meridian at this time, with the carrier operating Douglas DC-9-10 and largerMcDonnell Douglas DC-9-50 jets on nonstop and direct one-stop flights from Atlanta. The carrier also operated nonstop from Laurel/Hattiesburg, nonstopConvair 580 turboprop flights from Memphis, and direct one-stop Convair 580 flights fromNew Orleans.[14] Republic continued to serve Meridian with DC-9 jets as well as Convair 580 turboprop aircraft until 1984.[15]
Three commuter airlines came to Meridian in 1984 after Republic ended service. Scheduled Skyways andSunbelt Airlines began service to Memphis, andAtlantic Southeast Airlines started flights to Atlanta. Sunbelt went out of business later in 1984, and Skyways merged intoAir Midwest in 1985 but ended service to Meridian within a few months. Before merging with Air Midwest in 1985, Scheduled Skyways was operating four direct flights a day into Meridian from Memphis withNord 262 andFairchild Swearingen Metroliner commuterprop jets, with all of these flights making an intermediate en-route stop inTupelo, Mississippi.[12][16]
Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA), operating as the Delta Connection on behalf of Delta Air Lines, resumed Delta service to Meridian. The carrier usedEmbraer EMB 110 Bandeirante,Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia, andde Havilland Canada DHC-7 Dash 7 turboprop aircraft and added service to Memphis for several years during the mid-1980s. By the late 1990s, service to Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) was operated with a stop inLafayette, Louisiana. By the early 2000s, the DFW flights had ended, and ASA introducedBombardier CRJ100/200 regional jets on nonstop flights to Atlanta. ASA/Delta Connection service to Meridian ended in 2012.
Republic Express, operated byExpress Airlines I on behalf ofRepublic Airlines via a code sharing agreement, brought back Republic service in 1985 with flights to Memphis. Republic then merged withNorthwest Airlines in 1986 andNorthwest Airlink took over Republic Express on behalf of Northwest. The carrier operatedJetstream 31 andSaab 340 turboprop aircraft, with this service continuing until 2002. The flights to and from Memphis would also make stops atColumbus, Georgia, Jackson, Mississippi,Tupelo, Mississippi, or Laurel/Hattiesburg.
American Eagle served Meridian on behalf ofAmerican 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 theEssential Air Service act, andSilver Airways was selected to serve the city after the departure of Delta Connection. Silver provided flights to Atlanta usingSaab 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 bySkyWest Airlines usingBombardier CRJ100/200 regional jets.
In 2020, service was shifted toUnited Express with flights to theGeorge Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. The United Express flights are operated by SkyWest Airlines with CRJ-200 jets.[17]
Key Field is home to theMississippi Air National Guard's186th Air Refueling Wing (186 ARW), at the Air National Guard enclave,Key Field Air National Guard Base. Operationally gained by theAir Mobility Command (AMC), the 186 ARW operates a fleet ofKC-135R Stratotanker aerial refuelling and cargo aircraft.[4]
Key Field is also home to the MississippiArmy National Guard's 111th Army Aviation Support Facility, Company B. The 111th operates a fleet ofCH-47 Chinook helicopters, a multipurpose transport/cargo helicopter capable of carrying 55 troops and gear and can alsosling-load up to 25,000 pounds.[4]
NavyT-45 Goshawk aircraft from nearbyNAS Meridian and Air ForceT-6A,T-1A andT-38C aircraft fromColumbus AFB also frequently practice approaches and other procedures over Key Field.
Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) capabilities are provided by theAir 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-operatedMC-12W aircraft under a program known as Project Liberty. The MC-12W is a USAF intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) platform which was fielded in 2008 and 2009 to meetIraq War andWar in Afghanistan ground support ISR requirements. A derivative of theC-12 Huron, the MC-12W Liberty platform was created in response to Defense SecretaryRobert Gates' initiative to better support war fighters on the ground with increased ISR in theatre. USAF plans to procure 38 MC-12W aircraft. Mission qualification training in the MC-12W is currently conducted by a combined active Air Force andAir National Guard detachment embedded with the 186 ARW at Key Field.[18]
According to the2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission Report, the 186 ARW is to be reassigned per recommendation #97, distributing its KC-135R aircraft between theAir National Guard's 101 ARW, 128 ARW, and 134 ARW, inMaine,Wisconsin, andTennessee, respectively. The BRAC Report also states that the 186 ARW's aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) positions are to be reassigned to the Mississippi Air National Guard's172nd Airlift Wing (172 AW), an AMC-gainedC-17 Globemaster III unit atJackson International Airport. These transfers are to take place in 2010 and 2011, although the recent addition of the MC-12W Project Liberty program at Key Field may delay or eliminate the ARFF reassignment.
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 GovernorHaley Barbour and State Adjutant General Harold Cross, these missions were to be a newJoint Cargo Aircraft mission and an Air Force War Fighting Headquarters.[19] According to Tom Williams, CEO of Meridian Airport Authority, this would result in an increase in local jobs at Meridian's Air National Guard facility.[20]
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) atTyndall Air Force Base, Florida. The new group belongs to Key Field's 186th Air Refueling Wing..[21]
Old Terminal Building, Hangar, and Powerhouse at Key Field | |
 The old terminal building | |
| Location | 2525 US 11 S,Meridian, Mississippi |
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| Coordinates | 32°20′14″N88°44′33″W / 32.33722°N 88.74250°W /32.33722; -88.74250 |
| 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 1,000acres (405ha) at anelevation of 298 feet (91 m) abovemean sea level. It has tworunways: 1/19 is 10,003 by 150 feet (3,049 x 46 m) with anasphalt andconcrete surface; 4/22 is 4,599 by 150 feet (1,402 x 46 m) with an asphalt surface.[2] Most of the site is paved in asphalt, with a large parking area in front of the terminal. Only small areas around the buildings are unpaved, andlandscaping is limited to the terminal, which has shrubbery and an ornamental tree.[8]
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 theNational Register for Historic Places, the buildings were rehabilitated for use as aCessna flight training school and repair shop.[23]
The old terminal building is a two-story brick building with agabled roof andparapeted end walls.[9] Facing east towardHighway 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-roofedporte-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 areplastered and the floors arevinyl 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 bystucco. 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, 5jet, 3helicopter, 1 glider, and 18military.[2]
Meridian Regional Airport Authority operates Meridian Aviation, a full servicefixed-base operator (FBO) on the airport.
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| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| United Express | Hattiesburg/Laurel,Houston–Intercontinental |
| Destinations map |
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Destinations from Meridian Regional Airport |
| Rank | Airport name & IATA code | Passengers | Airline |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houston–Intercontinental | 13,640 | United Express |
| 2 | Hattiesburg–Laurel | 740 | United Express |
