Middle Georgia Regional Airport

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For the World War II use of the airport, see Cochran Army Airfield.
Middle Georgia Regional Airport
Middle Georgia Regional Airport 2006 USGS.jpg
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner Macon-Bibb County
Operator TBI Airport Management Inc
Serves Macon, Georgia and Warner Robins, Georgia
Location Bibb County, between Macon and Warner Robins, Georgia
Elevation AMSL 354 ft / 108 m
Coordinates 32°41′34″N 083°38′57″W / 32.69278°N 83.64917°W / 32.69278; -83.64917Coordinates: 32°41′34″N 083°38′57″W / 32.69278°N 83.64917°W / 32.69278; -83.64917
Website iFlyMacon.com
Map
MCN is located in Georgia (U.S. state)
MCN
MCN
MCN is located in the US
MCN
MCN
Location of airport in Georgia / United States
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
5/23 6,501 1,982 Asphalt
13/31 5,000 1,524 Asphalt
Statistics (2010)
Aircraft operations 23,533
Based aircraft 76

Middle Georgia Regional Airport (IATA: MCNICAO: KMCNFAA LID: MCN) is a city owned, public use airport located nine nautical miles (10 mi, 17 km) south of the central business district of Macon, a city in Bibb County, Georgia, United States.[1] It is mostly used for general aviation, but is also served by one commercial airline.

As per the Federal Aviation Administration, this airport had 10,029 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2008,[2] 1,866 in 2009, and 1,296 in 2010.[3] The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a primary commercial service airport based on enplanements in 2008 (more than 10,000 per year).[4]

Facilities and aircraft[edit]

Middle Georgia Regional Airport covers an area of 1,149 acres (465 ha) at an elevation of 354 feet (108 m) above mean sea level. It has two asphalt paved runways: 5/23 is 6,501 by 150 feet (1,982 x 46 m) and 13/31 is 5,000 by 150 feet (1,524 x 46 m).[1]

For the 12-month period ending May 31, 2010, the airport had 23,533 aircraft operations, an average of 64 per day: 71% general aviation, 19% military, 8% air taxi, and 3% scheduled commercial. At that time 76 aircraft based were at this airport: 46% single-engine, 42% multi-engine, 8% jet, and 4% helicopter.[1]

Middle Georgia Regional Airport.jpg

History[edit]

Early in 1940, Macon's Chamber of Commerce began a campaign to bring war industries and defense installations to the City. Negotiations with the Army Air Corps resulted in a tract of land in a highly developed agricultural area nine miles (14 km) south of the City known as Avondale being selected by the Air Corps.

The City of Macon and Bibb County obtained options on the desired tracts of land. Once the Army Air Corps finally decided to build an airbase at the site, it required the base be built as soon as possible. An informal agreement with the Army stipulated that when the War Department had no further use for the property, the deed would revert to the City and the County.

On August 17, 1941 the first class of British Royal Air Force cadets arrived at Cochran Field under the Arnold Scheme. Until June 1942, Cochran was used exclusively for British training. With the last British class graduating in early 1943, the War Department constituted and activated the 27th Flying Training Wing (Basic) at Cochran and assigned it to the (redesignated) AAF Eastern Flying Training Command as a flying training unit. Peak training took place during 1943. From the beginning of 1944 flight training steadily diminished. The Air Force inactivated the base on 15 December 1945.

Following the war, Cochran was utilized for various purposes. Smart Field remained as Macon's municipal airport until 1947. After a tornado swept Smart Field, the airlines moved their operations to Cochran where they remain to this day. The passenger terminal was built in 1959 and extensively renovated in 2003.

The former names of this airport were Lewis B. Wilson Municipal Airport and Macon Municipal Airport.

Commercial airlines serving the airport included Eastern Airlines and Delta Connection operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines. ASA (now ExpressJet) still operates a maintenance facility at Middle Georgia Regional Airport.

The two Army built hangars still exist along with a few old warehouses. The Air Force at one time had a presence at the airport, hosting the 202d Engineering Installation Squadron, a non-flying engineering unit of the Georgia Air National Guard. However, this unit was relocated to nearby Robins AFB at the end of Fiscal Year 2011 pursuant to BRAC action.

Airline and destination[edit]

Airlines Destinations
Contour Airlines[5]
operated by Corporate Flight Management[6]
Washington–Dulles (begins April 4, 2017)[7]
Beau Rivage Resorts
operated by Sun Country Airlines
Charter:Gulfport-Biloxi[8]

Statistics[edit]

Carrier shares: January – December 2013[9]
Carrier   Passengers (arriving and departing)
Silver
2,610(66.84%)
AirTran
940(24.03%)
Pacific
360(9.13%)
Top domestic destinations: Jan. – Dec. 2013[9]
Rank Destination Airport Passengers
2013 2012
1 Atlanta, GA Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL) 1,260 820
2 Orlando, FL Orlando International (MCO) 620 620

Cargo operations[edit]

There are no cargo operations operating at Middle Georgia Regional Airport currently.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

Other sources[edit]

  • Shettle, M. L. (2005), Georgia's Army Airfields of World War II. ISBN 0-9643388-3-1
  • Essential Air Service documents (Docket DOT-OST-2007-28671) from the U.S. Department of Transportation:
    • Ninety-Day Notice (July 2, 2007): Atlantic Southeast Airlines, Inc. gives notice of its intent to discontinue its service between Macon, Georgia, and Atlanta, Georgia after October 1, 2007. ASA's service is operated as "Delta Connection" service under agreements with Delta Air Lines, Inc.
    • Order 2008-5-43 (June 3, 2008): selecting Pacific Wings, L.L.C. d/b/a Georgia Skies, to provide subsidized essential air service (EAS) at Athens and Macon, with 9-seat Cessna Grand Caravan C 208B turboprop aircraft, for the two-year period beginning when the carrier inaugurates full EAS at both communities, at an annual subsidy of $2,437,692.
    • Order 2011-1-17 (January 18, 2011): terminating the carrier-selection case at Macon, Georgia, and relying on Pacific Wings, LLC, d/b/a Georgia Skies to provide subsidy-free essential air service (EAS) at the community as it proposed. We are also terminating Pacific Wings’ current subsidy at the community effective seven days after the issuance of this order.
    • 90-day notice (April 26, 2012): of Pacific Wings' intent to terminate unsubsidized service to Macon, Ga. effective July 26, 2012. We are taking this action due to the potential for USDOT to introduce federally subsidized competitors in EAS locations already receiving service at no cost to the federal government, just as the Department recently did in Kalaupapa, Hawaii.
    • Order 2012-5-25 (May 24, 2012): prohibits Pacific Wings, L.L.C., d/b/a Georgia Skies, from terminating service at Macon, Georgia, for 30 days beyond the end of the 90-day notice period, i.e., August 25, 2012. We are also requesting proposals from air carriers interested in providing Essential Air Service (EAS) at Macon, with or without subsidy.
    • Order 2013-2-26 (February 27, 2013): selecting Silver Airways to provide Essential Air Service (EAS) at Macon, Georgia, for an annual subsidy of $1,998,696. The service to be provided will be one nonstop round trip per weekday and one per weekend (six a week) to Atlanta, Georgia, and one nonstop round trip per weekday and one per weekend (six a week) to Orlando, Florida, using 34-passenger Saab 340B aircraft for the two-year period beginning when Silver commences full EAS.
    • Order 2014-4-26 (April 24, 2014): directing interested persons to show cause as to why the Department should not terminate the eligibility ... under the Essential Air Service (EAS) program based on criteria passed by Congress in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (Public Law No. 112-95). We find that Macon is within 175 miles of a large or medium hub, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), a large hub, and, thus, is subject to the 10-enplanement statutory criterion. We also find that during fiscal year 2013, Macon generated a total of 2,482 passengers (inbound plus outbound). Consistent with the methodology described above, that results in an average of 4.0 enplanements per day, below the 10-enplanement statutory criterion necessary to remain eligible in the EAS program.

External links[edit]