Dubuque Regional Airport is eight miles south of Dubuque, in Dubuque County, Iowa. On U.S. Highway 61, the airport is owned by the city of Dubuque and is operated as a department of the city government. The city council appoints people for four-year terms to the Airport Commission board, which oversees the airport. For day-to-day operations, the Commission hires an airport manager. DBQ is used for general aviation and sees one airline. A charter service is run by Sun Country Airlines. The airport offers maintenance and refueling services, including service for jets. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2017–2021 categorized it as a primary commercial service facility. Federal Aviation Administration records say the airport had 42,870 passenger boardings in calendar year 2008, 39,359 in 2009 and 33,861 in 2010. The 2013 Federal sequester would have resulted in the closure of the airport's control tower, but the Federal Aviation Administration ultimately reversed its decision.
History
The first airline flights at Dubuque were Mid-Continent DC-3s in 1950. In 1955 successor Braniff was replaced by Ozark, which pulled out its DC9s and FH227s in 1981. Northwest Airlines announced on February 7, 2008 that its regional partner Mesaba Airlines would return to Dubuque with twice daily Saab 340s to Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport. These flights began on June 20, 2008. On July 2, 2009 the merged Delta/Northwest Airlines announced it would end service to Dubuque, leaving DBQ with one airline.
Facilities
Dubuque Regional Airport covers 1,240 acres at an elevation of 1,077 feet. It has two concrete runways: 18/36 is 6,327 by 150 feet and 13/31 is 6,502 by 100 feet. In the year ending September 30, 2017 the airport had 50,301 aircraft operations, average 138 per day: 96% general aviation, 4% air taxi, <1% military and <1% airline. In September 2017, 63 aircraft were based at the airport: 52 single-engine, 9 multi-engine, 2 jet and 1 helicopter. The University of Dubuque has a flight operations center at the airport that provides for pilot training in the school's aviation programs. This includes ground school and actual flight training. The University has two hangars for their aircraft and a third hangar that is shared. The terminal has free Wi-Fi internet access. The airport recently installed enclosed walkways at the gates, allowing passengers to walk to the planes without going outdoors. The terminal has an ATM, vending machines, and gaming machines. On June 22, 2018 the airport lost its restaurant, due to American Airlines reducing its flights at the airport. The terminal has three gates for airline passengers and a jet bridge. The terminal has a baggage carousel, desks for three airlines, and rental car services including Avis and Hertz.
The airport has been recognized by the Federal Aviation Administration a number of times for its commitment to safety. It won the FAA's "Airport Safety Enhancement Award" in 1994, 1997, 2000, and 2003. In order to receive this honor, an airport must be free from discrepancies during an inspection for three consecutive years. In 2008, the Dubuque Regional Airport marked 18 consecutive years of perfect safety inspections in accordance with FAR Part 139. That record is unmatched among the approximately 600 certified U.S. airports.
On April 19, 1993 a Mitsubishi MU-2B-60 N86SD, owned by the state of South Dakota, suffered a catastrophic failure of the propeller hub on its left engine and crashed, while on approach, south of the community of Zwingle, IA. The crash killed all 8 on board including the governor of South Dakota, George S. Mickelson.
On March 8, 2004Cessna 172R N105FS stalled after ice accumulated on the wings, causing a hard impact on landing. Three minor injuries were reported.
On April 3, 2011 AmericanConnection flight 5019 bound to O'Hare International Airport sustained substantial damage after the jet bridge was blown into the side of the plane. Winds were gusting to 27 kts, and the emergency brakes in the jet bridge failed to activate. There were no injuries, and the aircraft was repaired and returned to service.
On October 13, 2014 Piper PA-46 N9126V crashed on approach to the airport. As of October 18, 2014 it is unclear why the plane crashed, though low visibility was reported. One fatality occurred.
Expansion
To update facilities and accommodate growth, the City of Dubuque announced plans in 2007 to build a new, larger terminal building. The new $23 million facility is part of the airport's master improvement plan; it opened on June 9, 2016. The city has expressed interest in courting more airlines. Until recently, Dubuque Regional had up to three air carriers. Two were eliminated when the airline industry met hard times after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. With strong passenger numbers, a growing tourism industry, and financial stability among air carriers, expanded service seems likely in Dubuque.
