Monroe County Airport (Indiana)


Monroe County Airport is five miles southwest of Bloomington, Indiana.

Facilities

Monroe County Airport covers at an elevation of 845 feet. It has two asphalt runways: 17/35 is 6,500 by 150 feet and 6/24 is 3,798 by 100 feet.
The runway was 5200 feet but was lengthened to 6500 feet, enough for Boeing 727s. In 1995 the aircraft parking ramp was completely replaced, allowing larger planes, and 13 hangars were added. Fixed-Base Operator services and car rentals are available. There are two FBOs at the airport: Cook Aviation and BMG Aviation.
Due to the airline service the airport saw until 1997, the airport has seen several facilities for these operations. A terminal existed on the southern side of the airport until the year 2000, when it was demolished. From 1986 to 1997, a former administration building on the east side of the airport served as the terminal. Plans for a new, larger terminal with space for up to three airlines were included in the 1990 airport master plan, but these plans never came to fruition.
In 2012 the airport averaged 61 aircraft operations per day: 94% general aviation, 4% air taxi, 3% military and <1% airline. 104 aircraft were then based at this airport: 80 single-engine, 17 multi-engine, 4 jet, 2 helicopter, and 1 ultralight.

Airline Service

Several airlines have served the Monroe County Airport throughout its history. Airline Service started in the 1950s with Turner Airlines, and Lake Central Airlines also served the airport during this decade. The merger between Lake Central and Allegheny Airlines in 1968 resulted in Allegheny serving the airport. After airline deregulation, flights received federal funding under the Essential Air Service program until 1997, when these subsidies were cut due to the airport's proximity to Indianapolis International Airport, 50 miles north. Most recently, Great Lakes Airlines operated flights under the United Express name.

Geological hazards

The Monroe County Airport, along with most of the western half of Monroe County, is located on top of Indiana Limestone. This results in a variety of karst phenomena, including the development of sinkholes in the area. To ensure smoother takeoffs and landings, in the fall of 2013 a major project was undertaken to plug sinkholes using geogrid material.

Accidents and incidents