West Michigan Regional Airport


West Michigan Regional Airport, formerly Tulip City Airport, is a public-use airport located two nautical miles south of the central business district of Holland, a city in Allegan County, Michigan, United States. It is included in the Federal Aviation Administration National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2017–2021, in which it is categorized as a national general aviation facility.
The airport is owned by Holland, Zeeland, and Park Township, and operated by the West Michigan Airport Authority. The airport relies on user fees, federal and state grants and donations to operate. The reason is a provision in the city charter that prohibits tax dollars from being used for airport operations. However, a regional airport authority was authorized by area voters in November 2008. The West Michigan Airport Authority consists of representatives from Holland, Zeeland, and Park Township. In October 2011 the airport authority formally voted to change the airport's name from Tulip City Airport to West Michigan Regional Airport.
Although many U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier for the FAA and IATA, this airport is assigned BIV by the FAA and no designation from the IATA.

Facilities and aircraft

West Michigan Regional Airport covers an area of at an elevation of 698 feet above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 8/26 with an asphalt surface measuring 6,002 by 100 feet. Passenger loading is from the tarmac. Flights range from light sport aircraft to business jets; it has no regularly scheduled commercial flights. A full-service fixed-base operator offers aircraft rental, flight instruction, charter flights, and aircraft maintenance.
The airport has two public viewing areas. One is located near the southwest corner of the airport, and the other is located on the northeast corner of the airport. Both are paved and equipped with a picnic table.
For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2008, the airport had 52,520 aircraft operations, an average of 143 per day: 92% general aviation, 8% air taxi, and <1% military. At that time there were 51 aircraft based at this airport: 64.7% single-engine, 15.7% multi-engine and 19.6% jet.