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Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport (IATA: AZO, ICAO: KAZO, FAA LID: AZO) is a county-owned public-use airport located three nautical miles (6 km) southeast of the central business district of Kalamazoo, a city in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States. The airport is also located near the city of Battle Creek The airport is serviced by an air traffic control tower and TRACON. It has a seven gate passenger terminal, and is serviced by four major airlines. HistoryThe plans for an airport in Kalamazoo began in 1925. In May 1926, the City of Kalamazoo purchased 383 acres (1.55 km) of land near Portage and Kilgore roads, and an airport opened. Shortly thereafter, the first regular air mail service started in July, 1928. In February 1929, the field was licensed as the first municipal airport in Michigan. It was named Lindbergh Field in honor of famous aviator, Charles Lindbergh.
The first airline service came to Kalamazoo in May, 1944. The airport was serviced by two commuter airlines, Francis Airways, and Northern Skyways. The two airlines provided service to other Michigan cities. This service lasted two years, and then ceased. Between the period of 1946 and 1955, many small airlines periodically served the Kalamazoo market with commuter flights to nearby cities. In May, 1955, North Central Airlines began daily service from Kalamazoo to Detroit, MI, and Chicago, IL. North Central eventually became Republic Airlines, which became Northwest Airlines which serves the airport to the present day. In 1961, an air traffic control tower was built, and the main runway was extended from 3,900' to 5,300'. In 1963, an instrument landing system was installed to help aircraft be able to use the longer runway in poor weather conditions. In 1977, the runway was further lengthened to 6,500'. In 1975, the regional air traffic control facility was moved from Battle Creek to Kalamazoo, and in 1978, a radar facility was installed. The airport eventually won an award for the most safe and most efficient air traffic control system in the Great Lakes region.
In 1982, the Core Council decided that the City of Kalamazoo should no longer bear the full cost of operating the airport, and in 1984, the City transferred ownership to the County of Kalamazoo. The County recognized the need to increase service at the Kalamazoo County Airport. The terminal was completely renovated in 1989, including a ramp expansion. This expansive project doubled the size of the terminal, and passenger traffic grew from 200,000 per year to over 500,000 per year by 1993. In 1989, the name was changed from Kalamazoo County Airport to Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International to stimulate economic growth in the Battle Creek area. Today, the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport is served by four major airlines that fly thousands of passengers each day to major hubs with worldwide connections. Major jetportIn the 1970s, there were discussions between airline and local city officials about the construction of one major airport to serve both the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo markets. Since the two airports are extremely close, it was not economical for the airlines to fully serve both of the airports. North Central airlines proposed a "Major Jetport" in the Kalamazoo area, which had potential to be the third busiest commuter airport in the nation. No specific location could be agreed upon, and no planning was ever completed beyond the preliminary proposals and meetings. Soon after the concept failed, most airline service was shifted to Kalamazoo, as the Kalamazoo airport had higher passenger counts and more demand for flights. Facilities and aircraftKalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport covers an area of 832 acres (337 ha) at an elevation of 874 feet (266 m) above mean sea level. It has three asphalt paved runways: 17/35 measuring 6,500 x 150 ft (1,981 x 46 m), 5/23 measuring 3,436 x 100 ft (1,047 x 30 m) and 9/27 measuring 2,800 x 60 ft (853 x 18 m). In its early days, the airport had many different runway configurations. For example, present day taxiways delta and alpha were originally runways. For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2006, the airport had 89,502 aircraft operations, an average of 245 per day: 80% general aviation, 17% air taxi, 3% scheduled commercial and <1% military. At that time there were 148 aircraft based at this airport: 89% single-engine, 8% multi-engine and 3% jet. 2007 re-phasing planIn 2007, the threshold of runway 17/35 was relocated 400' to the south, and taxiway B was closed north of taxiway C. South of runway 9/27, taxiway B was removed and reconstructed 100' west of its previous location. OperationsGeneral aviation
Kalamazoo Airport is used by transient and local private pilots flying for personal, business, or recreational purposes. Many local pilots have their aircraft based in the south tee hangar complex. Kalamazoo is also home to Pfizer, a major US drug manufacturer. Pfizer had an aviation unit on the airport, where business flights are handled multiple times daily. That service ran for 53 years when the Upjohn company started the service. Due to cost cutting measures, the Pfizer Aviation unit in Kalamazoo discontinued the service in June 2008 and grounded both of its 36 passenger aircraft. That move resulted in a loss of 27 jobs. Pfizer continues to maintain aircraft for executive use from a Trenton, N.J., hangar. The two aircraft housed there have been relocated back to Trenton for possible sales. As of April 2009, the hangar and property at the Kalamazoo Airport is still up for sale. The Upjohn Co. began providing air service for its executives from Kalamazoo in 1955. In 1997, after Pharmacia & Upjohn moved its North American sales office from Michigan to New Jersey, the company made daily service to New Jersey available to all employees on a 10-seat jet. Pfizer expanded the service after acquiring Pharmacia Corp. in 2003. General aviation aircraft are served by many fixed base operators (FBOs). Kalamazoo is home to Duncan Aviation, a full service FBO. Maintenance is available through Kalamazoo Aircraft, and self serve fuel is available through Kalamazoo Pilots Association. Flight trainingFlight training is currently offered only through Great Lakes Aviation Service. The Western Michigan University College of Aviation, founded in 1939, used the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport as a base for its flight school until 1997. In the early 1990s, the flight school began to outgrow the facilities, and in 1997, the college moved to Battle Creek's W. K. Kellogg Regional Airport, where all operations are presently housed. The WMU aviation unit at Kalamazoo has been used periodically by the college, but since May 2006, it has ceased flight operations there. In the 1970s, private flight training operations were restricted to two local FBOs- Kal Aero, and Lakala Aviation. The county government received many complaints about violations regarding unauthorized lessons from private parties. Upon these reports, the county government added to the flight training ordinance that violators could be fined $500, or jailed for 90 days if found guilty of offering flight lessons illegally. This restriction has since been lifted, and flight lessons can be offered by any party who wishes to do so. TRACONCurrently, the Kalamazoo TRACON handles aircraft for the Kalamazoo airspace only. Upon completion of the new control tower in 2013, a consolidated TRACON will be present at Kalamazoo, handling approach and departure control for Grand Rapids, Muskegon, Kalamazoo and Lansing. Airlines and destinations
The airport is serviced by three commercial airlines and a public charter service which offer flights to six destinations. Three destinations are connection hubs, and three are leisure destinations.
CompetitionKalamazoo is a competitor with larger, nearby airports, such as Grand Rapids Gerald R. Ford International Airport, and South Bend Regional Airport, who offer flights to the same destinations, but often at lower prices. Kalamazoo has received grants from the federal government under the Small Community Air Service Development Program to bring lower fares to Kalamazoo, and more flights. Delta's Atlanta flight was established with this funding, but Delta ceased to offer this flight as of December 8, 2007. TerminalThe original Kalamazoo terminal was a small building made with scrap materials left over from other local projects. In 1958 a new terminal was constructed to replace the old terminal that housed passengers since the 1920’s. The consistent growth necessitated a terminal expansion in 1979 and the building increased from 12,000 to 30,000 square feet (2,800 m). The terminal was completely renovated in 1989, with the addition of a new concourse, an enlarged boarding area, and a new baggage claim area. As of 2009, an entirely new terminal is under construction adjacent to the existing facility. Upon completion in 2011, the new structure will accommodate additional passenger gates, security lanes and baggage carousels.
Currently, the Kalamazoo Airport has a 7 gate passenger terminal. The terminal also houses the air traffic control tower. Commissioned in 1969, the air traffic control tower is open from 6:00-23:00 local time. The airport has FAA Class "D" airspace with a terminal radar service area (TRSA), meaning it offers services such as clearance delivery, and approach and departure control. The Terminal Control Center (TRACON) facility was not established until 1975, and radar was not installed until 1978. Recently, the current control tower has been deemed inadequate, and funding has been secured to construct a replacement. Kalamazoo Aviation History MuseumCommonly referred to as the "Air Zoo", the museum offers many historic aircraft, simulators, restaurants, and one of the regions only 4-D theaters. The museum is housed in two buildings, and is located on the south section of the field. It is an attraction for the public, and for pilots. The museum also has a fly in ramp, making it an attraction for many visiting pilots. Incidents and accidentsSeveral accidents and incidents have occurred at Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport. These incidents are responded to by the on site CFR team. On 27 October 2009, a single engine Beechcraft crashed. The aircraft landed north of the airport, but not on the runway. It skidded through the fence and came to rest in the parking lot of Great Lakes Aviation, just outside the airfield. The aircraft was reported to be en route to Muskoka, Ontario when it experienced some mechanical problem and then crash landed at the north end of the runway. The pilot, who was also the only occupant, died in the accident. On 4 April 2004, a Cessna 172 crashed. The airplane, operated by a university aviation training program, was blown off of the runway by high winds. No injuries were reported. On 26 June 1999, a Boeing PT-17 crashed. The airplane ground looped while landing. On 28 May 1999, a Cessna 172 crashed. The aircraft overran the departure end of runway 27, and struck an airport boundary fence and an automobile on Portage Road, which runs perpendicular to the runway. On 19 April 1998, a Piper PA-28 Series Aircraft crashed. Witnesses reported seeing the airplane liftoff runway 5 past the runway 17/35 intersection located approximately 3,108 feet (947 m) from the approach end of runway 5. Runway 5 was 3,999 feet (1,219 m) long at the time of the accident. Witnesses reported the airplane climbed to 250 to 300 feet (91 m) when the airplane rolled left and went straight down. The airplane burst into flames and the cockpit and fuselage were consumed by fire. All passengers died. On 21 November 1983, a Republic Airlines DC-9 headed for Kalamazoo from Detroit was hijacked. The hijacker was overthrown. On July 25, 1978, a North Central Convair 580 hit a female sparrow hawk (not male, according to the NTSB report) shortly after takeoff, then crash-landed in a nearby cornfield. There were no fatalities, but several on board were seriously injured. 1978 Tim Allen incident
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Airport Operations and Facilities
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Airport Services
Runway InformationRunway 05/23
Runway 09/27
Runway 17/35
Radio Navigation Aids
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