Las Cruces International Airport

Las Cruces International Airport (IATA: LRU, ICAO: KLRU, FAA LID: LRU) is a city-owned, public airport nine miles west of the central business district of Las Cruces, in Doña Ana County, New Mexico.[1] It is in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2019–23 which categorized it as a regional general aviation facility.[2]

Las Cruces International Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerCity of Las Cruces
ServesLas Cruces, New Mexico
Elevation AMSL4,457 ft / 1,358 m
Coordinates32°17′22″N 106°55′19″W
WebsiteOfficial website
Map
LRU
Location of airport in New Mexico
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
4/22 7,501 2,286 Asphalt
8/26 6,069 1,850 Asphalt
12/30 7,506 2,288 Concrete
Statistics (2016)
Aircraft operations79,880
Based aircraft134

LRU is a landing rights airport and is on a mesa overlooking the Mesilla Valley.[3] The airport was the base for Zia Airlines from 1972 to 1980.[4][5] There have been no scheduled passenger flights to this airport since Westward Airways ceased operations on July 25, 2005.[6]

The airport is used by general aviation, the United States government, New Mexico State University, private charters and the local CAP squadron. National Guard's C Company, 3rd Battalion, 140th Aviation Regiment, operates and houses four UH-72 Lakota helicopters at the Las Cruces International Airport. The field retains a terminal in case scheduled flights return to the facility. The nearest commercial air travel is available at El Paso International Airport or Albuquerque International Sunport.

Facilities and aircraft

Las Cruces International Airport covers 2,193 acres (887 ha) at an elevation of 4,457 feet (1,358 m) above mean sea level. It has three runways: 4/22 is 7,501 by 106 feet (2,286 x 32 m) asphalt; 8/26 is 6,069 by 100 feet (1,850 x 30 m) asphalt; 12/30 is 7,506 by 100 feet (2,288 x 30 m) concrete.[1]

In the year ending December 31, 2017 the airport had 79,880 total aircraft operations, an average of 219 per day: 67.4% military, 28.2% general aviation, and 4.5% air taxi. 136 aircraft were then based at this airport: 72% single-engine, 9.6% multi-engine, 2.2% jet, 2.2% helicopter, 2.9% glider, 8.1% ultralight, and 2.9% military.[1]

The airport has two fixed-base operators (FBOs), Southwest Aviation[7] and Francis Aviation.[8] Southwest Aviation provides flight instruction services, aircraft fuel, and facilities to handle corporate aircraft and private charters. Francis Aviation provides aircraft fuel, charters, and facilities to handle corporate aircraft and private charters. Frost Aviation Services also operates at the airport providing flight training services.[9]

Historical airline service

Las Cruces has been served by eleven commercial airlines from the late 1940s until 2005:

  • Pioneer Air Lines began the first service in 1948 with Las Cruces being a stop on a route between Amarillo and El Paso, Texas. The carrier used Douglas DC-3 aircraft and other stops were made at Clovis and Roswell, New Mexico. Service ended in 1950.[10]
  • Continental Airlines served Las Cruces between 1950 and 1954 as a stop along a route between Denver and El Paso. The carrier used Douglas DC-3 aircraft and many other stops were made in Colorado and New Mexico.[11]
  • Frontier Airlines served Las Cruces between 1950 and 1953 as a stop along a route between Phoenix and El Paso. Many other stops were made in Arizona and New Mexico and this carrier also used Douglas DC-3 aircraft.[12]
  • Aztec Airlines provided service from Las Cruces to El Paso and Silver City, New Mexico in 1966 and 1967 using Piper Aztec aircraft.[14]
  • Zia Airlines was based in Las Cruces and provided flights to Albuquerque and Santa Fe from 1974 through 1980. Flights were occasionally operated to El Paso, Alamogordo and Silver City as well. The carrier used Cessna 402 and Handley Page Jetstream aircraft.[15]
  • Stahmann Farms of Las Cruces operated airline service in 1980 with flights to Albuquerque and Santa Fe using Cessna 402 aircraft.[16]
  • Airways of New Mexico provided service to El Paso for a short time in 1981 then to Albuquerque from 1981 through 1985 using Cessna 402 and Piper Navajo aircraft. Some Albuquerque flights would stop in Alamogordo.[17]
  • Mesa Airlines provided the longest running air service to Las Cruces from 1985 through 2001 with flights to Albuquerque using Beechcraft C99 and Beechcraft 1900 aircraft. Some flights would stop in Alamogordo.[19]

Although Las Cruces has not seen scheduled commercial flights since 2005, charter flights regularly serve the airport mainly transporting university athletic teams. Large Airbus A320 and Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by Allegiant Air and Sun Country Airlines often land at the Las Cruces International Airport.[21]

References
  1. FAA Airport Form 5010 for LRU PDF. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective December 31, 2016.
  2. "Appendix A: List of NPIAS Airports with 5-Year Forecast Activity and Development Estimate" (PDF). National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS) Report. Federal Aviation Administration. October 3, 2018. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  3. "19 CFR § 122.14 - Landing rights airport". Code of Federal Regulations. Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute. Retrieved May 15, 2019 – via cornell.edu.
  4. "Zia Airlines". Airline History. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  5. "Zia Airlines". Airline Timetable Images. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  6. "Cessation of Westward Airways Operations". U.S. Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (DOC) on March 20, 2009.
  7. "Southwest Aviation, Inc". Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  8. "FBO, Jet Fuel". Francis Aviation. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  9. "Flight Training Schools, Private Pilot Flight School - Frost Aviation Services - Las Cruces, Nm". Frost Aviation Services. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  10. Pioneer Air Lines timetable October 12, 1948
  11. Continental Airlines timetable November 1, 1951
  12. Frontier Airlines timetable June 1, 1950
  13. Bison Airlines timetable November 5, 1963
  14. Aztec Airlines timetable February 1, 1967
  15. Zia Airlines timetables from November 1, 1974 through February 1, 1980
  16. Stahmann Farms timetable July 7, 1980
  17. Airways of New Mexico timetable April 29, 1984
  18. JetAire timetable January 16, 1985
  19. Mesa Airlines timetables from April 1, 1986 through April 2, 2000
  20. Westward Airways timetable November 30, 2004
  21. Flightaware.com
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