Lewiston–Nez Perce County Airport

Lewiston–Nez Perce County Airport (IATA: LWS[2], ICAO: KLWS, FAA LID: LWS) is in Lewiston, Idaho. Owned by the city and Nez Perce County,[1] it is in an elevated area two miles (3 km) south of downtown.

Lewiston–Nez Perce County Airport
Terminal in March 2006
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerCity of Lewiston &
Nez Perce County
ServesLewiston-Clarkston metropolitan area
Elevation AMSL1,442 ft / 440 m
Coordinates46°22′28″N 117°00′55″W
Map
LWS
LWS
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
8/26 6,511 1,985 Asphalt
12/30 5,002 1,525 Asphalt
Statistics (2015)
Aircraft operations33,714
Based aircraft145

The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a primary commercial service airport. Federal Aviation Administration records say the airport had 64,379 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2008, 62,210 in 2009 and 61,737 in 2010.

History

Dedicated in 1928,[3] the airport became as a Chamber of Commerce project in 1931,[4] and the original runway was paved in 1942.[5] Jet service arrived in October 1969 after the completion of the 6,500-foot (1,980 m) runway 8/26.[6][7][8][9] The air traffic control tower, southeast of the terminal, was commissioned in September 1974.[10]

Lewiston was served by West Coast Airlines Fairchild F-27s in the 1960s. West Coast merged with Bonanza Air Lines and Pacific Air Lines to form Air West in 1968 with the San Francisco-based airline being renamed Hughes Airwest in 1970.

Early jet service was flown by Hughes Airwest Douglas DC-9-10s and McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30s and by Cascade Airways BAC One-Elevens, supplemented with turboprop aircraft of both airlines. Hughes Airwest merged into Republic Airlines in October 1980, which cut back flights in Idaho and elsewhere in the western U.S.[11] Republic's final flight to Lewiston was in September 1982,[12][13] and the airline ended its southern Idaho and eastern Washington service shortly after in April 1983.[14] Cascade, based in Spokane, served Lewiston from 1973,[15][16] until it ceased operations in 1986.[17][18]

The short-lived Gem State Airlines of Coeur d'Alene served Lewiston for eleven months, until November 1979.[19][20] Mountain West Airlines of Boise served Lewiston for less than three months before folding in early March 1981.[21][22][23][24] Big Sky Airlines of Billings briefly served Lewiston in 1979.[25] All three commuter air carriers operated turboprop aircraft into the airport.

The municipal golf course adjacent to the west, Bryden Canyon, was built in the early 1970s[26][27] and opened in March 1975.[28]

In the early 1970s a regional airport for the Quad Cities (Lewiston–Clarkston, Moscow–Pullman) was explored, but the city council of Lewiston withdrew its support of the study in October 1974.[29]

Facilities

The airport covers 865 acres (3.5 km2) at an elevation of 1,442 feet (440 m). It has two asphalt runways: 8/26 is 6,511 by 150 feet (1,985 m × 46 m) and 12/30 is 5,002 by 100 feet (1,525 m × 30 m).[1]

In the year ending January 1, 2012 the airport had 35,425 aircraft operations, average 97 per day: 77% general aviation, 13% air taxi, 8% airline and 2% military. 145 aircraft were then based at the airport: 81% single-engine, 10% helicopter, 8% multi-engine, and 1% jet.[1]

Airlines and destinations

Passenger
AirlinesDestinations
Delta Connection Salt Lake City

Cargo
AirlinesDestinations
Ameriflight Seattle–Boeing
FedEx Express Spokane
Western Air Express Boise

Horizon Air landed at Lewiston from March 1983 to August 2018.[30][31][32] SkyWest Airlines started service to Lewiston in June 1996 as Delta Connection[33] but only for a year,[34] and then returned with Delta Connection service in January 2005.[35] SkyWest now flies Canadair CRJ-200s from the airport.

Top destinations
Busiest routes from LWS
(Jan 2018 - Dec 2018)
Rank City Passengers Carrier
1 Salt Lake City, UT 49,800 Delta
2 Seattle, WA 29,600 Alaska
3 Boise, ID 12,710 Alaska

Source:[36]

References
  1. FAA Airport Form 5010 for LWS PDF. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective November 15, 2012.
  2. "IATA Airport Code Search (LWS: Lewiston / Nez Perce County Rgnl)". International Air Transport Association. Archived from the original on December 26, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  3. "Dedicate airport for Lewiston-Clarkston". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. October 21, 1928. p. 1. Archived from the original on November 23, 2015. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  4. Harrell, Sylvia (March 6, 1983). "Evolution of an airport". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 35G. Archived from the original on November 23, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  5. "Lewiston airport nears completion". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). July 1, 1942. p. 3. Archived from the original on November 23, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  6. "Jet age reaches Lewiston". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). United Press International. October 27, 1969. p. 5. Archived from the original on November 23, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  7. Eline, Ed (October 27, 1969). "Lewiston dedicates runway, joins jet age". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 14. Archived from the original on November 23, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  8. "Federal grant for new airport runway marks end of long effort". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). January 17, 1969. p. 16. Archived from the original on November 23, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  9. "Runway work start slated by March 1". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). January 30, 1969. p. 12. Archived from the original on November 23, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  10. "Air traffic control tower had busy first year". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). October 9, 1975. p. 7A.
  11. "Republic to drop two Idaho flights". Tri-City Herald. Washington. August 11, 1982. p. A23.
  12. "Republic Airlines' Flight 25 ends Lewiston service". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). September 8, 1982. p. 1A.
  13. "Republic: airline packs up, moves out". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). September 11, 1982. p. 2B. Archived from the original on November 23, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  14. "Boise workers shocked over Republic's pullout". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). February 3, 1983. p. 1. Archived from the original on November 23, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  15. Harrell, Sylvia (April 5, 1973). "Cascade Airways plans flights into Lewiston". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 20. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  16. "Cascade Airways begins making Lewiston stops". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). April 30, 1973. p. 10. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  17. Bartel, Frank (March 7, 1986). "Cascade halts flights to 10 cities in region". Spokane Chronicle. (Washington). p. 1. Archived from the original on November 23, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  18. "Cascade bankruptcy trustee files suit against Horizon". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. September 20, 1986. p. 12A. Archived from the original on November 23, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  19. Harrell, Sylvia (January 30, 1980). "Gem State Airlines? Oh, you mean Golden Gate". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1C. Archived from the original on November 23, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  20. "Gem State: Idaho refugee buys California airline". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). January 10, 1980. p. 9C. Archived from the original on November 23, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  21. "Boise-based airline may add Lewiston stops". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). October 31, 1980. p. 1B. Archived from the original on November 23, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  22. "Lewiston Councils OKs airline's office lease". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). November 26, 1980. Archived from the original on November 23, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  23. "New airline offers low get-acquainted rates". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). December 13, 1980. p. 1B. Archived from the original on November 23, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  24. "Budget cuts force airline to reorganize". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). March 10, 1981. p. 13. Archived from the original on November 23, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  25. "Remember Air Pacific?". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). March 6, 1983. p. 35G. Archived from the original on November 23, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  26. "Golf architect retained to design mucicipal course at Lewiston airport". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). February 3, 1971. p. 8. Archived from the original on November 23, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  27. "City will lay temporary line to irrigate new golf course". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). May 24, 1973. p. 11. Archived from the original on November 23, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  28. Alford, A.L., Jr. (March 5, 1975). "City course opening completes golf boom". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. B1. Archived from the original on November 23, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  29. Campbell, Thomas W. (October 22, 1974). "It's official: Lewiston pulls out of airport study". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 12. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  30. "Horizon to add region stops". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). February 5, 1983. p. 9. Archived from the original on November 23, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  31. "Horizon plans three flights to Quad Cities". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). February 5, 1983. p. 5B. Archived from the original on November 23, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  32. "Horizon begins operations at Lewiston, Pullman". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). March 16, 1983. p. 3B. Archived from the original on November 23, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  33. "SkyWest says it's found friendly skies over L-C Valley". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). August 31, 1996. p. 8A. Archived from the original on November 23, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  34. "Corrections". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). December 28, 1998. p. 5A. Archived from the original on November 23, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  35. "Delta cuts fares, changes price structure". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). January 5, 2005. p. 7A. Archived from the original on November 23, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  36. http://www.transtats.bts.gov/airports.asp?pn=1&Airport=LWS&Airport_Name=Lewiston Archived 2015-02-15 at the Wayback Machine, ID: Lewiston Nez Perce County&carrier=FACTS
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