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Rochester International Airport

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Rochester International Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OperatorCity of Rochester
LocationRochester, Minnesota
Elevation AMSL1,317 ft / 401.4 m
Coordinates43°54′30″N 92°30′00″W / 43.90833°N 92.50000°W / 43.90833; -92.50000
Websitewww.rochesterintlairport.com
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
13/31 9,033 2,753 Concrete
2/20 7,300 2,225 Concrete
Statistics (2007)
Number of Passengers320,000

Rochester International Airport (IATA: RST, ICAO: KRST) is a nonhub primary airport located seven miles (11 km) southwest of the central business district of Rochester, a city in Olmsted County, Minnesota, United States.

The airport covers 2,400 acres (971 ha) and has two runways: a 9,033 x 150 ft (2,743 x 46 m) concrete primary runway (13-31) and a 7,300 x 150 ft (2,225 x 46 m) concrete secondary runway (02-20).

Commercial air service is provided by American Airlines and Delta Air Lines. The airport also has a large FedEx Express terminal built recently, a small ABX Air station, as well as a general aviation terminal.

History

Rochester International Airport was founded in 1928 by the Mayo Foundation as a way to get patients from far-flung locations to the Mayo Clinic. It originally was located in what is now southeast Rochester and occupied 285 acres (1.2 km²). The following year, 'Rochester Airport' was officially dedicated, and the Rochester Airport Company was founded as a subsidiary of the Mayo Foundation. Northwest Airlines began running Ford Trimotors to Rochester from its hub in St. Paul. Rochester was one of the first destinations from the Twin Cities in Northwest Airlines history, behind Chicago, Winnipeg, Green Bay, and Fargo. In 1940, the existing runways were paved, and additional land was acquired, bringing the airport's total area to 370 acres (1.5 km²). During World War II, the Army Air Corps conducted training operations from the airport. In 1945, the Mayo Foundation gave the airport to the city of Rochester, but the Rochester Airport Company continued to operate the field under an agreement with the city. The airport was renamed Lobb Field in 1952. In the 1940s through the 1960s, the airport was served by Braniff Airways, North Central Airlines, Ozark Airlines, and other small air carriers in addition to Northwest. In 1960, the airport moved to its current location 8 miles (13 km) south of downtown Rochester, and its name was changed to the Rochester Municipal Airport. American Airlines began service to Chicago O'Hare sometime in 1991. 1995 saw the addition of a US Customs post and it became the Rochester International Airport. TWA operated flights to St. Louis in early 2001, but these routes were dropped very soon due to the merger with American Airlines. On September 15, 2005, the primary runway was lengthened from 7,533' to 9,033' following a three-month closure for renovations. At the same time, runway centerline and touchdown zone lighting were both added. The change was made primarily to accommodate Saudi Arabian Airlines' 747's, which were heavily weight-restricted upon departure prior to the extension.

Future

  • Sometime in 2013, an Instrument Landing System is slated to be added to runway 2/20. This would make all runways at the airport able to handle landings in almost any weather.
  • Sometime before 2011, another jetway is slated to be added to the terminal, bringing the number of boarding bridge gates to 5.
  • A long-term prediction for Rochester International outlines plans for a new runway and terminal. A new runway, 13R/31L, parallel to the airport's primary runway, is planned on being created about 2500' southwest of the primary runway. A new midfield terminal would be built between the two runways and just east of runway 2/20.

Airlines and destinations

AirlinesDestinations
Allegiant Air Las Vegas [ends February 15]
American Eagle Chicago-O'Hare
Delta Connection operated by Mesaba Airlines Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul
Delta Connection operated by Pinnacle Airlines Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul
Sun Country Airlines Laughlin/Bullhead City [charter]

Cargo

General Aviation Facilities

Rochester Aviation is the general aviation terminal at the airport. It is owned and operated by Hiawatha Aviation, Inc. The terminal provides line services, refueling services, and caters largely towards business aviation. RARE Aircraft, Ltd. provided flight instruction and aircraft rental up through August, 2006. On April 1, 2006, the ownership of Rochester Aviation was passed onto Regent Aviation of St. Paul. In November 2007, Regent Aviation in turn sold its ownership stake in Rochester's general aviation terminal to Signature Flight Support, a worldwide fixed base operator provider. Also as of November 2007, aircraft rental and flight instruction at RST is available through Legacy Aviation, operating two Cessna 172 aircraft with a group of Certified Flight Instructors. The airport is also home to the Southeastern Minnesota Flying Club, which has had a presence at both RST and its predecessor Lobb Field for over 50 years.

References