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Killeen Regional Airport

Coordinates: 31°04′02″N 097°49′44″W / 31.06722°N 97.82889°W / 31.06722; -97.82889
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Killeen Regional Airport
USGS 2006 orthophoto
Summary
Airport typeMilitary/Public
LocationFort Cavazos / Killeen, Texas
Elevation AMSL1,015 ft / 309 m
Coordinates31°04′02″N 097°49′44″W / 31.06722°N 97.82889°W / 31.06722; -97.82889
WebsiteFlyGRK.net
Map
GRK is located in Texas
GRK
GRK
Location of airport in Texas
GRK is located in the United States
GRK
GRK
GRK (the United States)
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
15/33 9,997 3,047 PEM
Statistics (2021)
Aircraft operations (year ending 4/30/2021)84,630
Sources: Airport website[1] and FAA[2]

Killeen Regional Airport[1] (IATA: GRK, ICAO: KGRK, FAA LID: GRK) is a small military/commercial joint-use airport that operates alongside Robert Gray Army Airfield.[2] The airport is based inside the south end of the Fort Cavazos Military Reservation (known as West Fort Hood), six nautical miles (7 mi, 11 km) southwest of the central business district of Killeen, Texas,[2] in unincorporated Bell County. The commercial side replaced the old Killeen Municipal Airport (now Skylark Field) in August, 2004 as that airport was unable to expand. Formerly Killeen–Fort Hood Regional Airport, on 26 September, 2023, the airport began the multi-month process of renaming to "Killeen Regional Airport", as approved by the Killeen City Council.[3]

As per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 232,299 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2008,[4] 231,500 enplanements in 2009, and 243,861 in 2010.[5] It is included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015, which categorized it as a primary commercial service airport (more than 10,000 enplanements per year).[6]

Facilities and aircraft

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The airport has one runway designated 15/33 with a PEM (Porous European Mix) surface measuring 9,997 by 200 feet (3,047 x 61 m). For the 12-month period ending April 30, 2021, the airport had 84,630 aircraft operations, an average of 232 per day: 87% military, 12% scheduled commercial and 1% general aviation. 47 aircraft were then based at this airport: 1 multi-engine, 6 jet, and 40 military.[2]

The civilian terminal has six gates, car rental facilities, and retail shops. Gates 1-3 and 4-6 are separated by different TSA checkpoints.

2018 Master Plan and Improvements

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In 2018, the facility continued completion of the master plan, bid and awarded a $4.9 million passenger boarding bridge replacement project, design and bid a $4.7 million security surveillance project, completed design of a $750,000 quick-turn. facility and more.[7] The airport also saw Blimpie take lease of one of the retail spots located on the second floor of the terminal in 2019.

Airlines and destinations

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Killeen Regional Airport currently offers a single non-stop destination.

At the time of the move from Skylark Field in August, 2004, American Eagle began flights to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, and Continental Express began flights to Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport. Continental Express was merged into United Express in 2012 and the carrier ended service to Killeen in early 2022. Delta Connection provided service to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport from 2006 through early 2018.[8]

In 2005, Allegiant Air offered twice weekly service to Las Vegas. After nine months of service, Allegient Air stopped all flights to and from Killeen in February 2006.[9]

Occasionally, NCAA football teams have their charter airplanes parked at gates 1 and 6 for away football teams playing the University of Mary Hardin–Baylor, or for the university's own football team. The usual airlines for these charters include Sun Country, Xtra Airways, and Southwest Airlines.

On November 27, 2017, Delta Airlines announced that service would no longer continue to Killeen, and the route ended on 15 January, 2018. American Airlines later added two daily flights because it no longer had competition with Delta, and it also added the Embraer 175, the largest aircraft for regular scheduled passenger flights currently, and the largest the airport has seen since Allegiant left. United Airlines also added a third daily flight in response to Delta leaving.

Effective 4 January, 2022, United ceased its operations in Killeen after announcing their plans on 4 November, 2021. American Airlines is the only remaining commercial passenger airline, with multiple flights to and from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport daily under their American Eagle regional flight brand.[10]

Passenger

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AirlinesDestinations
American Eagle Dallas/Fort Worth

Top destinations

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Busiest domestic routes from GRK
(January 2019–December 2019)[11]
Rank City Passengers
1 Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas 108,000
2 Houston (Intercontinental), Texas 35,000

Accidents near GRK

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  • On March 12, 1985, a USAF Lockheed C-130 Hercules crashed in Fort Hood when dropping 15-pound sand bags from low altitude to simulate a supply dropping mission. The aircraft stalled and crashed into a rural field. Six out of the 8 occupants were killed.[12]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Your Central Texas Airport". www.flykilleen.net.
  2. ^ a b c d FAA Airport Form 5010 for GRK PDF. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective August 10, 2023.
  3. ^ Limiti, Kevin (2023-09-26). "Council changes airport's name to Killeen Regional Airport". The Killeen Daily Herald. Archived from the original on 2023-09-29. Retrieved 2023-10-01.
  4. ^ "Enplanements for CY 2008" (PDF, 1.0 MB). faa.gov. Federal Aviation Administration. December 18, 2009.
  5. ^ "Enplanements for CY 2010" (PDF, 189 KB). faa.gov. Federal Aviation Administration. October 4, 2011.
  6. ^ "2011–2015 NPIAS Report, Appendix A" (PDF). faa.gov. Federal Aviation Administration. October 4, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF, 2.03 MB) on September 27, 2012.
  7. ^ "Killeen's airport regains market, route after Delta pulled out". 11 February 2019.
  8. ^ Official Airline Guide
  9. ^ "Allegiant Air Pulls Service from Killeen-Ft. Hood Regional Airport". Archived from the original on 2017-12-01. Retrieved 2017-01-03.
  10. ^ Dowling, Jack (2021-11-04). "United Airlines leaving Killeen, citing COVID-19 related struggles". The Killeen Daily Herald. Archived from the original on 2022-01-23. Retrieved 2023-10-01.
  11. ^ "RITA | BTS | Transtats". Bureau of Transportation Statistics. January 2019. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  12. ^ Accident description for 64-0549 at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on August 30, 2023.
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