Crater Lake–Klamath Regional Airport

Crater Lake–Klamath Regional Airport (Klamath Falls Airport) is a public use airport in Klamath County, Oregon five miles southeast of Klamath Falls, which owns it. It is used by general aviation, military aviation and a few airline flights. In 2013 the Airport changed its name to Crater Lake-Klamath Regional Airport.

The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a primary commercial service airport since it has over 10,000 passenger boardings (enplanements) per year. Federal Aviation Administration records say the airport had 15,856 enplanements in 2011, a decrease from 21,353 in 2010.

As Kingsley Field Air National Guard Base, the airport is the home of the Oregon Air National Guard's 173d Fighter Wing (173 FW) flying the F-15 Eagle. An Air Education and Training Command (AETC)-gained unit, the 173 FW specializes as an advanced air-to-air combat training center for Regular Air Force and Air National Guard F-15 pilots, as well as hosting joint and combined air combat exercises for all US military services and those of Canada. Kingsley Field is home to a USAF flight surgeon training school. The 173d Fighter Wing is currently under the command of Colonel James C. Miller.

History
In 1928 the citizens of Klamath Falls approved the sale of $50,000 worth of bonds to build Klamath Falls Municipal Airport. It had gravel runways and one Fixed-Base Operator; in 1942 it was selected for a Naval Air Station later named NAS Klamath Falls. In 1945 the airport transferred back to civil use; the January 1952 C&GS diagram shows runway 7 (5258 ft long), 14 (7134 ft) and 18 (5164 ft).

In 1954 the airport was selected as a site for U.S. Air Force installation under a joint civil-military arrangement supporting Air Defense Command, later Aerospace Defense Command (ADC) aircraft and squadrons. In 1957 the airport was dedicated as Kingsley Field in honor of 2nd Lieutenant David R. Kingsley, USAAF, an Oregonian killed in action on June 23, 1944 after a B-17 bombing mission over the oil fields of Ploesti, Rumania. In 1976 ADC was inactivated and control of the military installation passed to Tactical Air Command (TAC). In 1978 the Department of Defense closed Kingsley Field as a regular Air Force installation, transferring all military facilities to the Air National Guard.

Facilities
Crater Lake - Klamath Regional Airport covers 1,166 acres (472 ha) at an elevation of 4,095 feet (1,248 m). It has two runways: 14/32 is 10,301 by 150 feet (3,140 x 46 m) asphalt and concrete; 7/25 is 5,258 by 100 feet (1,603 x 30 m) asphalt.

In 2011 the airport had 39,004 aircraft operations, average 106 per day: 43% general aviation, 41% military, 14% air taxi, and 2% airline. 170 aircraft were then based at the airport: 62% single-engine, 19% jet, 15% military, 3% multi-engine, and 1% helicopter.

Airline history
Until 1959 United Airlines served Klamath Falls with Douglas DC-3 and Convair 340 propliners. Later West Coast Airlines flew Fairchild F-27 turboprops to destinations in Oregon and California. West Coast then merged with Bonanza Air Lines and Pacific Air Lines to form Air West which then changed its name to Hughes Airwest and in turn was merged into Republic Airlines. Air West followed by Hughes Airwest continued to serve the airport with Fairchild F-27 turboprops. Hughes Airwest then introduced the first jet service with Douglas DC-9-10 and McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 jetliners as F-27 aircraft began to be retired from their fleet. Republic continued to serve the airport as well with DC-9 jets. Air West, Hughes Airwest and Republic operated flights to destinations in California including San Francisco (SFO), Oregon and Washington state until Republic ceased all service into the airport during the mid 1980s. Portland, OR-based Air Oregon served the airport with Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner propjets during the late 1970s and early 1980s with direct flights to Portland (PDX), Seattle (SEA) and other destinations in the Pacific Northwest. During the mid 1980s, Pacific Express operated British Aircraft Corporation BAC One-Eleven twin jets to San Francisco (SFO) via Redding, California also to Portland (PDX) via Redmond. Horizon Air, a subsidiary of Alaska Airlines, flew de Havilland Canada DHC-8 Dash 8 turboprops to Portland (PDX) and Seattle (SEA). WestAir operating as United Express flew British Aerospace BAe Jetstream 31 turboprops to San Francisco while Reno Air Express operated by Mid Pacific Air on behalf of Reno Air flew BAe Jetstream 31 turboprops flew to San Jose, California (SJC). United Express operated by SkyWest Airlines pulled out of Klamath Falls in the late 1990s but then resumed flights when Horizon Air cancelled all service into the airport.

SkyWest operating as United Express and flying Embraer EMB-120 Brasilia turboprops was the only airline serving Klamath Falls before ending all service into the airport.

In late 2010 SkyWest dropped one flight to Portland. Passenger count then dropped in 2011; however, passengers per flight had increased. United Express, operated by SkyWest, terminated service to Portland and San Francisco on June 5, 2014.

Regional air carrier PenAir initiated scheduled passenger service from Klamath Falls to the Portland International Airport on October 6, 2016. This service was operated by PenAir using their 30-passenger Saab 340B turboprop aircraft. Initially, the proposed service by PenAir was on hold from 2015 due to federal Transportation Security Administration (TSA) refusal to station security personnel at the terminal. As of August 2017, this service has been terminated, following PenAir filing for bankruptcy.

Funding
The Airport City Fund operates the airport's both civilian and military interest. Revenue mainly is provided from city property taxes, transient room taxes and the rental activities in the airport itself. Because of the commercial flights at the airport, the Federal Aviation Administration contributes funds to keep the runways and taxiways in good conditions.