Abilene Regional Airport (IATA: ABI, ICAO: KABI, FAALID: ABI) is a public airport located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of downtown Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas.[2] The airport is located within the Abilene city limits, and is and owned and operated by the city.[1]
Most operations at the airport are general aviation and military training. Abilene Regional is currently served by Envoy Air, operating as American Eagle, operating daily Embraer regional jet flights to Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW).
Allegiant Airlines operated twice-weekly flights to Las Vegas (LAS) with McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jetliners in 2006–07 before ceasing all service to Abilene. Charter air carriers such as Sun Country Airlines continue to operate flights on an occasional basis from ABI to Las Vegas with mainline jet aircraft such as the Boeing 737.
Air freight service to Abilene is provided primarily by subcontractors. The airport was formerly served by major carriers; UPS and USPS now primarily truck their overnight packages in from Dallas-Fort Worth, and most Abilene-bound FedEx Express shipments are sent through Lubbock.
Native Air (formerly Southwest Medevac) housed an emergency medical helicopter and crew at the airport for about 10 years, but closed the base in 2014.[5] The city's remaining emergency medical helicopter service is provided by Air Evac Lifeteam, with its aircraft and crew stationed at Hendrick Medical Center.
Abilene Regional is also home to Eagle Aviation Services, Inc., which is a heavy-maintenance base for all American Eagle aircraft. Basically every plane in the airline's fleet is maintained at ABI. The airport grounds also acted as an aircraft boneyard for American Eagle, which stored around 20 retired Saab 340 turboprop aircraft which remain in the airline's livery. American Eagle replaced these propjets with Embraer regional jets. As of 2023, American Eagle was serving Abilene Airport with flights to the Dallas-Fort Worth airport.
In the 1930s Abilene was a stop on American Airlines overnight service between Dallas and Los Angeles.[6] American's 12-passenger Curtiss Condors had sleeper berths and flew Dallas Love Field - Ft. Worth - Abilene - Big Spring, TX - El Paso - Douglas, AZ - Tucson - Phoenix - Los Angeles.[6] In the 1940s American's Douglas DC-3s flew Dallas Love Field - Abilene - Big Spring - El Paso - Tucson - Phoenix - San Diego - Los Angeles.[7] American left Abilene in 1949 and would not return until American Eagle service began in the 1980s.
Trans-Texas DC-3s, Convair 240s, and Convair 600s flew from Abilene to Dallas Love Field and other cities in Texas and New Mexico.[13] Trans-Texas began the first jet service, Douglas DC-9-10s by 1968.[14] TTa flew nonstop to Austin and Lubbock and direct to Albuquerque, Amarillo, Houston Hobby Airport, San Antonio and Santa Fe.[14] Most flights were Convair 600s but some DC-9s flew via Dallas direct to Austin and Houston. Trans-Texas Airways changed its name to Texas International (TI) and continued DC-9 and Convair 600 flights at Abilene. TI served Amarillo and Lubbock from Abilene, and DC-9s flew to Dallas Love Field and to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport (DFW) after it opened. In 1970 Texas International had four flights a day to Dallas, two being DC-9s.[15] Both DC-9 flights to Dallas continued direct to San Antonio. TI Convair 600s flew to Albuquerque, and a DC-9 flew nonstop to San Angelo, an extension of a flight from Dallas. In 1976 the airport had international service of a sort as Texas International DC-9s flew direct to Mexico City four days a week via Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston.[16] The OAG lists TI DC-9s from Austin, Laredo, McAllen, San Angelo and San Antonio in addition to the service from Dallas/Fort Worth. In 1979 Texas International scheduled up to four nonstop DC-9s a day from San Antonio to ABI in addition to the four DC-9s a day to Dallas/Ft. Worth.[17] With the merger of Texas International and Continental Airlines, TI left Abilene and the airport lost its only jet service in the early 1980s.[18]
Abilene Regional Airport covers 1,644 acres (665 ha) and has two asphaltrunways: 17L/35R 7,198 ft × 150 ft (2,194 m × 46 m), and 17R/35L 7,202 ft × 150 ft (2,195 m × 46 m).[2] In June 1952 it had four runways (045-079-129-180 deg) 3200 to 3684 ft long.
The former runway 4/22[27] has been decommissioned as of 2023.
The terminal has seen many expansions and improvements in the past decade. The upper-level houses the airline ticket counters, restaurant, gift shop, airport offices, and two departure gates, each with Jetway boarding bridges. The lower level has two baggage carousels and car-rental agencies.
Recent improvements include the reconstruction of the airline ramps near the terminal and a new, expanded public parking lot. The new lot has 731 covered parking spaces and escalator access to the upper level.
Construction of the airport's new 130-foot (40 m)-tall control tower began in August 2010 and was completed in January 2012. This new tower replaces a 65-foot (20 m) tower built in 1959.
In the year ending May 31, 2023, the airport had 41,459 aircraft operations, an average of 114 per day: 54% general aviation, 29% military, 14% air taxi and 3% scheduled commercial. 105 aircraft were based at this airport: 79 single-engine, 17 multi-engine, 8 jet and 1 helicopter.[2]
