McCook Ben Nelson Regional Airport
McCook Ben Nelson Regional Airport is two miles east of McCook, in Red Willow County, Nebraska. It was formerly McCook Municipal Airport and McCook Regional Airport. It sees one airline, subsidized by the Essential Air Service program.
The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2021–2025 called it a general aviation airport.
The airport is named after McCook-born Ben Nelson, a former United States Senator and the 37th Governor of Nebraska.
History
During World War II, a larger training airfield was built eight miles north of McCook Regional to train heavy bomber crews. Known, somewhat confusingly, as McCook Army Airfield the base closed in 1945 and was transferred to state control and McCook State Airfield was renamed. It closed for good in 1969 and has largely reverted to farmland, but the five massive World War II-era hangars are still visible from the air.Facilities
The airport covers 667 acres at an elevation of 2,583 feet above mean sea level. It has three runways: 12/30 is 6,450 by 100 feet concrete; 4/22 is 4,000 by 75 feet concrete; 17/35 is 1,350 by 160 feet turf.In the year ending March 31, 2019, the airport had 16,700 aircraft operations, an average of 46 per day: 90% general aviation, 9% air taxi and 1% military. In March 2022, there were 31 aircraft based at this airport: 28 single-engine and 3 multi-engine.
Airlines and destinations
Cargo
The following airlines offer scheduled cargo service:Former airlines
First airline flights were Mid-West Airlines Cessna 190s in 1950–51. Frontier DC-3s arrived in 1959, and its last Convair 580 left in 1979.Air Midwest began service on October 29, 2006, with two daily flights to Grand Island and on to Omaha Eppley Airfield and Kansas City International Airport.