Golden Triangle Regional Airport

Infobox Airport
name = Golden Triangle Regional Airport
nativename =
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IATA = GTR
ICAO = KGTR
type = Public
owner =
operator = Golden Triangle Regional Authority
city-served =
location = Golden Triangle (Mississippi)
elevation-f = 264
elevation-m = 80.5
coordinates = Coord|33|27|01.2|N|88|35|28.92|W|type:airport|display=inline,title
website =
metric-elev =
metric-rwy =
r1-number = 18/36
r1-length-f = 6,497
r1-length-m = 1,980
r1-surface = Asphalt
stat-year =
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Golden Triangle Regional Airport airport codes|GTR|KGTR is a public airport midway between the towns of Columbus, Starkville, and West Point, Mississippi, and serving the area known as the Golden Triangle and the surrounding region of Mississippi. The airport has a single runway.

GTR is mostly used for general and military aviation but is also served by one commercial airline, Atlantic Southeast Airlines, under the auspices of Delta Connection (although Delta sold ASA to SkyWest in September 2005). Chautauqua Airlines, a Republic Airways Holdings company, also operated flights under the Delta Connection banner early in 2006. Until Delta's withdrawing "focus city" operations from Dallas-Fort Worth in February 2005, GTR had one flight per day to DFW. Four ASA flights per day to Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport remained until late 2005. In 2006, there are but three flights per day to ATL.

Mesaba Aviation, d.b.a. Northwest Airlink, also operated flights to Memphis from GTR, but they ceased these operations in 2003 citing a desire to not compete with the new regional jet service being started by ASA as they replaced the Embraer fleet.

GTR is the nucleus of a new industrial complex in northeast Mississippi. American Eurocopter, a subsidiary of [http://www.eadsnorthamerica.com/ EADS North America] , moved into an 85,000 square foot helicopter production plant built by the airport and leased to the company on airport property in 2004. In 2007 American Eurocopter finshed the second phase of the project, a 220,000 square foot facility built primarily to manufacture and assemble the new U.S. Army UH-72A Lakota Light Utility Helicopter. [http://www.aurora.aero/ Aurora Flight Sciences] , a high-tech UAV manufacturer completed a manufacturing facility in 2005 and is expected to open the second phase of the facility in late 2008. SeverCorr opened a steel mini-mill in an adjacent site in October 2007 and immediately began construction on phase II, bringing total investment in the plant to $1.6 billion. PACCAR, parent company of Peterbilt, Kenworth and DAF (Dutch) trucks is constructing a truck engine plant adjacent to the airport to the north that is expected to open in 2009. Other industry, many with international roots, continues to locate at the industrial park adjacent to the airport. The area has two "megasites" adjacent to the airport that were certified under the [http://www.tvaed.com/megasites.htm/ Tennessee Valley Authority's Certified Megasite program] .

Because of the projected growth, in the five years since 2003 the airport has spent significant resources improving and upgrading the infrastructure. In 2003 a $1.6 million air traffic control tower was opened to maintain the safety of the flying operation and is manned under the FAA's Contract Tower Program. The runway was repaved and strengthened to take commercial aircraft up to a Boeing 757. Two additional parking ramps were constructed and the two remaining ramps were rehabilitated. The terminal has had minor renovations but a major expansion is planned for 2009. GTRA is attempting to expand their runway from 6,497 to 8,000 feet.

Airlines

* Delta Air Lines
** Delta Connection operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines (Atlanta)

External links

* [http://www.gtra.com/ Golden Triangle Regional Airport] (official site)