Memorial Field Airport


Memorial Field Airport is three miles southwest of the City of Hot Springs, in Garland County, Arkansas. It serves nearby Hot Springs National Park. The airport is used for general aviation; airline flights are subsidized by the federal government's Essential Air Service program at a cost of $1,637,012.
Fifteen retired Atlantic Southeast Airlines Embraer 120 "Brasilia" twin turboprop aircraft are stored here.
Federal Aviation Administration records say the airport had 1,382 passenger boardings in calendar year 2008, 165 in 2009 and 799 in 2010. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a general aviation airport.

Facilities

Memorial Field covers 844 acres at an elevation of 540 feet. It has two asphalt runways: 5/23 is 6,595 by 150 feet and 13/31 is 4,099 by 100 feet. The airport is non-towered.
In the year ending August 31, 2010 the airport had 28,170 aircraft operations, average 77 per day: 95% general aviation, 4% air taxi, and 1% military. 122 aircraft were then based at this airport: 69% single-engine, 26% multi-engine, 3% jet, 1% helicopter, and 1% ultralight.

Airlines and destinations

Past airline service

Memorial Field had scheduled jet service operated by Trans-Texas Airways and successor Texas International Airlines. In 1968, TTa was operating Douglas DC-9-10 jetliners into the airport with a daily nonstop flight to Dallas and was also flying direct, one stop DC-9 service to Memphis via Little Rock. Trans-Texas then changed its name to Texas International Airlines. Texas International continued to serve Hot Springs with DC-9 jetliners on a daily basis and in 1970 was flying nonstop to Memphis and Texarkana with continuing, direct service to Dallas and Houston. By 1972, TI was operating daily DC-9 jet service from Los Angeles to Hot Springs via intermediate stops in Albuquerque and Dallas. These TTa and TI flights were the only scheduled passenger jet services ever operated into Hot Springs. TTa and Texas International Convair 600 turboprops served Hot Springs as well during the 1960s and 1970s with TTa also operating Convair 240 aircraft into the airport. Trans-Texas had previously served Hot Springs with Douglas DC-3 aircraft during the late 1950s with a daily round trip "milk run" flight routing of Memphis - West Helena, AR - Stuttgart, AR - Pine Bluff, AR - Little Rock - Hot Springs - Texarkana - Tyler, TX - Dallas - Fort Worth.
The original Frontier Airlines served Hot Springs with Convair 580 and Convair 600 turboprops nonstop to Fayetteville, Ft. Smith, Little Rock and Memphis at different times over the years. In 1967, Frontier was flying nonstop to Fort Smith and Little Rock with direct service being operated to Kansas City, Omaha and Denver. Frontier acquired Central Airlines which had served Hot Springs with Convair 600 turboprops as well as Douglas DC-3s. Frontier continued and also expanded Central's service.
Delta Air Lines served the airport until 1969 with Convair 440 propliners with nonstop flights to Little Rock and Shreveport and direct, no change of plane service to Chicago, Houston, New Orleans, St. Louis and other destinations. Delta began serving Hot Springs when it acquired Chicago and Southern Air Lines in 1953. In 1950 C&S was operating daily round trip Douglas DC-3 service on a routing of Detroit - Toledo, OH - Fort Wayne, IN - Indianapolis - Evansville, IN - Paducah, KY - Memphis - Hot Springs - Shreveport - Houston.
In later years from the late 1970s to the mid 1990s, several commuter airlines served Hot Springs with nonstop propjet flights to Dallas/Ft. Worth. Rio Airways, Scheduled Skyways and Lone Star Airlines all flew Fairchild Swearingen Metroliners nonstop to DFW. Rio previously flew Beechcraft 99 turboprops nonstop to Dallas/Fort Worth and Memphis. Lone Star operated Dornier 328 propjets on the DFW route as well. In addition, Executive Express operated Piper Navajo twin prop aircraft to DFW.