Branson Airport
Encyclopedia
Branson Airport is a public use airport
located eight nautical miles (15 km) south-southeast of the central business district
of Branson
, a city in Taney County
, Missouri
, United States
. It is privately owned by Branson Airport, LLC.
Although most U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier
for the FAA
and IATA
, this airport is assigned BBG by the FAA and BKG by the IATA (which assigned BBG to Butaritari Atoll Airport
in Butaritari
, Kiribati
).
The airport opened on May 11, 2009. It is currently the only privately owned, privately operated commercial service airport in the United States as National Express Group
Plc. reverted control of Stewart International Airport
to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
. As part of the negotiations to create the airport, obtain financing and reduce liability, Branson Airport, LLC had to "gift" the land they owned to Taney County, Missouri
in order to lease and operate the airport privately.
The formal grand opening was May 8–10, 2009 during which the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds
performed during an air show. The first flight arrived the following day, on May 11, 2009 from Minneapolis-St. Paul on a Sun Country Airlines
scheduled commercial flight.
There were two airlines operating at the time of Branson's opening, AirTran Airways
and Sun Country Airlines
. Sun Country Airlines stopped operations at Branson in March 2010 making AirTran Airways the only original airline that continues to serve the airport at the time.
Frontier Airlines also services this airport out of Denver and Milwaukee.
launched flights to Branson Airport with daily service to Denver as well as seasonal less than daily service to Milwaukee, which was formally served from Branson through AirTran. Frontier's flights are operated by Republic Airlines
.
ExpressJet also operated flights under an independent brand known as Branson AirExpress to several markets utilizing regional jets supporting point-to-point transit
. Currently, Branson AirExpress is operated by Corporate Flight Managemnet BAe Jetstream 41 turboprops. For the year 2011, Branson AirExpress expects to service Dallas Executive Airport
and Austin
with less than daily service to both beginning April 4, 2011.
On February 23, 2011 Branson Airport's largest carrier, AirTran Airways
announced they would be adding flights from Branson to Baltimore, Chicago-Midway and Houston-Hobby
. All flights are year round.
As of November, 2011 Branson Airport offers 9 nonstop flights with over 100 one-stop connections. AirTran Airways, acquired by Southwest Airlines in May 2011, offers nonstop service to Atlanta, Baltimore-Washington, Chicago, Houston, and Orlando. Frontier Airlines offers nonstop service to Austin, Denver, Milwaukee and Phoenix. Please visit the respective airlines for schedules as they are subject to change without notice. Branson AirExpress offers seasonal service and has completed their 2011 schedule.
of 1,302 feet (397 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway
designated 14/32 with a concrete
surface measuring 7,140 by 150 feet (2,176 x 46 m).
. The land was originally purchased by Glenn Patch, a publisher of Computer Shopper
and other magazines, in 1990 when he bought 7000 acres (28.3 km²) in the area to develop the Branson Creek complex. Patch sold the 922 acres to Branson Airport, LLC in 2007. Patch also owns the franchise
for the Dick Clark American Bandstand
Theatre in Branson.
The owners have put the naming rights for the FBO, the terminal, and the entire airport up for sale.
The construction of the airport, which involved the flattening of several Ozark Mountains, is claimed to be the largest earthmoving project in Missouri history. A press release noted that between groundbreaking in July 2007 and May 2008 11 million cubic yards of earth had been moved.
The $155 million project includes a 7140 feet (2,176.3 m) by 150 feet (45.7 m) runway, numbered 14/32, and a 58000 square feet (5,388.4 m²) terminal designed to accommodate 1.4 million passengers a year. The $155 million cost of the building the terminal included $38 million in private equity and $117 million in tax free bonds underwritten by Citigroup
. The high-risk, high-yield bonds (top rate of 6.5%) were issued by the Branson Regional Airport Transportation Development District. The City of Branson will pay a subsidy of $8.24 to Branson Airport LLC for each arriving visitor with an annual cap of $2 Million. Given the rates at which the bonds are financed, this subsidy could amount to 20% of the total costs of financing the airport's construction.
The overall developer was AFCO. The master designer was Burns and McDonnell Engineering. McAninch Corporation handled the earth moving operations.
Plans also call for the construction of an 8,000-seat arena and 15,000-seat amphitheater near the airport.
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
located eight nautical miles (15 km) south-southeast of the central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
of Branson
Branson, Missouri
Branson is a city in Taney County in the U.S. state of Missouri. It was named after Reuben Branson, postmaster and operator of a general store in the area in the 1880s....
, a city in Taney County
Taney County, Missouri
Taney County is a county located in Southwest Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 39,703. In the 2010 census the counties population was 51,675 Its county seat is Forsyth....
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is privately owned by Branson Airport, LLC.
Although most U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier
Location identifier
A location identifier is a symbolic representation for the name and the location of an airport, navigation aid, or weather station, and is used for manned air traffic control facilities in air traffic control, telecommunications, computer programming, weather reports, and related services.-ICAO...
for the FAA
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
and IATA
International Air Transport Association
The International Air Transport Association is an international industry trade group of airlines headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where the International Civil Aviation Organization is also headquartered. The executive offices are at the Geneva Airport in SwitzerlandIATA's mission is to...
, this airport is assigned BBG by the FAA and BKG by the IATA (which assigned BBG to Butaritari Atoll Airport
Butaritari Atoll Airport
-See also:* USAAF in the Central Pacific-References:* Maurer, Maurer . Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4....
in Butaritari
Butaritari
Butaritari is an atoll located in the Pacific Ocean island nation of Kiribati.-Geography:...
, Kiribati
Kiribati
Kiribati , officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an island nation located in the central tropical Pacific Ocean. The permanent population exceeds just over 100,000 , and is composed of 32 atolls and one raised coral island, dispersed over 3.5 million square kilometres, straddling the...
).
The airport opened on May 11, 2009. It is currently the only privately owned, privately operated commercial service airport in the United States as National Express Group
National Express Group
National Express Group plc is a British transport group headquartered in Birmingham that operates bus, coach, rail and tram services in the UK, the US and Canada, Spain, Portugal and Morocco and long-distance coach routes across Europe...
Plc. reverted control of Stewart International Airport
Stewart International Airport
Stewart International Airport is located in the southern Hudson Valley, west of Newburgh, New York and over north of Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The airport is located in the Town of Newburgh and the Town of New Windsor."." U.S. Census Bureau...
to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is a bi-state port district, established in 1921 through an interstate compact, that runs most of the regional transportation infrastructure, including the bridges, tunnels, airports, and seaports, within the Port of New York and New Jersey...
. As part of the negotiations to create the airport, obtain financing and reduce liability, Branson Airport, LLC had to "gift" the land they owned to Taney County, Missouri
Taney County, Missouri
Taney County is a county located in Southwest Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 39,703. In the 2010 census the counties population was 51,675 Its county seat is Forsyth....
in order to lease and operate the airport privately.
Opening
Prior to construction of Branson Airport, the closest commercial service airport was Springfield-Branson National Airport 50 miles (80.5 km) northwest of Branson. That airport is owned by the City of Springfield, Missouri.The formal grand opening was May 8–10, 2009 during which the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds
U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds
The Thunderbirds are the air demonstration squadron of the U.S. Air Force , based at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas, Nevada. The squadron tours the United States and much of the world, performing aerobatic formation and solo flying in specially marked USAF jet aircraft...
performed during an air show. The first flight arrived the following day, on May 11, 2009 from Minneapolis-St. Paul on a Sun Country Airlines
Sun Country Airlines
MN Airlines, LLC, operating as Sun Country Airlines, is an American low-cost airline headquartered in the Minneapolis-St. Paul suburb of Mendota Heights, Minnesota...
scheduled commercial flight.
There were two airlines operating at the time of Branson's opening, AirTran Airways
AirTran Airways
AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of the Dallas, Texas-based Southwest Airlines, is an American low-cost airline headquartered in Orlando, Florida. AirTran operates over 650 daily flights , primarily in the eastern and midwestern United States...
and Sun Country Airlines
Sun Country Airlines
MN Airlines, LLC, operating as Sun Country Airlines, is an American low-cost airline headquartered in the Minneapolis-St. Paul suburb of Mendota Heights, Minnesota...
. Sun Country Airlines stopped operations at Branson in March 2010 making AirTran Airways the only original airline that continues to serve the airport at the time.
Frontier Airlines also services this airport out of Denver and Milwaukee.
Expansion
Frontier AirlinesFrontier Airlines
Frontier Airlines, Inc., is an American airline headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The carrier, which is a subsidiary and operating brand of Republic Airways Holdings, operates flights to 83 destinations throughout the United States, Mexico, and Costa Rica and maintains hubs at...
launched flights to Branson Airport with daily service to Denver as well as seasonal less than daily service to Milwaukee, which was formally served from Branson through AirTran. Frontier's flights are operated by Republic Airlines
Republic Airlines
Republic Airline, Inc., operating as Republic Airlines is a regional airline subsidiary of Republic Airways Holdings that operates service as Frontier Airlines, Midwest Airlines and US Airways Express using a fleet of Bombardier Q400, Embraer 170, Embraer 175 and Embraer 190 aircraft...
.
ExpressJet also operated flights under an independent brand known as Branson AirExpress to several markets utilizing regional jets supporting point-to-point transit
Point-to-point transit
Point-to-point transit refers to a transportation system where a plane, bus or train travels directly to a destination, rather than going through a central hub...
. Currently, Branson AirExpress is operated by Corporate Flight Managemnet BAe Jetstream 41 turboprops. For the year 2011, Branson AirExpress expects to service Dallas Executive Airport
Dallas Executive Airport
Dallas Executive Airport , formerly known as Redbird Airport, is a public airport located six miles southwest of the central business district of the City of Dallas, in Dallas County, Texas, USA...
and Austin
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is a mixed-use commercial airport located southeast of the central business district of Austin, Texas, United States. It covers and has two runways and three helipads.The airport began passenger service on May 23, 1999...
with less than daily service to both beginning April 4, 2011.
On February 23, 2011 Branson Airport's largest carrier, AirTran Airways
AirTran Airways
AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of the Dallas, Texas-based Southwest Airlines, is an American low-cost airline headquartered in Orlando, Florida. AirTran operates over 650 daily flights , primarily in the eastern and midwestern United States...
announced they would be adding flights from Branson to Baltimore, Chicago-Midway and Houston-Hobby
William P. Hobby Airport
William P. Hobby Airport is a public airport in Houston, Texas, located from Downtown Houston. The airport covers and has four runways. Hobby Airport is Houston's oldest commercial airport and was the city's primary air terminal until the opening of Houston Intercontinental Airport in 1969...
. All flights are year round.
As of November, 2011 Branson Airport offers 9 nonstop flights with over 100 one-stop connections. AirTran Airways, acquired by Southwest Airlines in May 2011, offers nonstop service to Atlanta, Baltimore-Washington, Chicago, Houston, and Orlando. Frontier Airlines offers nonstop service to Austin, Denver, Milwaukee and Phoenix. Please visit the respective airlines for schedules as they are subject to change without notice. Branson AirExpress offers seasonal service and has completed their 2011 schedule.
Facilities and aircraft
Branson Airport covers an area of 922 acres (373.1 ha) at an elevationElevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
of 1,302 feet (397 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
designated 14/32 with a concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
surface measuring 7,140 by 150 feet (2,176 x 46 m).
Airlines and destinations
Top Destinations
| Rank | City | Passengers | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Atlanta, GAHartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport , known locally as Atlanta Airport, Hartsfield Airport, and Hartsfield–Jackson, is located seven miles south of the central business district of Atlanta, Georgia, United States... |
55,000 | AirTran |
| 2 |  Denver, CODenver International Airport Denver International Airport , often referred to as DIA, is an airport in Denver, Colorado. By land size, at , it is the largest international airport in the United States, and the third largest international airport in the world after King Fahd International Airport and Montréal-Mirabel... |
22,000 | Frontier |
| 3 |  Milwaukee, WIGeneral Mitchell International Airport General Mitchell International Airport is a county-owned public airport located five miles south of the central business district of Milwaukee, a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States.... |
4,000 | Frontier |
| 4 |  Orlando, FLOrlando International Airport Orlando International Airport is a major international airport located southeast of the central business district of Orlando. It is the second busiest airport in Florida, after Miami International Airport... |
4,000 | AirTran |
| 5 |  Houston-Hobby, TXWilliam P. Hobby Airport William P. Hobby Airport is a public airport in Houston, Texas, located from Downtown Houston. The airport covers and has four runways. Hobby Airport is Houston's oldest commercial airport and was the city's primary air terminal until the opening of Houston Intercontinental Airport in 1969... |
1,000 | AirTran |
| 6 |  Chicago-Midway, IL |
1,000 | AirTran |
Competition
There are some unusual consequences of the airport's private ownership. One such issue is the fact that competition is neither desired nor allowed. When an airline acquires a route to and from the airport, they will generally acquire an exclusive arrangement with Branson Airport, LLC, to serve that destination city. This however does not prevent a carrier from operating to a destination served by Springfield-Branson Airport to the north, for example AirTran flies to Atlanta competing with Delta Connection operations to Atlanta from the nearby airport.“We don’t want suicide fares, two or three airlines bashing each other over the head until someone says ‘uncle’ and leaves,” said [CEO Steve] Peet, explaining why the airport agreed to protect the airlines from competition. “We want to build real service, sustainable service.”
Development and construction
Branson Airport is located in the Communities of Branson Creek development, a golf/residential complex land formerly belonging to Tennessee Ernie FordTennessee Ernie Ford
Ernest Jennings Ford , better known as Tennessee Ernie Ford, was an American recording artist and television host who enjoyed success in the country and Western, pop, and gospel musical genres...
. The land was originally purchased by Glenn Patch, a publisher of Computer Shopper
Computer Shopper
Computer Shopper could refer to the following publications:* Computer Shopper - a home computer magazine published in the United Kingdom* Computer Shopper - a home computer magazine published in the United States...
and other magazines, in 1990 when he bought 7000 acres (28.3 km²) in the area to develop the Branson Creek complex. Patch sold the 922 acres to Branson Airport, LLC in 2007. Patch also owns the franchise
Franchising
Franchising is the practice of using another firm's successful business model. The word 'franchise' is of anglo-French derivation - from franc- meaning free, and is used both as a noun and as a verb....
for the Dick Clark American Bandstand
American Bandstand
American Bandstand is an American music-performance show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer...
Theatre in Branson.
The owners have put the naming rights for the FBO, the terminal, and the entire airport up for sale.
The construction of the airport, which involved the flattening of several Ozark Mountains, is claimed to be the largest earthmoving project in Missouri history. A press release noted that between groundbreaking in July 2007 and May 2008 11 million cubic yards of earth had been moved.
The $155 million project includes a 7140 feet (2,176.3 m) by 150 feet (45.7 m) runway, numbered 14/32, and a 58000 square feet (5,388.4 m²) terminal designed to accommodate 1.4 million passengers a year. The $155 million cost of the building the terminal included $38 million in private equity and $117 million in tax free bonds underwritten by Citigroup
Citigroup
Citigroup Inc. or Citi is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Citigroup was formed from one of the world's largest mergers in history by combining the banking giant Citicorp and financial conglomerate...
. The high-risk, high-yield bonds (top rate of 6.5%) were issued by the Branson Regional Airport Transportation Development District. The City of Branson will pay a subsidy of $8.24 to Branson Airport LLC for each arriving visitor with an annual cap of $2 Million. Given the rates at which the bonds are financed, this subsidy could amount to 20% of the total costs of financing the airport's construction.
The overall developer was AFCO. The master designer was Burns and McDonnell Engineering. McAninch Corporation handled the earth moving operations.
Plans also call for the construction of an 8,000-seat arena and 15,000-seat amphitheater near the airport.
Nearby General Aviation Airports
- M. Graham Clark Field, Taney County AirportM. Graham Clark Field, Taney County AirportM. Graham Clark Field, Taney County Airport is a county-owned public-use airport located one nautical mile northeast of the central business district of Point Lookout, in Taney County, Missouri, United States. It is one mile southwest of Branson, Missouri and a few yards west of the old downtown...
- Branson West AirportBranson West AirportBranson West Airport, also known as Branson West Municipal Airport, is a city-owned, public-use airport located two nautical miles west of the central business district of the City of Branson West, in Stone County, Missouri, United States...
- Boone County Airport (Arkansas)
Nearest Commercial Airports
- Springfield-Branson National Airport
- Northwest Arkansas Regional AirportNorthwest Arkansas Regional AirportNorthwest Arkansas Regional Airport is an airport located in Highfill, Arkansas, near Bentonville, Rogers, Fayetteville, Springdale, and Siloam Springs, Arkansas...