LAKELAND LINDER AIRPORT ASSISTANCE

History of Lakeland Linder International Airport

In 1940, the Lakeland City Commission passed a resolution to replace the city's Lakeland Municipal Airport, which was built in 1933 and early 1934. The new airport, tentatively named Lakeland Municipal Airport No. 2, was named Dane Field in honour of Herbert J. Drane, one of Lakeland's outstanding citizens.

The city had barely begun work on the new airport when, with the war already raging in Europe, it leased the facility to the War Department. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers improved the three existing runways and built a training facility for bombers and fighters.The new base, initially a sub-base of MacDill Field in Tampa, was named Lakeland Army Air Field.but was still known as Drane Field. Thousands of U.S. Army Air Force pilots, navigators, bombardiers, and flight crew received part of their advanced flight training at Lakeland during World War II, primarily in the B-26 Marauder. After the war ended, the Army Airfield was left unused due to the size of the facility far exceeding the needs of the city as well as the costs involved in converting it to civil use.

In 2020, the airport had 115,628 aircraft operations, averaging 317 per day: 97% general aviation, 2% military, 1% air taxi, and 1% airline. In December 2020, 279 aircraft were based at the airport: 161 single-engine, 35 multi-engine, 42 jet, 9 helicopters, and 1 glider.

Facilities of Lakeland Linder International Airport

The airport encompasses 1,710 acres (690 hectares) at an elevation of 142 feet (43 m). It has two asphalt runways: 10/28 is 8,500 by 150 feet (2,591 by 46 m) and 5/23 is 5,005 by 150 feet (1,526 by 46 m). It has one turf runway, 8/26, which is 2,205 by 60 feet (672 by 18 m) and requires prior permission to use.

Over the years, the airport has seen a number of layout modifications. An original northwest-southeast 5,000-foot (1,500 m) runway was converted to a taxiway to permit construction of the Publix supermarket chain's corporate aircraft facility on the northwest end, while Runway 10/28 was lengthened to 6,000 feet (1,800 m) in the late 1950s and then to 8,500 feet (2,600 m) in the late 1990s. Runway 10/28, its associated taxiway system, and the current airport terminal ramp area can accommodate up to Boeing 747 and 777 aircraft.

The main terminal building contains the airport administrative offices, passenger processing area, passenger waiting areas, and a restaurant. The Hilton Hotels Corporation Hilton Garden Inn is located adjacent to the terminal. A Staybridge Suites extended stay hotel became the second hotel at Lakeland Airport, which opened in December 2017 and sits on 2.18 acres next to the Hilton Garden Inn. This new lodging accommodates the expansion of nearby corporate parks and distribution centres and the increasing capacity of the airport facilities. The restaurant, Waco Kitchen, which is based out of Battle Creek, Michigan, is considered “farm to table,” meaning that the ingredients served are locally sourced. With a growing demand from international operators, the airport began planning and designing a new U.S. Customs and Border Protection General Aviation Facility (User Fee Facility) in 2015. With the opening of its customs office in 2017, LAL is now capable of accepting an array of international flights.

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