Huron Regional Airport (IATA: HON, ICAO: KHON, FAALID: HON) is in Huron, in Beadle County, South Dakota.[1] The airport has charter passenger flights operated by fixed base operator (FBO), Fly Jet Center[2] and Revv Aviation. Revv Aviation wants to bring all services to Huron including maintenance, avionics, flight school and charter.[3]
The airport opened as the W. W. Howes Municipal Airport, in 1937,[4] named in honor of William Washington Howes, First Assistant Postmaster General under Franklin Roosevelt. Howes brought airmail service to the Midwest. The airport hangar, pictured below, was named the W. W. Howes hangar in 1998 due to the efforts of Howes' grandson, Dr. Whiting Wicker. The current terminal was opened in 1979.[5]
In 1981 Northern Airlines, a commuter airline, was flying from Huron to Minneapolis/St. Paul, Sioux Falls, Rapid City and Pierre, SD.
By 1982, Mesaba Aviation operating as an independent commuter air carrier was operating direct one stop service to Minneapolis/St. Paul via either Brookings, SD or Mitchell, SD with Beechcraft 99 commuter turboprops.[17] Mesaba then became a Northwest Airlink affiliate and was operating code sharing service on behalf of Northwest Airlines to Minneapolis/St. Paul by the mid 1980s.[18] According to Northwest Airlines timetables, the Northwest Airlink service operated by Mesaba to Minneapolis/St. Paul with commuter propjets such as the Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner lasted through 1990 but had been discontinued by early 1991.[19]
Following cessation of service by Mesaba Aviation operating as Northwest Airlink, during the early 1990s independent commuter air carrier GP Express Airlines operated direct Beechcraft 1900 commuter propjet service to Minneapolis/St. Paul via a stop in either Brookings, SD or Mitchell, SD.[20][21]
According to the Official Airline Guide (OAG) as well as the FlightAware website, the airport currently does not have any scheduled passenger airline service.[24]
Facilities and aircraft
The hangar
Huron Regional Airport covers 1,235 acres (500 ha) at an elevation of 1,289 feet (393 m) above mean sea level. It has two concrete runways: 12/30 is 7,201 by 100 feet (2,195 x 30 m) and 17/35 is 5,000 by 75 feet (1,524 x 23 m).[1]
In the year ending August 24, 2022, the airport had 12,200 aircraft operations, averaging 33 per day. Of these, 98% were general aviation, and 2% military. 21 aircraft were then based at this airport, 16 single-engine, 3 multi-engine and 2 jet.[1]
^northwestairlines.org, Northwest Airlines History Center, Digital Archives, Timetables, Dec. 1, 1990 Northwest Airlines city timetable for Minneapolis/St. Paul & Feb. 13, 1991 Northwest Airlines city timetable for Minneapolis/St. Paul
Order 2004-7-5 (July 6, 2004): selects Great Lakes Aviation, Ltd. to continue providing subsidized essential air service at Pierre, and Air Midwest to provide subsidized essential air service at Brookings and Huron, for a two-year period. Great Lakes' service at Pierre is to consist of 12 weekly nonstop round trips to Denver with 19-seat Beech 1900-D aircraft, at an annual subsidy of $449,912. Air Midwest's service at Brookings and Huron is to consist of 12 weekly flights routed Huron-Brookings-Omaha-Brookings-Huron, with 19-seat Beech 1900-D aircraft, at an annual subsidy of $2,078,727.
Order 2006-8-11 (August 11, 2006): selecting Great Lakes Aviation, Ltd., to provide subsidized essential air service (EAS) at Brookings and Huron, South Dakota, consisting of two daily one-stop round trips to Denver International Airport, at annual subsidy rates of $1,212,400, and $793,733, respectively, beginning October 1, 2006.
Order 2008-7-34 (July 31, 2008): re-selecting Great Lakes Aviation, Ltd., to continue to provide subsidized essential air service (EAS) at Huron, South Dakota, for the two-year period beginning October 1, 2008, at the annual subsidy rate of $1,781,159.
Order 2010-8-12 (August 25, 2010): selecting Great Lakes Aviation, Ltd., to continue providing subsidized essential air service (EAS) at Huron, South Dakota, for the two-year period beginning October 1, 2010, at the annual subsidy rate $1,742,886.