In 1999 and 2007, the airport held Gatherings of Mustangs and Legends. Dozens of Mustang airplanes attended each time.[3] The airport also hosted the Columbus Air Show in 2023.[4]
History
The facility opened in June 1942 as Lockbourne Army Airfield, named for the nearby village of Lockbourne.[5][6] Soon renamed the Northeastern Training Center of the Army Air Corps, it provided basic pilot training and military support; it also trained Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) to fly B-17 bombers and glider pilots to fly the Waco CG-4A. After the war, the airfield switched from flight training to developing and testing all-weather military flight operations. The primary unit at the base was the all-Black 447th Composite Group, also known as the Tuskegee Airmen.
During the Cold War, the facility was renamed Lockbourne Air Force Base and was assigned to the USAF Strategic Air Command, then on May 18, 1974, redesignated Rickenbacker Air Force Base by Department of the Air Force Special Order GA-11 of March 6, 1974, to honor Columbus native Eddie Rickenbacker, the leading American fighter pilot of World War I.
The base was recommended for closure by the 1991 Base Realignment and Closure Commission, which would have moved the 121st Air Refueling Wing and the 160th Air Refueling Group of the Ohio Air National Guard to Wright-Patterson AFB. But following a proposal by the State of Ohio, the 1993 Commission recommended that the Air National Guard units remain at Rickenbacker, operating as tenants in a military cantonment area. The military facilities were renamed Rickenbacker Air National Guard Station on September 30, 1994, by the 1991 Commission.
In August 2001 construction started on a consolidated Navy and Marine Corps Air Reserve Center at Rickenbacker International Airport. The $10 million center, scheduled for completion in early 2003, sits at the intersection of 2nd Avenue and Club Street next to the Air National Guard facility. Developed by the Navy Reserve, the project consolidated the Naval Air Reserve Center at Rickenbacker with the Navy and Marine Corps Reserve Center on Yearling Road in Columbus. The nearly 1,000 Navy and Marine Corps reservists at the two reserve centers shifted their activities to the new facility, allowing the old Naval Air Reserve Center at Rickenbacker to be redeveloped by the Columbus Regional Airport Authority, which operates the 5,000-acre (2,023 ha) airport.
In 2015, Cathay Pacific Cargo and Emirates SkyCargo boosted their services at the airport to support growth at the airport. Thanks to their additional service, logistics company Morrison Express launched operations at Rickenbacker in 2016 to support them.[7][8]
A new Air Traffic Control tower was opened at the airport in 2016.[6]
In 2018, the airport launched a $565,000 improvement project to boost the efficiency of its jetways. New ground power units and pre-conditioned air units were installed. Funding was provided largely from an FAA grant awarded as part of its Voluntary Airport Low Emissions program, which helps airports meet air quality standards set by the US Clean Air Act.[9][10]
That same year, the company upgraded its animal transport facility to ensure operational efficiency and animal safety. The facility earned U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) status as both a certified Export Inspection Facility and a Permanent Port of Embarkation for livestock. The upgrade included 12 new animal stalls and an on-site USDA office.[11]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, airlines such as Emirates, Korean Air, and Etihad serviced the airport with passenger aircraft converted to transport loose cargo when demand for air travel waned and demand for freight continued to rise. On April 1, 2021, Rickenbacker and the CRAA celebrated the 500th arrival of a converted passenger plane: Emirates flight 2501 from Copenhagen.
In 2020, Rickenbacker was one of the most cost-effective small commercial airports in the country for passengers. It ranked as the third-cheapest airport of its size that year.[12] The COVID-19 pandemic brought historical traffic levels to the airport. Monthly international arrivals peaked at 120 in 2020 and even higher in 2021 as airlines brought medical cargo in to the airport. 2021 was the airport's best year to date due to the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on cargo aviation.[13][14] It was named the 2021 Airport of the Year by the Ohio Aviation Association for its role in bringing emergency protective equipment, its record-breaking shipments of international cargo, and receiving its first passenger aircraft converted for cargo.[15][16]
Rickenbacker took part in an FAA research project on drones in 2021. It was one of five airports to participate in the agency’s Airport Unmanned Aircraft Systems Detection and Mitigation Research Program.[17][18]
Operations
Rickenbacker was run by the Rickenbacker Port Authority, until merging in 2003 with Port Columbus and Bolton field creating the Columbus Regional Airport Authority. As of July 2006, Rickenbacker is the world's 126th busiest cargo airport according to Air Cargo World.[19] Rickenbacker ranks as one of the world's top 20 fastest growing cargo airports in July 2006 with 112,888 tons, a 15.3% increase from the previous year. This is mainly due to the transfer of AirNet Systems operations from Port Columbus International Airport to Rickenbacker. This number is expected to increase with the introduction of the new intermodal facility that is under construction. As of now it has scheduled service from FedEx Express along with FedEx Feeder contractors, Mountain Air Cargo and CSA Air and UPS Airlines along with contractors Air Cargo Carriers. Multi-weekly 747 freighter service is operated by Atlas Air and Kalitta Air. Another airline based at Rickenbacker is Snow Aviation.
Rickenbacker International Airport was also the site for filming all aircraft exterior shots in the movie Air Force One starring Harrison Ford while also acting as Ramstein Air Base in the film. In 2007, Rickenbacker hosted the Gathering of Mustangs and Legends air show, one of the largest-ever gatherings of operable classic warbirds, especially the P-51 Mustang.
Facilities and aircraft
Rickenbacker International Airport covers 4,342 acres (1,757 ha) and has two runways:[1]
Runway 05R/23L: 12,103 ft × 200 ft (3,689 m × 61 m), surface: asphalt/concrete
Runway 05L/23R: 11,902 ft × 150 ft (3,628 m × 46 m), surface: asphalt
The airport has a fixed-base operator that offers fuel – both avgas and jet fuel – as well as services such as conference rooms, a crew lounge, snooze rooms, showers, and courtesy transportation.[21]
Also in 2006, the Columbus Regional Airport Authority completed a noise compatibility study for the airport. This program helps to guide suggested flight paths and targets soundproofing of buildings exposed to high levels of aircraft noise.[24]
In 2008, Norfolk Southern opened the Rickenbacker Intermodal Terminal next to the airport.[26] This facility allows the handling of approximately 250,000 Intermodal containers annually and anchors Norfolk Southern's Heartland Corridor. The project allows easy access to and from the deep water port at Norfolk, Virginia via the use of double stack containers as well as improved access to rail hubs in the Chicago area.[27]
In February 2022, Kintetsu World Express opened a sales office at the airport.[27]
Old Rickenbacker Tower
Airlines and destinations
Since the completion of the current passenger terminal in 2003, Rickenbacker has acted as a secondary airport for Columbus and has seen a number of carriers come and go,[28] including Southeast Airlines, Boston-Maine Airways, Hooters Air, Direct Air, USA3000 Airlines, Fly Mission Air, and Vision Airlines.[29][30] In 2012, low-cost carrier Allegiant Air launched service to Sanford and St. Petersburg, FL and has since been successful in expanding service to ten additional leisure destinations in the Southern United States. Today, Allegiant is the sole passenger airline in Rickenbacker.
Multiple major cargo airlines, including a number of international carriers, also operate at Rickenbacker International Airport.
On December 5, 2007, a Cessna 208 Super Cargomaster crashed after departure from Rickenbacker. The airplane received its takeoff clearance at 06:48 and departed at 06:50. Radar track data indicated that the airplane climbed to about 1,100 feet mean sea level (msl) and was in a left turn with a ground speed of about 109 knots prior to descending and impacting the terrain. The airplane impacted terrain on an approximate heading of 120 degrees. The probable cause of the accident was found to be the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control and collision avoidance with terrain due to spacial disorientation. Contributing to the accident were the low cloud ceiling and night conditions.[54]
On September 1, 2008, a Convair CV-580 was destroyed when it impacted terrain as it was attempting to return to the Rickenbacker International Airport after departure. The accident flight was the first flight following a maintenance Phase 1 and Phase 2 check, which included flight control cable rigging as part of the check. The flight was also intended to provide cockpit familiarization for the first officer and the observer, and a training flight for the first officer. One minute after departure the flight contacted ATC and stated that it needed to return to LCK. It was cleared to land and declined standby emergency equipment. When the airplane was approximately turning to the base leg, it was about 187 feet agl on a southerly heading with a 196-knot ground speed. About 1206, the airplane impacted a cornfield about one mile southwest of the approach end of runway 5L. The probable cause of the accident was found to be the improper (reverse) rigging of the elevator trim cables by company maintenance personnel, and their subsequent failure to discover the misrigging during required post-maintenance checks.[55][56]
On June 19, 2011, a Cirrus SR-22 collided with the terrain following a loss of control shortly after takeoff from the Rickenbacker International Airport. The controller stated he watched the airplane takeoff and begin a left turn into the clouds. The controller then instructed the pilot to contact departure control, but the pilot never made the switch, and smoke appeared on the southwest side of the airport. A line person who fueled the airplane and a fireman who worked at the airport both reported that the airplane engine sounded normal prior to the accident. The probable cause of the accident was found to be the pilot's spatial disorientation during the takeoff into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in his failure to maintain control of the airplane.[57][58]
On May 9, 2014, a Cessna 525C was substantially damaged during an engine start at Rickenbacker International Airport. The flight crew had initiated a start sequence on the left engine when witnesses outside the airplane notified them of a fire in the left engine. The flight crew then shut down both engines, closed the left firewall shutoff, activated the fire bottle, and all four occupants evacuated through the main cabin door. The fire continued to burn and was extinguished by fire fighting crews. The probable cause of the incident was found to be the flight crew’s decision to attempt an engine start in conditions that exceeded the engine's maximum allowable ground start crosswind component limitation.[59][60]
^"ContactArchived October 29, 2010, at the Wayback Machine." AirNet Express. Retrieved on February 12, 2011. "Corporate Office: AirNet Systems, Inc. 7250 Star Check Drive Columbus, OH 43217."
