Airport type Public Serves Elko, Nevada Website www.flyelkonevada.com Code EKO | Owner City of Elko Elevation AMSL 5,140 ft / 1,567 m 6/24 7,455 Elevation 1,567 m | |
Aircraft elko regional airport
Elko Regional Airport (IATA: EKO, ICAO: KEKO, FAA LID: EKO), formerly Elko Municipal Airport, is a mile west of downtown Elko, in Elko County, Nevada.
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The airport was named J.C. Harris Field in 1975 in honor of Jess C. Harris, a sheriff from Elko known as "The Flying Sheriff".
History
On April 6, 1926, when it was called Elko Airport, the airfield was the terminus for the first scheduled air mail run in the United States, flown by Varney Air Lines. Varney was a predecessor of United Air Lines.
As early as 1931, Elko was stop on a passenger service between New York City and San Francisco. In the June 15, 1931 timetable United Airlines predecessor National Air Transport flew New York City - Cleveland - Toledo - Chicago, connecting to Boeing Air Transport's flight to Iowa City - Des Moines - Omaha - Lincoln - North Platte - Cheyenne - Rock Springs - Salt Lake City - Elko - Reno - Sacramento - Oakland. Schedule time was 31 hours westbound and 28 hours eastbound. United later served Elko with Boeing 247s, Douglas DC-3s and Convair 340s.
In 1977 United Boeing 737-200s flew San Francisco - Reno - Elko - Ely - Salt Lake City and back; in 1982 United ended this flight, which had been United's last piston powered service. In the April 27, 1969 timetable, a Douglas DC-6 flew San Francisco - Oakland - Reno - Elko - Ely - Salt Lake City; the return trip skipped Oakland. This was the only piston flight in United's timetable. In 1970 United replaced the DC-6 flights with Convair 580s operated by Frontier Airlines (1950-1986) via a subcontract arrangement with these flights using the "UA" airline code before introducing Boeing 737s.
Casino Express Airlines was based in Elko and supported the local casino industry, flying scheduled charter Boeing 737-200s from Elko to many cities starting in the late 1980s. In 1994, Casino Express scheduled weekend only flights nonstop between Elko and Portland, OR and Seattle with McDonnell Douglas MD-80s. Casino Express eventually changed its name to Xtra Airways and later ended jet service to Elko.
Another carrier that operated jets to the Elko was Royal West Airlines flying BAe 146-200s nonstop to Las Vegas in 1987.
SkyWest Airlines began serving Elko as an independent commuter carrier during the early 1980s, flying Swearingen Metros to Reno, Salt Lake City and Ely. By the late 1980s SkyWest was serving the airport as Western Express for Western Airlines via code sharing agreement with flights mainly to Salt Lake City on Metros. Following the merger of Western into Delta Air Lines, SkyWest became a Delta Connection carrier via a code sharing agreement and in 1989 was flying Embraer EMB-120 Brasilias to Salt Lake City in addition to Metro service. SkyWest continues to serve the airport as a Delta Connection carrier, the only airline serving Elko.
Facilities
Elko Regional Airport covers 700 acres (280 ha) and has two asphalt runways: 5/23 measuring 7,214 x 150 ft (2,199 x 46 m) and 12/30 measuring 2,871 x 60 ft (875 x 18 m).
In the year ending August 31, 2007 the airport had 16,520 aircraft operations, average 45 per day: 73% general aviation, 27% air taxi and <1% military. 69 aircraft were then based at this airport: 77% single-engine, 10% multi-engine, 6% jet and 7% helicopter.
Airlines and destinations
SkyWest operating as Delta Connection flies Bombardier CRJ-200s between Elko and Delta Air Lines' hub at Salt Lake City International Airport.