This article was originally published in the Winter 2012 edition of Briefings
The Fall Forum’s airport spotlight featured Mankato Regional Airport, which has been run by manager Kevin Baker for the last 15 years and by Mark Knoff, public works director, since 2007. Originally located to the east of Minnesota State University, the airport was relocated in 1969 and later established itself as Mankato’s regional center. The airport has two runways and 71 occupied T-hangars. Baker, the only full-time employee, works to maintain 2.4 million square feet of pavement, 300 acres of mowing and timing, almost 100 based aircraft, and 150,000 square feet of hangar space with a few other part-time employees. The airport’s fixed-base operator, North Star Aviation, has been with the airport for more than 20 years and previously managed the airport until the city took over in 2008.
The airport underwent one of its biggest changes with the $12 million expansion project completed in 2007. “One of the main problems was that we were in heavy gumbo soil. In the original construction, they didn’t go down deep enough to get the base needed for the [15/33] runway,” Baker explained. The airport can now accommodate an aircraft as large as a 757 and expanded from 840 acres to 950 acres. “We did a total reconstruction of 15/33, a summer-long process,” Baker said. The concrete runway that went through the intersection was recycled and a new sand base was put in, making the new runway 100 feet wide by 6,600 feet long, with 12-inch-deep concrete. “We can now land anything with a single aisle,” Baker said.
The airport’s main event, the Minnesota Air Show Spectacular, took place on June 9 and 10 of 2012 and was immensely successful, drawing more than 35,000 attendees, Baker said. The Blue Angels, the Black Daggers, Team Oracle, the Aeroshell Aerobatic Team, and wing walkers were among the performers. “Anyone who’s done it knows it’s like a second full-time job,” Baker said of the effort required. The show raised $25,000 for various charities, with $10,000 going to the United Way. The airport also brought in $170,000 in cash sponsors.
According to Knoff, the airport has a history of being highly involved within the local community, and Minnesota State University’s aviation program has helped in continuing the airport’s growth through grants and support from the surrounding community.
Mankato is unique in how it funds the airport compared to most communities, Knoff said. Rather than a levy, the airport receives a half-cent sales tax that was renewed through 2022. “We can plan into the future with projects, so that when dollars become available we can act,” Knoff said.
The airport invests time in repairing and restoring pavements and working on its hangars and facilities. It has a long-term lease with the Mayo Clinic Life Flight and installed a new hangar built to its specifications. The airport’s next priority is to promote business development, as commercial air service is not a priority at this time. “We’re focusing on the things that will bring jobs to the local area,” Knoff said. “The community is very supportive of the airport, and there are people out there interested in making it successful.”
