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Lynchburg Regional Airport

Coordinates: 37°19′31″N 079°12′04″W / 37.32528°N 79.20111°W / 37.32528; -79.20111
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Lynchburg Regional Airport

Preston Glenn Field
Airport main signage, off U.S. 29
USGS orthophoto
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerCity of Lynchburg
ServesLynchburg, Virginia
Elevation AMSL938 ft / 286 m
Coordinates37°19′31″N 079°12′04″W / 37.32528°N 79.20111°W / 37.32528; -79.20111
Websiteflylyh.com
Maps
LYH is located in Virginia
LYH
LYH
Location of airport in Virginia
LYH is located in the United States
LYH
LYH
LYH (the United States)
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
4/22 7,100 2,164 Asphalt
17/35 3,386 1,032 Asphalt
Statistics (2022)
Aircraft operations (year ending 1/31/2002)99,513
Based aircraft92

Lynchburg Regional Airport (IATA: LYH[2], ICAO: KLYH, FAA LID: LYH), also known as Preston Glenn Field, is a public use airport in Campbell County, Virginia, United States.[1] It is located at the intersection of Route 29 South and Route 460,[3] five nautical miles (6 mi, 9 km) southwest of the central business district of the City of Lynchburg, which owns the airport.[1] Opened in 1931, it was originally named Preston Glenn Airport in honor of Lt. Preston Glenn, a Lynchburg native who died while serving in World War I as an Army Air Corps pilot.[3] Mostly used for general aviation, the airport is also served by one commercial airline, American Airlines, flying Embraer ERJ-145 aircraft to Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina.

This airport is included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015, which categorized it as a primary commercial service facility.[4] As per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 83,392 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2018,[5] 86,366 enplanements in 2009, and 93,772 in 2010.[6]

Facilities and aircraft

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Lynchburg Regional Airport covers an area of 872 acres (353 ha) at an elevation of 938 feet (286 m) above mean sea level. It has two asphalt paved runways: 4/22 is 7,100 by 150 feet (2,164 x 46 m) and 17/35 is 3,386 by 75 feet (1,032 x 23 m).[1]

The new extended runway opened on August 12, 2007. It was extended by 1,301 feet (397 m) from 5,799 feet (1,768 m) to 7,100 feet (2,200 m).[7]

For the 12-month period ending January 31, 2022, the airport had 99,513 aircraft operations, an average of 272 per day: 94% general aviation, 5% air taxi, 2% military, and <1% commercial. At that time there were 92 aircraft based at this airport: 62 single-engine, 17 multi-engine, 10 jet, and 3 helicopter.[1]

In June 2023, Airport Director Andrew LaGala announced that the airport had received a $600k grant from the federal government, matched by a $400k grant from the City of Lynchburg. The federal funding was provided U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) under the Small Community Air Service Development Program. Both airport and Lynchburg community officials viewed the $600,000 grant, intended for facility improvements, as an important step in expanding air service between Lynchburg and key destinations, particularly Chicago.[8][9]

Airline and destination

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AirlinesDestinations
American Eagle Charlotte

Destination statistics

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Busiest domestic routes from Lynchburg
(August 2019 – July 2020)[10]
Rank` City Passengers
1 Charlotte, North Carolina 68,000

Future prospects

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In December 2019, it was reported by local media that Lynchburg Regional Airport was experiencing a considerable increase in passenger traffic and demand for additional flights and routes. The airport was reportedly in talks with United Airlines to restart the Lynchburg to Washington-Dulles route and was also negotiating with Spirit Airlines to start flights to vacation destinations in Florida.[11]

Airport operations were adversely impacted by COVID 19 that significantly reduced the airport's pre-pandemic average of seven flights per day that included a wide range of seating options to include first-class. Since the pandemic the airport was forced to operate with main cabin seating only, with no first-class options available to passengers. By June of 2023 airport officials noted that passenger traffic had reached about 85% of pre-pandemic levels, which were at their peak in 2019.[12] As passenger counts increased, airport officials continued to seek increased commercial traffic but industry representatives claimed that a nationwide shortage of both pilots and aircraft were affecting expansion plans.[12]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e FAA Airport Form 5010 for LYH PDF. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective August 10, 2023.
  2. ^ "IATA Airport Code Search (LYH: Lynchburg / Preston-Glenn Field)". International Air Transport Association. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  3. ^ a b "Lynchburg Regional Airport". City of Lynchburg. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  4. ^ "2011–2015 NPIAS Report, Appendix A" (PDF). National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems. Federal Aviation Administration. October 4, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF, 2.03 MB) on September 27, 2012.
  5. ^ "Enplanements for CY 2018" (PDF, 1.0 MB). CY 2018 Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data. Federal Aviation Administration. December 20, 2019.
  6. ^ "Enplanements for CY 2010" (PDF, 189 KB). CY 2010 Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data. Federal Aviation Administration. October 4, 2011.
  7. ^ Dumond, Chris (August 12, 2007). "Airport runway to open Sunday". The Lynchburg News Advance.
  8. ^ Branning, Rachel. "Lynchburg Regional Airport receives $600K grant to improve airline service". WSET-TV. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  9. ^ Smith, Rachael. "With $600K grant, LYH Airport hopes to incentivize American with Chicago flight". The News & Advance. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  10. ^ "RITA | BTS | Transtats". Bureau of Transportation Statistics. January 2017. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  11. ^ Louissaint, Magdala (2019-12-18). "After nearly three decades, Lynchburg's airport finally sees gains". WSLS. Retrieved 2020-11-24.
  12. ^ a b Smith, Rachael. "LYH pursues expanded air service opportunities with American Airlines, ultra-low-cost carriers, focused on meeting passenger demand, market potential". The News & Advance. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
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