Kingman, Arizona: Airport Availability And Accessibility

Kingman Airport (IATA: IGM, ICAO: KIGM, FAA LID: IGM) is a city-owned, public-use airport located 9 miles (7.8 nmi; 14 km) northeast of Kingman, Arizona, in the United States. The airport, also known as Kingman Army Airfield, was founded at the start of World War II and was one of the nation's largest aerial gunnery training bases. Today, the airport is a fundamental piece of the Kingman transportation network, serving many businesses operating throughout the Industrial Park.

Kingman Airport's history as a World War II training base

Kingman Airport in Arizona was founded at the start of World War II as one of the nation's largest aerial training bases. Between 1942 and 1945, the U.S. Army Air Forces acquired about 4,145 acres in Mohave County, outside of Kingman, and established the Kingman Army Airfield and Kingman Aerial Gunnery School training facilities in 1942. The gunnery ranges were used to train gunners in air-to-air firing, with five target flight lines and two auxiliary landing fields within the range. The base continued to grow, with new squadrons being added and existing ones combined.

The Kingman Army Air Field was set up to handle two classes of about 200 students at any one time. During 1943, the policy was to have a class fire 1,200 rounds per student for one week on the Kingman Air to Air Gunnery Range and then move to the Yucca Army Airfield to fire 1,000 rounds during the second week. The base's official newspaper was known as the "Cactus", and its mascot was "Bugs Bunny" due to the large number of rabbits in the area.

The Kingman Army Airfield was one of the top training schools in the country in 1944, but after 1945, there was no longer a need for a gunnery school, and the base began to wind down. On November 15, 1945, the property was declared surplus, and by 1950, the various parcels were returned, and the leases were cancelled.

After the war, the Kingman Airfield served as a reclamation site for outdated military aircraft. The Reconstruction Finance Corporation established five large storage, sales, and scrapping centers for Army Air Forces aircraft, with Kingman being one of them. It is estimated that approximately 5,500 airplanes were flown to Kingman in 1945 and 1946 for storage, sale, and disposal. The contractor for aircraft scrapping at Kingman was the Wunderlich Contracting Company, which received an 18-month contract from the federal government for $2.78 million to reduce 5,400 aircraft to aluminium ingots.

Kingman Airport's location and transport links

Kingman Airport, also known as Kingman Municipal Airport, is located in Arizona, in the United States. It is a city-owned, public-use airport situated 9 miles (7.8 nmi or 14 km) northeast of the central business district of Kingman, a city in Mohave County.

The airport is easily accessible by road, with Interstate-40 and State Route 95 nearby. More than 40,000 vehicles pass by the airport daily on these highways. The airport also has its own railway operations, with the Kingman Terminal Railroad running over three track miles of track at the Kingman Industrial Park.

The airport has a rich history, dating back to World War II when it was founded as the Kingman Army Airfield, serving as one of the nation's largest aerial gunnery training bases. After the war, the airfield became a reclamation site for obsolete military aircraft and was opened to civilian use in 1949.

Today, Kingman Airport covers an area of 4,200 acres (1,700 ha) and has two asphalt runways. It serves various businesses operating in the manufacturing, transportation, distribution, and logistics industries within the Kingman Industrial Park. The airport offers long-term parking for those driving themselves and has a Hertz car rental service on-site.

Kingman Airport's environmental contamination and clean-up

Kingman Airport in Arizona was founded at the start of World War II as the Kingman Army Airfield, one of the nation's largest aerial training bases. After the war, the airfield was used as a reclamation site for outdated military aircraft.

During World War II, soldiers were trained by shooting clay pigeons made with coal tar pitch, which contained polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Debris from these targets and lead from the projectiles remained in the area until 2014. In 2010, an inspection of the site revealed soil contamination, with PAH concentrations 1,000 times higher than permitted under 2007 Arizona residential risk-based screening levels and 10,000 times higher than the updated 2012 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency residential risk-based screening levels.

From 2013 until July 2014, the top two feet of soil and landscaping on 55 residential lots were removed and replaced to rehabilitate the land for safe use. Starting in October 2014 through October 2016, 284 residential properties were scheduled for soil testing. The clean-up process involved removing the contaminated soil and landscaping from the affected areas and replacing it with clean soil and new landscaping.

The Kingman Airport covers an area of 4,200 acres and has two runways. It is a city-owned, public-use airport located 9 miles northeast of the central business district of Kingman, Arizona. The airport has a significant aircraft boneyard, and large numbers of civilian airliners are stored there, remarketed, or recycled into spare parts and base metals.

Kingman Airport's facilities and aircraft

Kingman Airport, also known as Kingman Municipal Airport, Kingman Army Airfield, and Kingman Airport and Industrial Park (IGM), is a city-owned, public-use airport. It is located 9 miles (7.8 nmi; 14 km) northeast of Kingman, Arizona, in the United States.

Facilities

The airport covers an area of 4,200 acres (1,700 ha) at an elevation of 3,449 feet (1,051 m) above mean sea level. It has two runways with asphalt surfaces: 3/21 is 6,827 by 150 feet (2,081 x 46 m); 17/35 is 6,725 by 75 feet (2,050 x 23 m). The primary runway is just under 7,000 feet in length by 150 feet wide, and the secondary runway is also just under 7,000 feet long and 75 feet wide.

The airport has a significant aircraft boneyard, and large numbers of civilian airliners are stored there. The airport also provides air ambulance services, supports the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) aviation operations, and services the Mohave County Sheriff's Department aviation section.

The airport has a fully developed Airport Industrial Park, which attracts manufacturers with reasonable land costs and the opportunity to build regional trade and service centres.

Aircraft

For the 12-month period ending January 1, 2016, the airport had 28,478 aircraft operations, an average of 120 per day: 91% general aviation, 4% scheduled commercial, 4% air taxi, and <1% military. At that time, there were 56 aircraft based at the airport: 43 single-engine, 10 multi-engine, 2 glider, and 1 helicopter. There are approximately 150 general aviation operators and/or individual aircraft owners at the airport, along with 250 aircraft in storage.

Kingman Airport's industrial park

Kingman Airport, also known as Kingman Municipal Airport and Kingman Army Airfield, is located in Mohave County, Arizona, and is owned by the City of Kingman. The airport was founded at the start of World War II and served as one of the nation's largest aerial gunnery training bases.

After the war, the airfield became one of the top reclamation sites for outdated military aircraft and was later opened up for civilian use in 1949. The Kingman Airport and Industrial Park, incorporated in 1979, is a business centre that houses over 70 businesses and employs more than 2,100 people. It has nearly 4,000 acres of land dedicated to the development of aviation- and industrial-related businesses.

The Kingman Airport Industrial Park offers excellent access to nearby cities and markets, such as Phoenix and Los Angeles, via I-40. The park features ample power, drive-in loading capabilities, and new motion-activated LED lights. The lease rate for the industrial space does not include utilities, property expenses, or building services, but it does include 500 square feet of dedicated office space.

The park is located adjacent to rail lines, providing immediate access to the building and storage yard. The site is fully secured with guard houses, security cameras, and advanced exterior lighting. The Kingman Airport Authority, a nonprofit corporation, leases the Kingman Airport and Industrial Park from the City of Kingman for management purposes.

Frequently asked questions