Aviation Systems Director Roger Venables outlines the airport’s current role with precision: “We’re classified as a general aviation airport national reliever. While we have no scheduled passenger service, we handle everything else.” The facility has become a cornerstone for business aviation and corporate on-demand services, alongside hosting flight schools, maintenance facilities, emergency services, and recreational flying. The airport’s prominence in private aviation continues to grow. Following the pandemic, we noticed about a 28% increase in the on-demand service sector,” Venables explains. This surge in activity has transformed the airport’s operational metrics dramatically. “Our operations in terms of takeoffs and landings have increased almost 67%. We essentially went from about 137,000 operations, and this year we’re going to probably reach 230,000.” Meacham’s operations stand out due to their diversity. A significant share of the airport’s activity comes from helicopter operations.As Venables explains,“We have a major helicopter training program here. It’s very active, accounting for roughly 20% of our operations.” Additionally, the airport supports essential medical services, such as the Teddy Bear program run by Cook Children’s Medical Center, which provides critical care patient transport. Meacham’s rich history includes pioneering commercial aviation in the region.“This year marks our 100th anniversary,” Venables remarks. “We launched our first passenger service from Meacham to Oklahoma City in 1933.” Regular commercial flights continued until the early 1960s, when operations moved to Greater Southwest International Airport, which was later replaced by D/FW International Airport in 1974.Although some regional carriers have operated briefly at Meacham since then, its primary strength lies in its current role.“We’re located just 4.8 miles north of downtown Fort Worth,”Venables notes. “This strategic location makes it highly convenient for the business community to access Fort Worth efficiently.” STRATEGIC GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT The strategic value of Meacham International Airport extends far beyond its runways, creating a vital 129 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 01 MEACHAM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
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