North Platte Regional Airport

Taking off into A Bright Future

A vital part of the local economy and a gateway to the region

The growing and dynamic North Platte Regional Airport, a public airport, is ideally located three miles from the City of North Platte, in Lincoln County, Nebraska. Set for growth, this airport is flying high into a bright future.

Originally constructed in 1921 to serve the needs of the U.S. Mail Service, that same year, it became the site of the first night airmail flight. The airfield was purchased by the North Platte in 1929. In 1941, additional runways were constructed and the airfield became the site of the B-17 training command during WWII. It was renamed Lee Bird Field that same year, after the son of a North Platte pioneer family and military instructor.

The Airport Authority began operating the airport in July 1963 and it was renamed the North Platte Regional Airport Lee Bird Field in June 1992. It covers 1,544 acres and has two runways: 12/30 is concrete at 8,001 X 150 ft.; 17/35 is asphalt at 4,436 X 100 ft.

Today, the airport sees approximately 20,000 flights a year and over the last decade has grown from a GA (general aviation) airport into one of Nebraska’s largest regional fields, operating almost around the clock, 365 days a year. SkyWest has direct, daily flights to Denver, and because of its location between Denver and Omaha, it’s 8,000 ft. runway, and the presence of Trego Aviation, its full-service FBO, it’s ideally positioned for “quick turn” jet fueling (getting aircraft ready for their next flight legs as expeditiously as possible).

There are 45 T-hangars for GA aircraft; one corporate hangar owned by NebraskaLand Bank; another hangar owned by LifeNet, which provides emergency medical air transport; a unit of the Civil Air Patrol, the Lee Bird Composite Squadron; and an Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) unit onsite.

The need for a new terminal

What the North Platte Regional Airport does not currently have is a modern, well-equipped, TSA-enabled, passenger terminal. The existing terminal was built in 1952 and can only hold up to 50 passengers, with little space for luggage and amenities, and several accessibility shortcomings.

Plans are underway for the new terminal include modern, energy-efficient building systems; a jet boarding bridge; modern, accessible restrooms; an enlarged and updated parking lot; and more food and beverage options, among other improvements.

According to Airport Manager, Justin Gosnell, the terminal project has just gone out to bid, and depending on how that process plays out, it will determine what the new terminal will look like, or even if it will get built at all. “Having a good bid will be key to whether we can have a new terminal or not,” he states. “But it’s very important to the airport as well as the community. We just don’t have the capabilities in our current terminal to house the passengers in a secure area; we’re very limited on space. So, the terminal is the big thing for the airport to grow, bringing in larger aircraft, charter flights, casino flights, and those sorts of things. It goes hand in hand with the growth of the community. And it’s overdue. If the bids come in correctly, and the funding is there, we would start building in the spring of 2025, and it should be completed by 2026.”

Growth in North Platte is imminent

Talk of growth in the North Platte area is not merely aspirational. Some real changes are coming. Sustainable Beef LLC, a local ranchers’ cooperative, recently broke ground on a $325 million beef processing facility near the airport, which is expected to begin operating later this year. When fully operational, the plant will process around 1,500 cattle a day (the majority of its product to be bought by Walmart), bring in more than $1 billion in economic activity, and support an estimated 875 jobs.

Four miles from the airport, the Union Pacific Railroad operates Bailey Yard, the largest rail classification yard in the world, and another 300-acre rail park is proposed in nearby Hershey, NE. In addition, the Airport Authority has plans to develop a 200-acre business park, Platte Valley AirPark, adjacent to the airport with competitively priced business/industrial lots. Finally, the North Platte area is growing as a distribution hub.

“We have FedEx and UPS flying in multiple times a day, and we’re looking forward to the possibility of Amazon and other expansions as the community grows,” says Gosnell.

Golfers and more

Meanwhile, the airport already caters to a continual stream of golfers who fly into the area on private planes, as well as the regional airline. “It’s busy already for golf season,” says Airport Office Manager, Patrick Adamson. “And it’s going to get busier, which is nice. On top of golf, we have some of the best world-class hunting out here, too. We’ve also got the biggest lake in Nebraska about an hour to the west of us. So people fly in to hunt and fish.”

For example, the well-regarded Dismal River Golf Club offers championship-level golf, as well as hunting, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, canoeing and kayaking, and mountain biking.

“During the summer, Dismal River flies in golfers daily,” notes Gosnell. Sand Hills Golf Club is one of the country’s most exclusive with only a few hundred members, almost all of whom fly into the airport before heading out to the links. And another world-class golf course is on the way: GrayBull, which is part of the Dormie Network of luxury clubs, is opening just 20 miles from the airport. It will provide its members with 18 superior holes, plus 15 private cottages, each of which features four master suites, a fully stocked bar, and a private patio with a fire pit. “We are anticipating to double or triple our ramp traffic and jet traffic,” Gosnell remarks.

Post-terminal projects

After the terminal is built, Gosnell says there are other projects on the drawing board. “We plan to build a new fuel farm,” he reports, “and also a new storage facility hangar, maybe 10,000 square feet.  Adamson says that the next big thing will be building more aircraft hangars. “We’re short on those,” he states. “There are wait lists.”

The airport is also looking forward to additional pilot training opportunities, which at present, are only offered by the Trego Dugan FBO. Recently, a representative from nearby Mid-Plains Community College visited the airport with news that the school is planning to institute an AMT (Aviation Maintenance Technology) program.

“That’s exciting,” says Adamson. “They’ve already had a private pilot training program out there, but it’s been a real hit and miss. And they’re revamping that as well. So, not only will flight instruction be provided by Trego Dugan, but the college is looking to provide it, as well. My guess is they’ll be using Trego Dugan aircraft for instruction.”

These airport leaders are homegrown

Both Gosnell and Adamson have long relationships with North Platte Regional Airport. Adamson says that he has been riding his bike out to the field since he was 12 years old.

“I have an interest in seeing this place growing and operating and being the best airport we can be,” he shares. Gosnell grew up in North Platte, studied fire science at college in Lincoln, worked for that city’s road department, and ultimately moved back to North Platte as an operations supervisor at the airport, running all the projects and the fire department.

“That was awesome because it was what I went to school for,” he says. “I was also familiar with taxiway construction because I spent 12 years at the Department of Roads in Lincoln, learning engineering and working on road projects. Six years ago, I became Operations Manager, and last fall, I was promoted to Airport Manager.”

For both these leaders, it’s more than just a job. “I love the projects that we work on, the fire department, the people flying in and out, building a regional airport with a strong GA presence, growing our regional flights to Denver, and just growing the airport,” Gosnell declares.

“There’s something different every day. It’s an exciting field to be in.”

AT A GLANCE

North Platte Regional Airport

WHAT: A public airport with GA, corporate, and regional traffic

WHERE: North Platte, Nebraska

WEBSITE: www.northplatteairport.com