Page 24 - 2020 Resource Guide

TRANSPORTATION

BARKLEY REGIONAL AIRPORT training. After WWII, the government deeded the airport
to local city and county governments in 1945. Commercial
This year will be a milestone year for Barkley Regional
Airport. 2020 marks 10 years of SkyWest/United Express jet air service began in April of 1946 and has continued
service to Chicago, and the one-stop connectivity to 200+ uninterrupted for over 70 years, a rare feat for cities of
worldwide destinations it provides Paducah and the region. Paducah’s size.
In 1949, the airport was named for Alben Barkley, former
Over the last decade, this service has spurred much growth
for our area. Most notably, the number of passengers Kentucky Senator and U. S. Vice President, who was
flying out of Barkley has increased by almost 10,000 people instrumental in its creation. A number of expansion and
annually. But perhaps most surprising, is the development improvement projects have taken place over the years,
of an international travel market that accounts for 6-8% of complete remodel of the airport’s air traffic control tower by
the airport’s annual passenger traffic. Something that never the FAA, which was completed in December 2019.
existed in the 64 years of commercial air service at Barkley Barkley has two runways with lengths of RWY 4/22 - 6,500ft
before United Express flights began in 2010. and RWY 14/32- 5,500 ft, both are 150’ wide. Barkley is
equipped to handle aircraft of all types up to and including
Airport and SkyWest officials worked together to develop
what both expect to be the optimum travel-friendly schedule a Boeing 757, and as such has a fair amount of daily private,
for 2020 and beyond. This schedule moves the early flight corporate, and military traffic, in addition to the commercial
back an hour to around 6:30 am, enabling passengers to service; along with the occasional blimp. Currently 40 aircraft
make the first bank of connections out of O’Hare. While are based at Barkley including six corporate aircraft. The
the second flight leaves Paducah around 1:30 pm and arrives airport is tower controlled 17 hours a day and staffed by its
in Chicago in time to make many late afternoon and early own full-time fire department. More information can be
evening connections, and hopefully mitigate the weather- found at barkleyregional.com
related effects on cancellations that plagued later afternoon Barkley’s current commercial service is made possible through
departures in previous years. the Essential Air Service (EAS) program administered
by the Department of Transportation. Under the EAS
Additionally, work is progressing on the replacement of the
66-year-old terminal building, this major project will be the Program, service by a single, approved airline is subsidized by
start of what could be termed a renaissance for the airport. the DOT in order to connect smaller communities to medium
All of this growth and change will continue under the or large sized hub airports. Approved airlines must bid to
stewardship of new Executive Director Dennis Rouleau, who serve a city and in that bid the airline, not the community,
was hired in August to replace long-time Airport Manager decides on the type of aircraft to be used and the hub airport
Richard Roof who retired after 45 years. to be served. There are requirements to qualify for the
program which Barkley became eligible for in 2009 and has
Located in West McCracken County, Barkley Regional been in since.
Airport was created by the War Department in 1941 as
a military surplus airport to facilitate B-17 Bomber crew

24 | PADUCAH AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 2019 BUSINESS OVERVIEW