Purdue University Airport Soars With New Commercial Flights & Expansion
When Southern Airways Express began 24 weekly round-trip flights between Purdue University Airport (LAF) and Chicago O’Hare (ORD) this May, the airport was building on a legacy that dates back to 1930, when aviator Amelia Earhart was an adjunct professor at the university.
Today, LAF, a 525-acre public use airport on Purdue’s West Lafayette campus, blends education, commerce, and logistics to serve the community and key manufacturers in the area including Saab, Subaru, Caterpillar, Wabash National, and Rolls-Royce.
And next fall, when Southern Airways takes up residence in LAF’s new $11.8 million, 9,400-square-foot Amelia Earhart Terminal, LAF hopes to significantly increase enplanement, opening the door for future FAA investment.
The addition of Southern as an LAF carrier marks the return of commercial air service for the first time since 2004. The new arrangement is a welcome alternative for local travelers who prefer to skip the long drive between West Lafayette and Chicago and provides faster connections to O’Hare’s national and international flights.
Back when Amelia Earhart ruled the runways, LAF was the only airport at a U.S. university. Today, according to INDOT, there are over 100 regional public use airports of varying sizes in Indiana alone. Of those with commercial operating certificates, LAF is second only to Indianapolis International for the number of takeoffs and landings. “If you add up South Bend, Evansville, and Fort Wayne, we’re busier than all those combined,” said Adam Baxmeyer, Director of Airport Operations at Purdue University Airport.
A recent report by McKinsey predicts that more passengers might opt for air transport for mid-distance journeys of 50 to 500 miles, and that regional airports are the logical base for these trips. In the U.S., 90% of the population lives within a 30-minute drive of a regional airport, with only 60% in the same proximity to a commercial airport.
A unique position
Because LAF is owned by Purdue, much of its function relates to education. Purdue’s aviation program encompasses the School of Aviation and Transportation Technology, the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and Purdue Aviation.
The university’s many athletic programs also keep LAF busy, with charter flights regularly transporting sports teams to and from their destinations.
And although LAF doesn’t have regularly scheduled cargo flights, it does a lot of ad hoc cargo flights related to the area’s large manufacturing base, Baxmeyer said. These can range in size from turboprop aircraft to small jets, up to 737s.
LAF also hosts medical flights, with helicopters regularly moving patients and organs for transplant to and from regional hospitals. “It’s a different kind of logistics, but a really important one,” Baxmeyer added.
Anticipating Growth
LAF’s goal is to grow consistent enplanement--defined as a “passenger boarding a plane at a particular airport”--which will increase its funding through the FAA Airport Improvement Program (AIP). Before the addition of Southern’s commercial flights, LAF saw about 2,500 flights a year; once this number passes 10,000, the FAA will classify LAF as a primary airport, which raises competitiveness for discretional funding.
All of this is good news for the local economy. A U.S. Department of Commerce study found that every $1 spent at local airports adds another $2.53 to the local economy.
“Local businesspeople need to fly, to get in and out,” Baxmeyer said. “There’s a strong demand in our community and this is another option to get you to where you need to go and home quicker. It won’t just benefit Purdue, but greater Lafayette.”
Purdue University Airport (LAF)
Category: Regional general aviation facility
Ownership: Purdue University
Size: 525 acres
Location: West Lafayette
Carriers: Southern Airways Express
Annual boardings: 3,161 in 2022*
History:
*Source: FAA
