Las Cruces International Airport is a city-owned, public airport nine miles west of the central business district of Las Cruces, in

Doña Ana County, New Mexico Doña Ana County is located in the southern part of the State of New Mexico, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 219,561, which makes it the second-most populated county in New Mexico. Its county seat is Las Cruces, t ...

. It is in the

National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS) is an inventory of U.S. aviation infrastructure assets. NPIAS was developed and now maintained by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). It identifies existing and proposed airports tha ...

for 2019–23 which categorized it as a regional ''

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...

'' facility. LRU is a landing rights airport and is on a mesa overlooking the

Mesilla Valley The Mesilla Valley is a geographic feature of Southern New Mexico and far West Texas. It was formed by repeated heavy spring floods of the Rio Grande. Background The fertile Mesilla Valley extends from Radium Springs, New Mexico, to the west s ...

. The airport was the base for Zia Airlines from 1972 to 1980. The airport is used by

, the United States government,

New Mexico State University New Mexico State University (NMSU or NM State) is a public land-grant research university based primarily in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest public institution of higher education in New Mexico and one of the state's ...

, private charters and the local

CAP A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. Caps typically have a visor, or no brim at all. They are popular in casual and informal se ...

squadron. National Guard's C Company, 3rd Battalion, 140th Aviation Regiment, operates and houses four

UH-72 Lakota The Eurocopter (now Airbus Helicopters) UH-72 Lakota is a twin-engine helicopter with a single, four-bladed main rotor. The UH-72 is a militarized version of the Eurocopter EC145, built by American Eurocopter (now Airbus Helicopters, Inc.), a ...

helicopters at the Las Cruces International Airport. Additionally, as of 2023, passenger air service has returned in a limited capacity after an 18 year absence, for which the field also retains a terminal for.

Facilities and aircraft

Las Cruces International Airport covers 2,193

acre The acre is a unit of land area used in the imperial and US customary systems. It is traditionally defined as the area of one chain by one furlong (66 by 660 feet), which is exactly equal to 10 square chains, of a square mile, 4,840 square ...

s (887 ha) at an

elevation The elevation of a geographic location is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface (see Geodetic datum § ...

of 4,457 feet (1,358 m) above

mean sea level There are several kinds of mean in mathematics, especially in statistics. Each mean serves to summarize a given group of data, often to better understand the overall value ( magnitude and sign) of a given data set. For a data set, the '' ...

. It has three

runway According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and takeoff of aircraft". Runways may be a man-made surface (often asphalt, concrete ...

s: 4/22 is 7,501 by 106 feet (2,286 x 32 m)

asphalt Asphalt, also known as bitumen (, ), is a sticky, black, highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. It may be found in natural deposits or may be a refined product, and is classed as a pitch. Before the 20th century, the term ...

; 8/26 is 6,069 by 100 feet (1,850 x 30 m) asphalt; 12/30 is 7,506 by 100 feet (2,288 x 30 m)

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wid ...

. In the year ending December 31, 2017 the airport had 79,880 total aircraft operations, an average of 219 per day: 67.4%

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

, 28.2%

, and 4.5%

air taxi An air taxi is a small commercial aircraft that makes short flights on demand. In 2001 air taxi operations were promoted in the United States by a NASA and aerospace industry study on the potential Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) ...

. 136 aircraft were then based at this airport: 72% single-

engine An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy. Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power ...

, 9.6% multi-engine, 2.2% jet, 2.2%

helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attribu ...

, 2.9%

glider Glider may refer to: Aircraft and transport Aircraft * Glider (aircraft), heavier-than-air aircraft primarily intended for unpowered flight ** Glider (sailplane), a rigid-winged glider aircraft with an undercarriage, used in the sport of gliding ...

, 8.1%

ultralight Ultralight aviation (called microlight aviation in some countries) is the flying of lightweight, 1- or 2-seat fixed-wing aircraft. Some countries differentiate between weight-shift control and conventional three-axis control aircraft with aile ...

, and 2.9%

. The airport has two

fixed-base operator A fixed-base operator (FBO) is an organization granted the right by an airport to operate at the airport and provide aeronautical services such as fueling, hangaring, tie-down and parking, aircraft rental, aircraft maintenance, flight instructio ...

s (FBOs), Southwest Aviation and Francis Aviation. Southwest Aviation provides flight instruction services, aircraft fuel, and facilities to handle corporate aircraft and private charters. Francis Aviation provides aircraft fuel, charters, and facilities to handle corporate aircraft and private charters. Frost Aviation Services also operates at the airport providing flight training services.

Historical airline service

Las Cruces has been served by twelve commercial airlines since the late 1940s: *

Pioneer Air Lines Essair (short for ''Efficiency, Safety, and Speed in the Air'') was incorporated in 1939, the first airline authorized by the federal Civil Aeronautics Board ( CAB) to fly as a "local service" air carrier in the United States. It changed its name ...

began the first service in 1948 with Las Cruces being a stop on a route between Amarillo and El Paso, Texas. The carrier used

Douglas DC-3 The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller-driven airliner manufactured by Douglas Aircraft Company, which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II. It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper versi ...

aircraft and other stops were made at Clovis and Roswell, New Mexico. Service ended in 1950. *

Continental Airlines Continental Airlines, simply known as Continental, was a major United States airline founded in 1934 and eventually headquartered in Houston, Texas. It had ownership interests and brand partnerships with several carriers. Continental started ...

served Las Cruces between 1950 and 1954 as a stop along a route between Denver and El Paso. The carrier used

aircraft and many other stops were made in Colorado and New Mexico. *

Frontier Airlines Frontier Airlines is a major ultra-low-cost U.S. airline headquartered in Denver, Colorado. It operates flights to over 100 destinations throughout the United States and 31 international destinations, and employs more than 3,000 staff. The ca ...

served Las Cruces between 1950 and 1953 as a stop along a route between Phoenix and El Paso. Many other stops were made in Arizona and New Mexico and this carrier also used

aircraft. * Bison Airlines served Las Cruces in 1963 and 1964 with flights to Albuquerque and El Paso. The carrier used

Aero Commander Aero Commander was an aircraft manufacturer formed in 1944. In subsequent years, it became a subsidiary of Rockwell International and Gulfstream Aerospace. The company ceased aircraft production in 1986. History Aero was formed in Culver City, C ...

and

De Havilland Dove The de Havilland DH.104 Dove is a British short-haul airliner developed and manufactured by de Havilland. The design, which was a monoplane successor to the pre-war Dragon Rapide biplane, came about from the Brabazon Committee report which, ...

aircraft. * Aztec Airlines provided service from Las Cruces to El Paso and Silver City, New Mexico in 1966 and 1967 using

Piper Aztec The Piper PA-23, named Apache and later Aztec, is an American four- to six-seat twin-engined light aircraft aimed at the general-aviation market. The United States Navy and military forces in other countries also used it in small numbers. Origin ...

aircraft. * Zia Airlines was based in Las Cruces and provided flights to Albuquerque and Santa Fe from 1974 through 1980. Flights were occasionally operated to El Paso, Alamogordo and Silver City as well. The carrier used

Cessna 402 The Cessna 401 and 402 are a series of 6 to 10 seat, light twin-piston engine aircraft. This line was manufactured by Cessna from 1966 to 1985 under the name Utiliner and Businessliner.Montgomery, MR & Gerald Foster: ''A Field Guide to Airplane ...

and Handley Page Jetstream aircraft. * Stahmann Farms of Las Cruces operated airline service in 1980 with flights to Albuquerque and Santa Fe using

aircraft. * Airways of New Mexico provided service to El Paso for a short time in 1981 then to Albuquerque from 1981 through 1985 using

and

Piper Navajo The Piper PA-31 Navajo is a family of cabin-class, twin-engined aircraft designed and built by Piper Aircraft for the general aviation market, most using Lycoming engines. It was also license-built in a number of Latin America Latin Ameri ...

aircraft. Some Albuquerque flights would stop in Alamogordo. * JetAire served Las Cruces in 1985 with flights to Albuquerque using a Handley Page Jetstream aircraft. *

Mesa Airlines Mesa Airlines, Inc., is an American regional airline based in Phoenix, Arizona. It is an FAA Part 121–certificated air carrier operating under air carrier certificate number MASA036A issued on June 29, 1979. It is a subsidiary of Mesa Air ...

provided the longest running air service to Las Cruces from 1985 through 2001 with flights to Albuquerque using

Beechcraft C99 The Beechcraft Model 99 is a civilian aircraft produced by Beechcraft. It is also known as the Beech 99 Airliner and the Commuter 99. The 99 is a twin-engine, unpressurized, 15 to 17 passenger seat turboprop aircraft, derived from the earlier Be ...

and

Beechcraft 1900 The Beechcraft 1900 is a 19-passenger, pressurized twin-engine turboprop regional airliner manufactured by Beechcraft. It is also used as a freight aircraft and corporate transport, and by several governmental and military organizations. With ...

aircraft. Some flights would stop in Alamogordo. * Westward Airways served Las Cruces in 2004 and 2005 with flights to Albuquerque and Phoenix using

Pilatus PC-12 The Pilatus PC-12 is a pressurized, single-engined, turboprop aircraft, manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Stans, Switzerland, since 1991. It was designed as a high-performance utility aircraft that incorporates a large aft cargo door in ...

aircraft. *

Advanced Air Advanced Air is an American scheduled commuter and private charter airline based in Hawthorne, California, at the Hawthorne Municipal Airport where it also owns a fixed base operator, Jet Center Los Angeles. History Advanced Air was founded in ...

is the most recent airline to serve Las Cruces after an 18 year hiatus on passenger air services out of the airport. Flights to Albuquerque began on January 16, 2023 using Beechcraft 350 Super King Air turboprop aircraft. Further destinations also being explored as possibilities by the city. Additionally, charter flights regularly serve the airport, mainly transporting university athletic teams. Large

Airbus A320 The Airbus A320 family is a series of narrow-body airliners developed and produced by Airbus. The A320 was launched in March 1984, first flew on 22 February 1987, and was introduced in April 1988 by Air France. The first member of the fam ...

and

Boeing 737-800 The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as 737NG, or 737 Next Gen, is a narrow-body aircraft powered by two jet engines and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Launched in 1993 as the third generation derivative of the Boein ...

aircraft operated by

Allegiant Air Allegiant Air (usually shortened to Allegiant) is an ultra low-cost U.S. carrier that operates scheduled and charter flights. It is a major air carrier, the fourteenth-largest commercial airline in North America. Allegiant was founded in 1 ...

and

Sun Country Airlines Sun Country Airlines is an American Low-cost carrier, ultra-low-cost passenger airline, passenger and cargo airline, and the List of largest airlines in North America, eleventh largest in the US by passengers carried. Based at Minneapolis–Sai ...

often land at the Las Cruces International Airport. On December 27, 2022, three Sun Country Boeing 737-800's were on the ground at Las Cruces simultaneously when returning from Detroit, Michigan after the New Mexico State Aggies footbal team played in the Quick Lane Bowl game.Flightaware.com

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

References

External links

*
Aerial image as of October 1996
from

USGS The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...

The National Map ''The National Map'' is a collaborative effort of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and other federal, state, and local agencies to improve and deliver topographic information for the United States. The purpose of the effort is to prov ...

'' * * * {{US-airport-ga, LRU Airports in New Mexico Transportation in Doña Ana County, New Mexico Buildings and structures in Doña Ana County, New Mexico Las Cruces, New Mexico