Monroe County Airport

Monroe County Airport is five miles southwest of Bloomington, Indiana. Airline flights have stopped in the past, but not since 1997 and not in the foreseeable future.FacilitiesMonroe County Airport covers 1,035acre at an elevation of 845 feet (258 m). It has two asphalt runways: 17/35 is 6,500 by 150 feet (1,981 x 46 m) and 6/24 is 3,798 by 100 feet (1,158 x 30 m).The runway was 5200 feet but was lengthened to 6500 feet, enough for Boeing 727s. In 1995 the aircraft parking ramp was completely replaced, allowing larger planes, and 13 hangars were added. Fixed-Base Operator (FBO) services and car rentals are available. There are two FBOs at the airport: Cook Aviation (owned by Cook Group) and BMG Aviation.Airlines stopped at Monroe County Airport until the late 1990s. Operations received federal funding under the Essential Air Service program until 1997, when these subsidies were cut due to the airport's proximity to Indianapolis International Airport, 50 miles north.In 2012 the airport averaged 61 aircraft operations per day: 94% general aviation, 4% air taxi, 3% military and <1% airline. 104 aircraft were then based at this airport: 80 single-engine, 17 multi-engine, 4 jet, 2 helicopter, and 1 ultralight.Geological hazardsThe Monroe County Airport, along with most of the western half of Monroe County, is located on top of Indiana Limestone. This results in a variety of karst phenomena, including the development of sinkholes in the area. To ensure smoother takeoffs and landings, in the fall of 2013 a major project was undertaken to plug sinkholes using geogrid material.