L. M. Clayton Airport Explained
L. M. Clayton Airport is a public airport three miles east of Wolf Point, in Roosevelt County, Montana, United States. The airport is served by one airline, subsidized by the Essential Air Service program. Reportedly, it is the smallest airport in the 48 contiguous states with scheduled air service.[2]
The Federal Aviation Administration says this airport had 321 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2008,[3] 900 in 2009 and 494 in 2010.[4] The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a general aviation airport (the commercial service category requires at least 2,500 enplanements per year).[5]
Scheduled air service temporarily ceased on March 8, 2008, when Big Sky Airlines ended operations in bankruptcy. Great Lakes Airlines was given USDOT approval to take over Essential Air Service (EAS)[6] and flights began in 2009. Service is currently provided under EAS contract by Cape Air.
The first airline flights were Frontier DC-3s in 1954–55; Frontier pulled out in 1980.
Facilities
L. M. Clayton Airport covers 290 acres (117 ha) at an elevation of 1,989 feet (606 m). Its one runway, 11/29, is 5,091 by 100 feet (1,552 x 30 m) asphalt.
In 2011 the airport had 5,975 aircraft operations, average 16 per day: 53% general aviation, 47% air taxi, and <1% military. Eight aircraft were then based at the airport, all with five or less engines.
Airline and destination
Statistics
Top domestic destinations (November 2021 - October 2022)[7] | Rank | Airport | Passengers | Airline |
|---|
| 1 | Billings, Montana | 2,000 | Cape Air |
| 1 | Sidney, Montana | 1,000 | Cape Air | |
See also
References
Other sources
- Essential Air Service documents (Docket DOT-OST-1997-2605) from the U.S. Department of Transportation:
- Order 2005-12-20 (December 30, 2005): selecting Big Sky Transportation Co., d/b/a Big Sky Airlines, to continue providing essential air service at seven Montana communities (Glasgow, Glendive, Havre, Lewistown, Miles City, Sidney, and Wolf Point) for a new two-year period beginning March 1, 2006, at a subsidy of $6,838,934 annually.
- Order 2007-11-21 (November 26, 2007): selecting Big Sky Transportation Co., d/b/a Big Sky Airlines, to continue providing essential air service at seven Montana communities for a new two-year period beginning March 1, 2008, at a subsidy of $8,473,617 annually.
- Order 2007-12-22 (December 21, 2007): allowing Big Sky Transportation Co., d/b/a Big Sky Airlines, to suspend its subsidized essential air services at seven Montana communities on the date that Great Lakes Aviation, Ltd., begins replacement service, and selecting Great Lakes to provide those services at subsidy rates totaling $8,201,992.
- Order 2011-1-27 (February 2, 2011): selecting Gulfstream International Airlines, to provide subsidized essential air service (EAS) with 19-passenger Beechcraft B-1900D aircraft at Glasgow, Glendive, Havre, Lewistown, Miles City, Sidney, and Wolf Point, Montana, for a two-year period beginning when the carrier inaugurates full EAS at all seven communities through the end of the 24th month thereafter (two-year period ended May 31, 2013), at a combined annual subsidy rate of $10,903,854. Aircraft: 19-passenger Beech 1900-D. Destination: Billings. The subsidy and level of service for each community is as follows: Lewistown $1,325,733 (12 nonstop round trips each week), Miles City: $1,621,821 (12 nonstop round trips each week), Sidney $2,932,152 (17 nonstop round trips each week), Havre $1,162,329 (12 one-stop round trips each week), Glendive $1,193,391 (12 one-stop round trips each week), Glasgow $1,166,049 (5 nonstop and 7 one-stop round trips each week), Wolf Point $1,502,378 (7 nonstop and 5 one-stop round trips each week).
- Notice (June 28, 2013): from Silver Airways of its intent to discontinue scheduled subsidized Essential Air Service between Glasgow, Glendive, Havre, Lewistown, Miles City, Sidney, Wolf Point, Montana and Billings, Montana. Commensurate with the end of subsidy eligibility, Silver Airways will end service to Lewistown and Miles City on July 15, 2013. Further, Silver Airways hereby serves 90-day notice of its intent to discontinue service to the communities of Glasgow, Glendive, Havre, Sidney and Wolf Point, Montana effective September 27, 2013.
- Order 2013-6-3 (June 4, 2013): extending the contract established under Order 2011-1-27, issued on February 3, 2011, for Silver Airways, Inc. (formerly Gulfstream International Airlines), to provide Essential Air Service (EAS) operations at Lewistown, Miles City, Glasgow, Glendive, Havre, Sidney, and Wolf Point, Montana, from June 1, 2013, until further notice.
- Order 2013-9-4 (September 5, 2013): selecting Hyannis Air Service, Inc., d/b/a Cape Air, to provide Essential Air Service (EAS) with 9-passenger Cessna 402 aircraft at Glasgow, Glendive, Havre, Sidney, and Wolf Point, Montana, for a two-year period beginning December 1, 2013, through November 30, 2015, at a combined annual subsidy of $11,950,426. The subsidy and level of service for each community is as follows: Glasgow $2,046,800 (2 trips per day), Glendive $1,944,467 (2 trips per day), Havre $2,036,254 (2 trips per day), Sidney $3,777,579 (5 trips per day), Wolf Point $2,145,326 (2 trips per day). Scheduled service: to Billings. Aircraft Type: Cessna 402 (9 passenger seats).
- Order 2013-12-1 (December 2, 2013): Cape Air will commence full EAS at all five of the above communities beginning December 10, 2013, thereby establishing an end date for this contract of December 31, 2015.
Notes and References
- . Federal Aviation Administration. Effective April 5, 2012.
- News: Eastern Montana loses rural air service . Falstad . Jan . . February 17, 2008 . February 18, 2008 .
- Web site: Enplanements for CY 2008 . PDF, 1.0 MB . CY 2008 Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data . Federal Aviation Administration . December 18, 2009 .
- Web site: Enplanements for CY 2010 . PDF, 189 KB . CY 2010 Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data . Federal Aviation Administration . October 4, 2011 .
- Web site: 2011–2015 NPIAS Report, Appendix A . PDF, 2.03 MB . National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems . Federal Aviation Administration . October 4, 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120927084535/http://www.faa.gov/airports/planning_capacity/npias/reports/media/2011/npias_2011_appA.pdf . September 27, 2012 .
- News: Great Lakes prepares for Montana routes . Sidney Herald . Montana . December 30, 2007 . February 3, 2008.
- Web site: Wolf Point, MT: L. M. Clayton (OLF) . . December 2013 . May 29, 2022 .
