Festus Memorial Airport

The airport was closed as part of a planned relocation and upgrade project. The original airport, designated FES, had a relatively short runway (approximately 2,500 feet) and was increasingly constrained by urban encroachment. It was surrounded by residential areas, commercial properties, and obstacles like roads and power lines, which limited its potential for expansion and posed safety concerns. The city and county opted to build a new, modern airport in a less congested area a few miles south. This new facility (KFES) features a much longer runway (4,500 feet) and modern amenities, allowing it to accommodate larger general aviation and business aircraft more safely. The closure was therefore a strategic decision to improve aviation infrastructure, not a result of economic failure or a specific incident.

The site of the former airport has been completely redeveloped and shows no visible remnants of its aviation past. The land, located in a prime commercial area just off Interstate 55, now hosts a major retail and commercial center. Key tenants include a Walmart Supercenter, a Home Depot, numerous restaurants, retail stores, and several apartment complexes. The former runway and taxiways have been replaced by streets, parking lots, and buildings. The main thoroughfare through the development is Truman Boulevard.

Established sometime between 1945 and 1953, Festus Memorial Airport (FES) was a vital general aviation hub for Jefferson County and the surrounding communities for nearly 50 years. It primarily served private pilots, flight training schools, and local businesses. Operations included aircraft maintenance and repair, fuel services, and charter flights. The airport featured a single paved runway (Runway 1/19) and was a classic example of a post-war community airport that supported local commerce and recreational flying. It was a well-known and utilized facility for pilots in the St. Louis metropolitan area before its relocation.

There are zero prospects for reopening. The land has been fully and permanently redeveloped with high-value commercial and residential properties, making reacquisition financially and logistically impossible. Furthermore, a superior replacement airport, the new Festus Memorial Airport (KFES), is fully operational and serves the community's aviation needs, eliminating any requirement for the original site to be restored as an airfield.