🇺🇸 Ellington Airport

Ellington Airport (KEFD/EFD) is a public and military use airport in Harris County, Texas, owned by the City of Houston's Department of Aviation). Located 15 nautical miles southeast of downtown Houston, it serves as a general aviation reliever airport).

History and Notable Features:

• Established on May 21, 1917, as a World War I Army Air Service training facility, it is one of the few airfields from that era still in operation today).
• It has been known by several names, including Ellington Field and Ellington Air Force Base, before being officially renamed Ellington Airport in 2009).
• In 2015, Ellington Airport received a Launch Site License from the FAA, making it the 10th commercial spaceport in the United States, with Phase 1 funding for the Houston Spaceport project approved in 2018).
• The Lone Star Flight Museum relocated to Ellington in 2017).
• It is a base for NASA's administrative, cargo transport, and high-altitude aircraft, including T-38 Talon jets and the three remaining WB-57F atmospheric research aircraft).
• The Texas Air National Guard, Texas Army National Guard, and U.S. Coast Guard also maintain a presence at the airport).
• Ellington Airport hosts the annual "Wings Over Houston" airshow).

Current Status:

• The airport is operational with a 24-hour control tower.
• It covers 2,362 acres and has three active runways: 9,001 ft, 8,001 ft, and 4,609 ft).
• For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2022, it had 115,958 aircraft operations, with 74% general aviation, 15% military, 9% air taxi, and 2% scheduled commercial).
• Fuel services (100LL, A) and ARFF Index IV A fire and rescue are available.
• While it previously had scheduled commercial passenger service, it currently does not, serving as a reliever airport for other Houston airports).

*Sources researched: nfdc.faa.gov, en.wikipedia.org, houstontx.gov, flightaware.com, airnav.com*