Chicago Rockford International Airport (Chicago/Rockford International Airport)
Chicago Rockford International Airport, typically referred to as Rockford International Airport, Chicago Rockford, or by its IATA call letters, RFD, is a commercial airport in Rockford, Illinois, located 68 mi northwest of Chicago. Established in 1946, the airport was built on the grounds of the former Camp Grant facility, which served as one of the largest training facilities for the U.S. Army during both World Wars. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2017–2021 categorized it as a non-hub primary commercial service facility.
As an alternative location for leisure-oriented travelers, the airport currently receives passenger service through Allegiant Air, which flies to six year-round destinations. The third-busiest Chicago airport in Illinois, the Rockford Airport served 103,000 passengers in 2021. RFD is among the fastest-growing cargo airports in the world. The Airport specializes in cargo operations; processing over 3.4 e9lb of cargo, the airport is the 14th-busiest cargo airport in the United States. UPS Airlines operates a major hub at the airport. The airport is also served by Amazon Air. In the 2020s, cargo operations underwent further expansions, attracting cargo flights from Germany and China.
RFD traces its history to 1917, when Camp Grant was established by the U.S. Army as one of the largest military training facilities in the United States. At the end of 1923, the Army closed Camp Grant as an active facility, transferring it to the Illinois National Guard. In 1941, the facility was reactivated by the Army. During World War II, Camp Grant served as one of the largest Army induction and training centers in the United States, training medical personnel, and serving as a prisoner of war confinement center. Following the end of the war, the facility served as a separation center. In 1946, Camp Grant was shut down for the second (and final) time.
After World War II, Illinois adopted the Airport Authority Act; the Greater Rockford Airport Authority was created in 1946. In 1948, the Camp Grant land was officially transferred to the airport authority from the federal government. Of the 5,460 acres (plus a 6,000 acre rifle range) of Camp Grant, the airport authority acquired the western 1,500 acres of the facility, bordered by the Rock River to the north and the Kishwaukee River to the south. In 1954, construction commenced on the airport and terminal.
The airport demolished the final remaining Camp Grant buildings on the airport property in 1974. In an effort to expand passenger airline service, the current passenger terminal was built in 1987. United Parcel Service opened the first of two cargo facilities at the airport in 1994. While its centralized location in northern Illinois was a selling point for cargo service, scheduled passenger airline service struggled, ending in 2001. In the 1980s and 1990s, Rockford had passenger service to O'Hare Airport, but many passengers considered bus service or driving to Chicago a viable alternative. In 2003, the airport restored passenger service; instead of offering regional service to Chicago or elsewhere in the Midwest, the airport presented itself as an alternative for leisure-based travelers, offering low-cost flights to Florida.
Coleman Air Transport had a small hub at RFD in the late 1970s with Grumman Gulfstream Is and was planning to introduce Douglas DC-9-10 nonstop to New York LaGuardia Airport before losing its operating certificate and going out of business.
The first airline flights were on Mid-Continent Airlines in 1950. Successor Braniff pulled out in 1955, leaving Ozark, which had arrived in 1951. Ozark Douglas DC-9-10s and McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30s flew nonstop to Chicago O'Hare Airport and direct to Denver in 1976. TWA flew Boeing 727s Rockford to Chicago O'Hare for a couple years starting May 1980. McClain Airlines Boeing 727-100s flew nonstop to Chicago O'Hare. The original Frontier Airlines (1950-1986) Boeing 737-200s served Rockford from 1984 until late 1986 nonstop to Cedar Rapids, Madison and Milwaukee and direct to Denver when the operation was transferred to Britt Airways which flew turboprops for a short time. Direct Air served the airport until March 2012. The current version of Frontier offered mainline service to Denver until 2013. It also offered several charter flights, on behalf of Apple Vacations.
The airport got its first control tower in the 1950s with the expansion of services from Braniff, Mid-Continent, and Ozark. Radar was installed in the tower in the 1970s, and the airport soon began operating 24/7.
Apple Vacations offered scheduled flights to the vacation destinations of Cancún, Montego Bay, and Punta Cana for many years, through operators such as Norwegian Air Shuttle and TUI Airways.
In an effort to capitalize on its location (less than 90 mi from downtown Chicago and about 30 mi from the outermost Chicago suburbs), the Greater Rockford Airport underwent several name changes in the 2000s. Initially changing to the Northwest Chicagoland Regional Airport at Rockford in the early 2000s, in 2004, the airport became an official US port of entry and achieved international status. To reflect the change, it was renamed again, becoming the Chicago/Rockford International Airport (the slash was removed in 2007), bringing it in line with the two "Chicago" airports (O'Hare and Midway). In many forms of media, the airport also markets itself by its three FAA/IATA call letters: RFD.
As an alternative location for leisure-oriented travelers, the airport currently receives passenger service through Allegiant Air, which flies to six year-round destinations. The third-busiest Chicago airport in Illinois, the Rockford Airport served 103,000 passengers in 2021. RFD is among the fastest-growing cargo airports in the world. The Airport specializes in cargo operations; processing over 3.4 e9lb of cargo, the airport is the 14th-busiest cargo airport in the United States. UPS Airlines operates a major hub at the airport. The airport is also served by Amazon Air. In the 2020s, cargo operations underwent further expansions, attracting cargo flights from Germany and China.
RFD traces its history to 1917, when Camp Grant was established by the U.S. Army as one of the largest military training facilities in the United States. At the end of 1923, the Army closed Camp Grant as an active facility, transferring it to the Illinois National Guard. In 1941, the facility was reactivated by the Army. During World War II, Camp Grant served as one of the largest Army induction and training centers in the United States, training medical personnel, and serving as a prisoner of war confinement center. Following the end of the war, the facility served as a separation center. In 1946, Camp Grant was shut down for the second (and final) time.
After World War II, Illinois adopted the Airport Authority Act; the Greater Rockford Airport Authority was created in 1946. In 1948, the Camp Grant land was officially transferred to the airport authority from the federal government. Of the 5,460 acres (plus a 6,000 acre rifle range) of Camp Grant, the airport authority acquired the western 1,500 acres of the facility, bordered by the Rock River to the north and the Kishwaukee River to the south. In 1954, construction commenced on the airport and terminal.
The airport demolished the final remaining Camp Grant buildings on the airport property in 1974. In an effort to expand passenger airline service, the current passenger terminal was built in 1987. United Parcel Service opened the first of two cargo facilities at the airport in 1994. While its centralized location in northern Illinois was a selling point for cargo service, scheduled passenger airline service struggled, ending in 2001. In the 1980s and 1990s, Rockford had passenger service to O'Hare Airport, but many passengers considered bus service or driving to Chicago a viable alternative. In 2003, the airport restored passenger service; instead of offering regional service to Chicago or elsewhere in the Midwest, the airport presented itself as an alternative for leisure-based travelers, offering low-cost flights to Florida.
Coleman Air Transport had a small hub at RFD in the late 1970s with Grumman Gulfstream Is and was planning to introduce Douglas DC-9-10 nonstop to New York LaGuardia Airport before losing its operating certificate and going out of business.
The first airline flights were on Mid-Continent Airlines in 1950. Successor Braniff pulled out in 1955, leaving Ozark, which had arrived in 1951. Ozark Douglas DC-9-10s and McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30s flew nonstop to Chicago O'Hare Airport and direct to Denver in 1976. TWA flew Boeing 727s Rockford to Chicago O'Hare for a couple years starting May 1980. McClain Airlines Boeing 727-100s flew nonstop to Chicago O'Hare. The original Frontier Airlines (1950-1986) Boeing 737-200s served Rockford from 1984 until late 1986 nonstop to Cedar Rapids, Madison and Milwaukee and direct to Denver when the operation was transferred to Britt Airways which flew turboprops for a short time. Direct Air served the airport until March 2012. The current version of Frontier offered mainline service to Denver until 2013. It also offered several charter flights, on behalf of Apple Vacations.
The airport got its first control tower in the 1950s with the expansion of services from Braniff, Mid-Continent, and Ozark. Radar was installed in the tower in the 1970s, and the airport soon began operating 24/7.
Apple Vacations offered scheduled flights to the vacation destinations of Cancún, Montego Bay, and Punta Cana for many years, through operators such as Norwegian Air Shuttle and TUI Airways.
In an effort to capitalize on its location (less than 90 mi from downtown Chicago and about 30 mi from the outermost Chicago suburbs), the Greater Rockford Airport underwent several name changes in the 2000s. Initially changing to the Northwest Chicagoland Regional Airport at Rockford in the early 2000s, in 2004, the airport became an official US port of entry and achieved international status. To reflect the change, it was renamed again, becoming the Chicago/Rockford International Airport (the slash was removed in 2007), bringing it in line with the two "Chicago" airports (O'Hare and Midway). In many forms of media, the airport also markets itself by its three FAA/IATA call letters: RFD.
IATA Code | RFD | ICAO Code | KRFD | FAA Code | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Telephone | 815-969-4000 | Fax | 815-969-4001 | ||
Home page | Hyperlink |
Map - Chicago Rockford International Airport (Chicago/Rockford International Airport)
Country - United_States
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