Mercer County Airport (West Virginia)

Mercer County Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerMercer County Airport Authority
ServesBluefield / Princeton, West Virginia
Location300 Markel Drive, #200, Bluefield, West Virginia, United States
Elevation AMSL2,857 ft / 871 m
Coordinates37°17′45″N 081°12′28″W / 37.29583°N 81.20778°W / 37.29583; -81.20778
Website[1]
Map
BLF is located in West Virginia
BLF
BLF
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
5/23 4,743 1,446 Asphalt
Statistics (2023)
Aircraft operations (year ending 7/11/2023)16,400
Based aircraft21

Mercer County Airport (IATA: BLF, ICAO: KBLF, FAA LID: BLF) is in Mercer County,[1] three miles northeast of Bluefield, West Virginia[1] and about nine miles southwest of Princeton, West Virginia. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a general aviation facility.[2]

The airport has been served by scheduled airlines. Service was subsidized by the Essential Air Service program until August 1, 2006, when it ended due to federal law not allowing a subsidy over $200 per passenger for communities within 210 miles of a large or medium hub airport (Charlotte/Douglas International Airport in North Carolina being 173 miles away).[3] Federal Aviation Administration records say Mercer County Airport had 2,041 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2004, 1,885 enplanments in 2005,[4] 1,833 in 2006 and 1,721 in 2007.[5] Scheduled passenger flights ended in 2007.

  1. ^ a b c FAA Airport Form 5010 for BLF PDF. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective September 7, 2023.
  2. ^ "2011–2015 NPIAS Report, Appendix A" (PDF). National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems. Federal Aviation Administration. October 4, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF, 2.03 MB) on September 27, 2012.
  3. ^ "Order 2006-6-22: Terminating the Essential Air Service subsidy eligibility of Bluefield/Princeton, West Virginia, as of August 1, 2006". U.S. Department of Transportation. June 26, 2006.
  4. ^ "Enplanements for CY 2005" (PDF). CY 2005 Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data. Federal Aviation Administration. 2006.
  5. ^ "Enplanements for CY 2007" (PDF). CY 2007 Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data. Federal Aviation Administration. September 26, 2008.