Lake Charles Regional Airport

Lake Charles Regional Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerCalcasieu Parish
ServesLake Charles, Louisiana
Elevation AMSL15 ft / 5 m
Coordinates30°07′34″N 093°13′24″W / 30.12611°N 93.22333°W / 30.12611; -93.22333
WebsiteFlyLakeCharles.com
Map
LCH is located in Louisiana
LCH
LCH
Location of airport in Louisiana
LCH is located in the United States
LCH
LCH
LCH (the United States)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
5/23 5,200 1,585 Asphalt
15/33 6,500 1,981 Concrete
Statistics
Aircraft operations (2015)31,961
Based aircraft (2017)93
Lake Charles, LA, September 24, 2007 - Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Transitional Field Office Director Jim Stark addressed a group of local, state and federal officials on the second anniversary of Hurricane Rita and the ground breaking for the new Lake Charles Regional Airport terminal, which was completed in 2009. The new facility replaced one destroyed by Hurricane Rita. FEMA provided more than $2.7 million for the project. Photo by Manuel Broussard/FEMA.

Lake Charles Regional Airport (IATA: LCH, ICAO: KLCH, FAA LID: LCH) is a public use airport located five nautical miles (9 km) south of the central business district of Lake Charles, a city in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, United States. Owned by Calcasieu Parish, the airport serves approximately 375,000 people in the Lake Charles – Jennings combined statistical area.[1]

The airport has two runways. They are oriented 5/23 and 15/33 and do not cross. The grounds are bounded by Lake Street to the west, Gauthier Road to the north, Highway 385 to the east, and Lincoln Road to the south. The entrance is off of Highway 385.

A new modern terminal building was officially opened to the public in 2009.[2] Built in the Louisiana plantation architectural style, it is a two-story terminal with one concourse.[3] In 2009, American Eagle (now Envoy Air) began twice daily, nonstop regional jet service to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.[4] American Eagle had previously served the airport with turboprop aircraft before discontinuing all flights at one point.

The airport was heavily damaged in the passing of Hurricane Laura in the early morning of August 27, 2020. The National Weather Service office located at the airport suffered a loss of its WSR-88D radar as the powerful hurricane made landfall and moved inland.

The airport received $18 million from the CARES Act during the covid-19 pandemic, the largest amount of any airport in Louisiana. The money went towards upgrades to the airport's runways and taxiways as well as toward new lighting.[5][6][7]

  1. ^ a b FAA Airport Form 5010 for LCH PDF, effective August 17, 2017.
  2. ^ "FEMA Assists In Reconstruction Of Lake Charles Airport Terminal Building". Press Release. Federal Emergency Management Agency. 2007-07-20.
  3. ^ Kimberly Quillen. "New terminal opens today at Lake Charles Regional Airport". The Times-Picayune. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
  4. ^ Peck, Lee (2009-03-23). "American Eagle Airlines to launch jet service in Lake Charles". KPLC TV.
  5. ^ "Lake Charles Regional Airport receiving $18 million through CARES Act". KPLC TV. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
  6. ^ Myers, Ben. "Baton Rouge, Lafayette airports' coronavirus aid less than Lake Charles; here's why". The Advocate. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
  7. ^ ChennaultIntlAirport (2018-09-25). "Gov. Edwards Dedicates Chennault International Airport Expansion". Chennault International Airport. Retrieved 2023-02-22.