Alexandria International Airport is a public use airport located four nautical miles (7 km) west of the central business district of Alexandria, in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. The airport is operated by the England Authority, also known as the England Economic and Industrial Development District, an independent political subdivision of the State of Louisiana. Despite its name, the airport has no scheduled international flights nor scheduled flights to cities near transborder areas. However, charter flights for the U.S. military to international destinations have been conducted from the airfield with this activity including the transportation of U.S. troops to overseas locations.
ALEXANDRIA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT HISTORY
Alexandria International Airport (AEX) traces its beginnings back to 1939 when it served as an emergency airstrip for Esler Regional Airport, which was about 10 miles northeast of what would become Alexandria International. However, on the eve of World War II, the air strip was taken over by the Department of Defense and named Alexandria Army Air Base. The airbase was used for training pilots and aircrews of fighter and bomber airplanes of the Army Air Force.
On June 23, 1955, Alexandria Army Air Base was renamed England Air Force Base in honor of Lieutenant Colonel John Brooke England, who died on November 17, 1954. John England was the commander of the 389th Bomber Squadron stationed at the base. Lt. Col. John England died while attempting to land in dense fog in France. During his approach, he ran out of fuel and sacrificed himself by steering away from a barracks and into a nearby field, where he crashed and was killed.
At the end of the Cold War, the United States Department of Defense wanted to close many of its military bases including England Air Force Base. The city of Alexandria feared that the economic impact of the airfield closing would devastate the economy, so the city of Alexandria created the England Economic and Industrial Development District (England Authority) to take over the base for the purpose of creating a major air transport resource for the region and the state.
ALEXANDRIA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT LOCATION
ALEXANDRIA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT FACTS
ICAO/IATA: KAEX/AEX
Lat: 31°19′39″N
Long: 92°32′55″W
Elevation: 89 ft.
Runway length available: 14/32 9352×150 ft. :: 18/36 7001×150 ft.
