New Century AirCenter facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
New Century AirCenter
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||
| Owner | Johnson County | ||||||||||||||
| Operator | Johnson County Arpt Comm | ||||||||||||||
| Serves | Olathe, Kansas | ||||||||||||||
| Location | Gardner, Kansas | ||||||||||||||
| Time zone | CST (UTC−06:00) | ||||||||||||||
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC−05:00) | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 1,087 ft / 331 m | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 38°49′51″N 094°53′25″W / 38.83083°N 94.89028°W | ||||||||||||||
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 FAA diagram |
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 IXD
Location in Kansas
IXD
Location in the United States
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Source: Federal Aviation Administration
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New Century AirCenter (IATA: JCI, ICAO: KIXD, FAA LID: IXD) is a busy airport in Kansas, United States. It's located near Olathe and Gardner in Johnson County. This airport is used by both regular people flying small planes (called general aviation) and the military. In 2019, it was the second busiest airport in Kansas!
It has had a few different names over the years, like Naval Air Station Olathe and Johnson County Industrial Airport.
The airport uses different codes for different organizations. The FAA calls it IXD. The IATA calls it JCI. The ICAO uses KIXD. These codes help identify airports around the world.
The airport's codes come from its old name, Johnson County Industrial Airport. The county first wanted "IND" for "industrial," but that code was already taken by Indianapolis International Airport. Then they tried "IJC" for Johnson County, but it was too similar to the "OJC" code of a nearby airport. So, they were given "IXD" as the closest available code.
Contents
Airport History and Its Names
New Century AirCenter has an interesting past. It started as a military base and later became a public airport.
From Military Base to Public Airport
The airport was once a military base known as Naval Air Station Olathe. It was also called Flatley Field. For many years, it was an important place for the Navy Reserve and Marine Corps Reserve to train pilots and fly planes.
In 1973, Johnson County took over the airport. They changed its name to Johnson County Industrial Airport. The idea was to use the land for businesses and factories, not just planes.
A New Name for a New Purpose
On September 28, 1994, the airport's name changed again to New Century AirCenter. This new name was chosen to show that the airport was still very important for flying, even with the new businesses around it.
In 1995, the government decided to close down the Navy Reserve center at Olathe. All Navy activities stopped by 1996. Today, the only military planes you might see are U.S. Army Reserve CH-47 Chinook helicopters.
A Local Legend: The Haunted Hangar
The old base has a spooky story! It was even featured on a TV show called "Haunted America." Some people believe that a hangar near the control tower is haunted. This is because a Navy pilot crashed there in the 1950s.
Security guards have reported hearing strange sounds like voices, whistles, and footsteps. They also say that locks sometimes open on their own and doors move without anyone touching them. Sometimes, people even report seeing a ghostly figure!
Airport Features and Flights
New Century AirCenter is a large airport. It covers about 2,600 acres (about 1,052 hectares) of land.
Runways for Taking Off and Landing
The airport has two main runways where planes take off and land:
- Runway 4/22: This runway is 5,130 feet long and 100 feet wide (about 1,564 meters long and 30 meters wide). It has an asphalt surface.
- Runway 18/36: This runway is longer, at 7,339 feet long and 150 feet wide (about 2,237 meters long and 46 meters wide). It also has an asphalt surface.
How Busy Is the Airport?
In the year leading up to July 31, 2019, there were 53,678 aircraft operations at the airport. An "aircraft operation" means one takeoff or one landing. That's about 147 flights every day!
Most of these flights (91%) were general aviation planes, which are smaller planes used for personal travel or training. About 5% were air taxi flights, and 4% were military flights. Less than 1% were commercial flights.
In March 2020, there were 47 aircraft regularly kept at the airport. These included 23 single-engine planes, 7 multi-engine planes, 1 jet, and 16 military aircraft.
New Century Business Park
Besides being an airport, New Century AirCenter is also home to a busy business park.
Businesses at the Park
After Johnson County took over the property, they decided to build a business park on some of the land. This park helps bring jobs and economic activity to the area. Many different companies have their offices or factories here.
Some of the businesses include Altiras Chemical LLC, CFS Sauer Foods Inc., IFF Nutrition and Health, and Steel and Pipe Supply Company Inc. There are many other companies that use the park for their operations.
The Airport's Own Railroad
The business park even has its own railway system, called the New Century AirCenter Railroad. This special railroad helps move goods between the businesses in the park and a larger railway network, the BNSF. This makes it easier for companies to transport their products.
