View source for Ellington Airport (Texas)

{{Short description|Airport in Texas, United States}}
{{for|the military use of the airport|Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox airport
| nativename          = {{smaller|Ellington Field}}
| caption             = [[USGS]] 1995 [[orthophoto]]
| FAA                 = EFD
| location            = <!--if different than above-->
| opened              = {{start date and age|1917|05|21|df=y|p=yes|br=yes}}
| coordinates         = {{coord|29|36|26|N|095|09|32|W|region:US-TX|display=inline,title}}
| name                = Ellington Airport
| image               = Ellington-13jan1995.jpg
| IATA                = EFD
| ICAO                = KEFD
| type                = Public / Military
| owner               = City of Houston
| operator            = [[Houston Airport System]]
| city-served         = [[Houston, Texas]]
| elevation-f         = 32
| website             = {{official website|http://www.fly2houston.com/ellington-airport/}}
| pushpin_map         = USA Texas#USA
| pushpin_relief      = yes
| pushpin_map_caption = Location of the airport in Texas 
| pushpin_label       = '''EFD'''
| pushpin_label_position = bottom
| r1-number           = 4/22
| r1-length-f         = 8,001
| r1-surface          = Concrete
| r2-number           = 17R/35L
| r2-length-f         = 9,001
| r2-surface          = Concrete
| r3-number           = 17L/35R
| r3-length-f         = 4,609
| r3-surface          = Concrete
| stat-year           = 2022
| stat1-header        = Aircraft operations
| stat1-data          = 115,958
| stat2-header        = Based aircraft
| stat2-data          = 95
| footnotes           = Source: [[Federal Aviation Administration]]<ref name="FAA">{{FAA-airport|ID=EFD|use=PU|own=PU|site=24067.3*A}}. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective July 13, 2023.</ref>
| image_map           = EFD - FAA airport diagram 0901.jpg
| image_map_caption   = FAA airport diagram
}}

'''Ellington Airport'''<ref name="FAA" /><ref name="HAS">
 {{cite web
 |url=http://www.fly2houston.com/efd-about-ellington-airport 
 |title=About Ellington Airport 
 |publisher=Houston Airport System 
 |date=May 31, 2013 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130529223406/http://www.fly2houston.com/efd-about-ellington-airport 
 |archive-date=May 29, 2013 
}}
</ref> {{airport codes|EFD|KEFD|EFD}} is a public and military use [[airport]] in [[Harris County, Texas]], United States.<ref name="FAA" /> It is owned by the City of Houston's department of aviation, [[Houston Airport System]] and located {{convert|15|nmi|mi km|abbr=on}} southeast of [[downtown Houston]].<ref name="FAA" /> Formerly known as '''Ellington Field''', then '''Ellington Air Force Base''', then again as '''Ellington Field'''<ref>
 {{cite web
 | url = http://www.airnav.com/airport/KEFD
 | title = KEFD &ndash; Ellington Field Airport
 | publisher = [[Federal Aviation Administration|FAA]] data republished by AirNav
 | date = September 20, 2012
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121101220140/http://www.airnav.com/airport/KEFD
 | archive-date = November 1, 2012
 }}
</ref><ref name="fly2art1" /> it is included in the [[National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems]] for 2011–2015, which [[FAA airport categories|categorized]] it as a [[general aviation]] [[reliever airport]].<ref>
 {{cite web
 |url=http://www.faa.gov/airports/planning_capacity/npias/reports/media/2011/npias_2011_appA.pdf 
 |title=2011–2015 NPIAS Report, Appendix A 
 |format=[[PDF]], 2.03 MB 
 |work=National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems
 |publisher=Federal Aviation Administration 
 |date=October 4, 2010 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120927084535/http://www.faa.gov/airports/planning_capacity/npias/reports/media/2011/npias_2011_appA.pdf 
 |archive-date=2012-09-27 
}}
</ref> The airport does not have scheduled commercial passenger service. However, Continental Airlines used to operate daily regional services between Ellington and Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport between 1990 and 2004. On 17 October 2018, the City of Houston approved Phase 1 of the [[Houston Spaceport]] project on the Ellington Airport site.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Blevins |first=Troy |date=2018-10-17 |title=$18.8M in funding approved for Phase 1 of Houston Spaceport project |url=https://www.click2houston.com/news/2018/10/17/188m-in-funding-approved-for-phase-1-of-houston-spaceport-project/ |access-date=2023-10-16 |website=KPRC |language=en}}</ref>

== History ==
Established by the [[Army Air Service]] on 21 May 1917, Ellington Field was one of the initial [[World War I]] [[Army Air Service]] installations when aviation was in its infancy.  It is named for 1st Lt. Eric Ellington, a U.S. Army aviator who was killed in a plane crash in San Diego, California in 1913.<ref>World War I Group, Historical Division, Special Staff, United States Army, Order of Battle of the United States Land Forces in the World War (1917–1919)</ref> Originally created as a training facility, Ellington Airport is currently used by [[military aviation|military]], [[civil aviation|commercial]], [[NASA]] aircraft and [[general aviation]] sectors. Ellington Airport is one of the few airfields built for World War I training purposes still in operation today.

For additional history related to Ellington's status as a military airfield, see [[Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base]].

The City of Houston annexed Ellington Field in the late 1960s.<ref>"[https://www.houstontx.gov/planning/Annexation/docs_pdfs/HoustonAnnexationHistory.pdf Annexations in Houston Or How we grew to 667 square miles in 175 years]." City of Houston Planning and Development Department. p. 39 of 62. Retrieved on February 21, 2017.</ref>

In January 2009, a name change from Ellington Field to Ellington Airport was approved by the Houston City Council.<ref name="HBJ 2009">
 {{cite news
 | title = Ellington Field gets new name
 | work = [[Houston Business Journal]]
 | date = January 16, 2009
 | access-date = August 8, 2009
 | url = http://houston.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2009/01/12/daily51.html
}}</ref> In August 2011, the city announced that the facility would be renamed Ellington International Airport.<ref name="HBJ 2011">McEver, Melissa. "[http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2011/08/12/major-expansion-set-at-ellington-airport.html?s=print Major expansion set at Ellington Airport]." ''[[Houston Business Journal]]''. August 12, 2011. Retrieved on August 15, 2011.</ref> However, as of May 2013, it is still listed as Ellington Airport by the [[Federal Aviation Administration]] and the [[Houston Airport System]].<ref name="FAA" /><ref name="HAS" />

In April 2014, [[Sierra Nevada Corporation]] signed an agreement with Houston Airport System officials to explore development of Ellington as a [[Private spaceflight|commercial]] [[spaceport]].  The ultimate goal of the agreement is to use Ellington as a landing site for the company's [[Dream Chaser]] [[spaceplane]].  A [[feasibility study]] found it would cost [[United States dollar|US$]]48 million to $122 million to equip Ellington for landing and launching small space vehicles on a regular basis. With federal approval in June 2015, Ellington Airport was granted a Launch Site License from the Federal Aviation Administration that established the airport as the 10th commercial spaceport in the United States.<ref>{{cite news
 |title=Houston Airport System plans from spaceport approved by FAA 
 |work=fly2houston.com 
 |date=June 30, 2015 
 |access-date=July 1, 2015 
 |url=http://www.fly2houston.com/0/3922731/0/83280D83283/ 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150701225730/http://www.fly2houston.com/0/3922731/0/83280D83283/ 
 |archive-date=July 1, 2015 
}}</ref> On 17 October 2018, the city council approved Phase 1 funding of $18.8 million for improvements to streets, water, wastewater, electrical power distribution facilities and communications facilities on the site.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.khou.com/article/tech/188m-for-phase-1-of-houston-spaceport-project-approved/285-605258095|title=$18.8M for Phase 1 of Houston spaceport project approved|website=KHOU|date=17 October 2018 |access-date=2019-01-29}}</ref>

In September 2017, the [[Lone Star Flight Museum]] moved from Galveston's [[Scholes Field|Scholes International Airport at Galveston]] to Ellington, a move that had been in the works since the aftermath of [[Hurricane Ike]] in 2008. The Museum built a brand new facility at Ellington to house its airworthy and static aircraft, as well as its Texas Aviation Hall of Fame. The facility is complete with training centers and administrative space, allowing the Museum to operate solely from Ellington.

Groundbreaking on Phase 1 was held in 2019 to include providing streets, water, wastewater, electrical power distribution facilities, and fiber optic and communications facilities necessary to attract future development.

==Overview==
[[File:EllingtonAirportHouston.JPG|thumb|left|Entrance to the airport (2005)]]
[[File:WOHAirshow.jpg|thumb|left|[[World War II]] and [[Cold War]] -era US aircraft flying in formation during Wings Over Houston at Ellington Airport]]

Ellington Airport consists of three active [[runway]]s (a {{convert|9001|ft|m|adj=on}} [[Instrument Landing System|ILS]] CAT I runway, an {{convert|8001|ft|m|adj=on}} runway, and a {{convert|4609|ft|m|adj=on}} runway).<ref name="CIPEFD">
 {{cite web
 | url = http://www.fly2houston.com/CIPEFD
 | title = Program Overview: Ellington Field
 | publisher = Houston Airport System
 | access-date = March 7, 2007
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070313002329/http://www.fly2houston.com/CIPEFD
 | archive-date = March 13, 2007
 }}
</ref> The airport supports the operations of the [[United States]] military, [[NASA]] and a variety of [[general aviation]] tenants.<ref name="fly2art1">
 {{cite web
 | url = http://www.fly2houston.com/EllingtonAbout
 | title = About Ellington Field
 | publisher = Houston Airport System
 | access-date = February 24, 2007
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070302010555/http://www.fly2houston.com/EllingtonAbout
 | archive-date = March 2, 2007
 }}
</ref> The field is a base for [[NASA]]'s administrative, cargo transport and high-altitude aircraft, which also includes NASA's fleet of [[T-38 Talon]] jets bailed to the agency from [[USAF]], [[Gulfstream Aerospace|Gulfstream]] [[Shuttle Training Aircraft]], and a former USN [[McDonnell Douglas C-9|C-9]] nicknamed the "Weightless Wonder VI" which replaced the former USAF [[KC-135|NKC-135]] aircraft known as the [[Vomit Comet]], a [[zero-g]] trainer.<ref name="NASAaircraft">
 {{cite web
 | url = http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/pdf/161111main_ellington_aircraft_fact_sheet.pdf
 | title = Ellington Field Aircraft
 | publisher = [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration]]
 | access-date = February 24, 2007
 }}
</ref> The only three [[B-57 Canberra|WB-57F]] aircraft (used for atmospheric research and reconnaissance) still flying in the world today are housed at Ellington.<ref name="Goddard">
 {{cite web
 | url = http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/topstory/2002/20020709crystalface.html
 | title = Study of Cloud Ice Crystals May Improve Climate Change Forecasts
 | publisher = [[Goddard Space Flight Center]]
 | date = July 16, 2012
 | access-date = February 24, 2007
 | url-status = dead
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060929230101/http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/topstory/2002/20020709crystalface.html
 | archive-date = September 29, 2006
 }}
</ref>

The [[Texas Air National Guard]], [[United States National Guard|Texas Army National Guard]] and the [[U.S. Coast Guard]] also maintain a presence at the base. The Coast Guard facility known as [[Coast Guard Air Station Houston]] operates 3 [[Eurocopter]] MH-65C "Dolphin" Short-Range Recovery (SRR) helicopters for search and rescue (SAR) and port security roles.  Several flight schools reside at the airfield. Ellington Field is also home to the largest flying club in Texas and the annual "Wings Over Houston" [[airshow]].<ref name="CIPEFD"/>

Ellington Field once had scheduled commercial air service: [[Continental Express]] flights between Ellington Airport and [[George Bush Intercontinental Airport]] in north Houston ended in 2004.  Prior to the cessation of commercial air service, the route flown between Bush Intercontinental and Ellington Field was the shortest [[fixed-wing]] route flown in the United States at only {{convert|25|nmi|km|abbr=on}}. Flight times were as short as six minutes, depending on direction of departure.  To this day, Ellington Field serves as a [[reliever airport]] for both Bush Intercontinental and the [[William P. Hobby Airport]], and handles diverted aircraft from those two airports during bad weather events and peak traffic times.<ref name="HBJ 2009" /> A [[terminal aerodrome forecast]] is produced for the airfield 365 days a year at 20Z, 04Z, and 12Z by the [[26th Operational Weather Squadron]], a [[Air Force Weather Agency|USAF weather]] squadron.

== Facilities and aircraft ==
Ellington Field covers an area of {{convert|2362|acre|km2|abbr=on}} at an [[elevation]] of {{convert|32|ft|m|abbr=on}} above [[mean sea level]].

It has three [[runway]]s with [[concrete]] surfaces:

*Runway 4/22 is {{convert|8001|x|150|ft|m|abbr=on}}<ref name="FAA" />
*Runway 17R/35L is {{convert|9001|x|150|ft|m|abbr=on}}<ref name="FAA" />
*Runway 17L/35R is {{convert|4609|x|80|ft|m|abbr=on}}<ref name="FAA" />

For the 12-month period ending 31 December 2022, the airport had 115,958 aircraft operations, an average of 317 per day: 74% [[general aviation]], 15% [[military aviation|military]], 9% [[air taxi]], and 2% [[airline|scheduled commercial]]. At that time there were 95 aircraft based at this airport: 32 single-[[aircraft engine|engine]], 30 [[jet aircraft|jet]], 8 multi-engine, and 25[[military aircraft|military]].<ref name="FAA" />

The Lone Star Flight Museum, which was located at [[Scholes International Airport at Galveston|Scholes]] from 1985 until 2017, maintains a fleet of airworthy warbirds including: North American B-25 Mitchell Bomber, Douglas A24 Banshee (Decorated as an SBD-5 Dauntless), Vought F4U Corsair, General Motors (Eastern Aircraft) TBM Avenger, Grumman F6F Hellcat, General Motors FM-2 Wildcat, North American AT-6 Texan, Beech AT-11 Kansan, Cessna AT-17 Bobcat, Stinson L-5, Douglas DC-3, and Stearman PT-17.

The [[Air National Guard]] maintains [[ARFF]] equipment for use mainly on military aircraft, however they also respond to private emergencies.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.goang.com/careers/emergency-management-and-response/fire-protection.html|title=Fire Protection}}</ref>

==Statistics==
===Annual traffic===
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible" style="font-size: 95%"
! style=max-width:10em|Year<ref>[http://www.fly2houston.com/about-traffic-updates Traffic Updates. Retrieved on Mar 28, 2015.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524014309/http://www.fly2houston.com/about-traffic-updates |date=2015-05-24 }}</ref>
! style=max-width:10em|Passengers
|-
| 1987||0
|-
| 1988||0
|-
| 1989||0
|-
| 1990||35,908
|-
| 1991||85,560
|-
| 1992||108,976
|-
| 1993||114,656
|-
| 1994||117,895
|-
| 1995||91,028
|-
| 1996||94,299
|-
|1997
|111,405
|-
|1998
|102,550
|-
|1999
|96,943
|-
|2000
|73,880
|-
|2001
|60,255
|-
|2002
|76,035
|-
|2003
|80,306
|-
|2004
|53,947
|-
|2005
|0
|-
|2006
|0
|-
|2007
|2
|-
|2008
|0
|-
|2009
|0
|-
|2010
|1
|-
|2011
|0
|-
|2012
|0
|-
|2013
|2
|-
|2014
|4
|}

==See also==
{{Portal|Texas|Aviation}}
* [[List of airports in Texas]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website|http://www.fly2houston.com/ellington-airport/}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070314002833/http://web.houstonairportsystem.org/efd_masterplan/main.html Houston Airport System - Ellington Airport Master Plan]
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/ellington.htm Ellington Field] at GlobalSecurity.org
* [http://www.wingsoverhouston.com/ Wings Over Houston Airshow]
* {{FAA-diagram|00197}}
* {{FAA-procedures|EFD}}
{{US-airport-ga|EFD}}

{{Airports Owned by the City of Houston}}
{{Spaceport|state=collapsed}}

[[Category:Ellington Airport (Texas)| ]]
[[Category:Airports in Houston]]