Дубук аймақтық әуежайының тарихы мен дамуы

Dubuque Regional Airport is a regional airport located eight miles south of Dubuque, in Dubuque County, Iowa. Federal Aviation Administration records say the airport had 42,870 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2008, 39,359 in 2009, and 33,861 in 2010.

The first airline flights at Dubuque were Mid Continent DC 3s in 1950. In 1955 successor Braniff was replaced by Ozark, which pulled out its DC9s and FH227s in 1981. Northwest Airlines announced on February 7, 2008, that its regional partner Mesaba Airlines (Northwest Airlink) would return to Dubuque with twice daily Saab 340s to Minneapolis Saint Paul International Airport. These flights began on June 20, 2008. On July 2, 2009, the merged Delta/Northwest Airlines announced it would end service to Dubuque, leaving DBQ with one airline. The 2013 Federal sequester would have resulted in the closure of the airport's control tower, but the Federal Aviation Administration ultimately reversed its decision. As late as early 2020, American Eagle ERJ 145s flew to O'Hare International Airport in Chicago three times a day, yet reduced their schedule to one daily flight due to the COVID 19 pandemic. On September 6, 2022, American Eagle ended its last daily flight to the airport. On November 3, 2022, Avelo Airlines and the Dubuque Regional Airport announced airline service to Orlando, Florida, using Boeing 737 800 aircraft. The flights started on March 22, 2023. Further, on September 13, they added a flight to Las Vegas. However, on November 21, 2023, Avelo Airlines and the airport announced that air service to Las Vegas, NV, would be discontinued beginning January 6, 2024, as part of a national network reevaluation. Additionally, on January 10, 2024, the Dubuque Regional Airport announced that Avelo Airlines will pause regular air service to Orlando and convert to seasonal air service as part of a company wide transition.

Dubuque Regional Airport covers 1,240 acres (502 ha) at an elevation of 1,077 feet (328 m). It has two concrete runways: 18/36 is 6,327 by 150 feet (1,928 x 46 m) and 13/31 is 6,502 by 100 feet (1,982 x 30 m).

The airport has been recognized by the Federal Aviation Administration a number of times for its commitment to safety. It won the FAA's "Airport Safety Enhancement Award" in 1994, 1997, 2000, and 2003. In order to receive this honor, an airport must be free from discrepancies during an inspection for three consecutive years. In 2008, the Dubuque Regional Airport marked 18 consecutive years of perfect safety inspections in accordance with FAR Part 139. That record is unmatched among the approximately 600 certified U. S. airports.

On December 24, 1982, Piper PA 31 Navajo N4091U crashed on a back course approach to Runway 13 due to low visibility. The pilot and passenger were killed. On April 19, 1993, a Mitsubishi MU 2B 60 N86SD, owned by the state of South Dakota, suffered a catastrophic failure of the propeller hub on its left engine and crashed, while on approach, south of the community of Zwingle, Iowa. The crash killed all eight on board, including the governor of South Dakota, George S. Mickelson. On October 23, 2001, Beechcraft Baron 58 N7235R arriving from DuPage Airport crashed while on approach to Runway 31 due to ground fog. One fatality occurred. On March 8, 2004, Cessna 172R N105FS stalled after ice accumulated on the wings, causing a hard impact on landing. Three minor injuries were reported. On April 3, 2011, AmericanConnection flight 5019 bound to O'Hare International Airport sustained substantial damage after the jet bridge was blown into the side of the plane. Winds were gusting to 27 kts, and the emergency brakes in the jet bridge failed to activate. There were no injuries, and the aircraft was repaired and returned to service. On October 13, 2014, Piper PA 46 N9126V crashed on approach to the airport. As of October 18, 2014, it was unclear why the plane crashed, though low visibility was reported. One fatality occurred.

To update facilities and accommodate growth, the City of Dubuque announced plans in 2007 to build a new, larger terminal building. The new $23 million facility is part of the airport's master improvement plan; it opened on June 9, 2016. On July 21, 2020, Dubuque Regional Airport Commissioners voted unanimously to name the Dubuque Regional Airport Terminal Building after Captain Robert L. Martin. While the city has expressed interest in courting more airlines, headwinds in the economy and airline staffing issues have hampered these efforts. Historically, Dubuque Regional had up to three air carriers. Two were eliminated following contractions in the airline industry related to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. American Airlines said they would drop their flights in October 2018 due to financial difficulties and lower demand. In 2022, American Eagle announced its intentions to suspend its last flight offered to Dubuque, leaving the airport without scheduled commercial airline service. Local travelers need to travel to airports in neighboring cities such as Cedar Rapids, Madison, or the Quad Cities; the nearest major hub airport is Chicago O'Hare, which is a three hour drive away.