Nantucket Memorial Airport

Airport serving Nantucket, Massachusetts, United States

Nantucket Memorial Airport is a public airport on the south side of the island of Nantucket, Massachusetts, United States. It is owned by the Town of Nantucket and is located three miles (5 km) southeast of the town center. It is the second busiest airport in the state, after Logan International Airport, due to intense corporate travel to and from the island in the high season.

In the late 1930s, Leslie Holm, a farmer in Nobadeer, plowed over and smoothed some of his cornfields with the help of David Raub, a former test pilot who had moved to Nantucket, and together they formed the Nobadeer Flying Service with three small planes they had bought for charter and instruction. Soon, they began allowing the Town of Nantucket to use fields on his property as an airfield. Holm's farmhouse, located at the intersection of Old South and Nobadeer Farm Roads, is still standing today, although airport buildings have been built around it. During World War II, the U. S. Navy took control of the airport and operated it as Naval Auxiliary Air Facility Nantucket. The Navy constructed temporary bunkers and buildings, of which the buildings were torn down after the war. The bunkers, which were constructed using concrete and steel, are currently used for airport storage.

The airport covers at an elevation of 48 feet (15 m) above sea level. 56% air taxi, 41% general aviation, 2% commercial and 1% military. In April 2022, there were 18 aircraft based at this airport: 15 single engine and 3 multi engine. In 2009, the terminal was updated with an upgrade of the previous and an expansion of at a cost of approximately $29 million. A major goal of the expansion was to increase the capacity of the terminal substantially over the original 1950s facility. Another goal was to segregate air taxi passengers, who do not require security screening, from airline passengers, who do. The airport apron for commercial aircraft has eight parking stands for Cessna 402 aircraft mainly operated by Cape Air and Nantucket Airlines. There are also four larger parking stands for JetBlue Embraer 190 jets, American Eagle Airlines CRJ 200/CRJ 700/CRJ 900 and Embraer 175 regional jets, Delta Connection CRJ 200/CRJ 700 regional jets and United Express ERJ 145 regional jets. More stands are available if needed. Most of the parking is reserved for general aviation aircraft, with parking for the larger, commercial services located on the north side of the terminal.

Up through the 1990s, a variety of airlines served Nantucket, some of which used jet airliners as large as the McDonnell Douglas DC 9 30 which was operated into the airport in 1969 on a seasonal basis during the summer months by Northeast Airlines on nonstop flights to New York JFK Airport and Hyannis with Northeast also serving Nantucket with Fairchild Hiller FH 227 turboprops at this time. Major air carrier Continental Airlines also served the airport in the past with DC 9 30 jets. Business Express, a Delta Connection air carrier operating on behalf of Delta Air Lines, also operated seasonal jet flights into Nantucket utilizing British Aerospace BAe 146 200 aircraft. The Official Airline Guide (OAG) lists several commuter and regional airlines serving Nantucket over the years. In the spring of 1975, Air New England was the only airline serving the airport according to the OAG with this commuter air carrier operating Beechcraft 99 and de Havilland Canada DHC 6 Twin Otter turboprops as well as Douglas DC 3 prop aircraft. By the fall of 1979, small air carriers Gull Air, Hyannis Aviation and Nor East Commuter Airlines had joined Air New England at the airport. Up until 1989, Provincetown Boston Airlines (PBA) served Nantucket, using Douglas DC 3 prop aircraft and NAMC YS 11 turboprops. PBA also operated Eastern Express flights into the airport on behalf of Eastern Airlines with DC 3 aircraft. Continental Express flying on behalf of Continental operated ATR 42, Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia and Saab 340 regional turboprop airliners into the airport in the past. US Airways Express previously served Nantucket in the past as well on behalf of US Airways with de Havilland Canada DHC 8 Dash 8 and Saab 340 turboprops. In June 1999, five airlines were serving Nantucket according to the OAG: Cape Air operating Cessna 402 commuter aircraft, Continental Express flying Beechcraft 1900 commuter turboprops, Delta Connection operated by Business Express Airlines flying Saab 340 regional turboprops, Island Airlines operating Cessna commuter prop aircraft and US Airways Express flying Beechcraft 1900 and de Havilland Canada DHC 8 Dash 8 turboprops.

The airport is currently home to a variety of general aviation aircraft, ranging from Piper J 3 Cubs to Boeing Business Jets in the summer months. The 46th President of the United States and former Vice President of the United States Joe Biden visited the island on seven Thanksgiving holidays during his eight year vice presidential term, arriving and departing on board a U. S. Air Force operated Boeing 757 200 (USAF aircraft designation Boeing C 32) flying as Air Force Two. The aircraft was accompanied by a USAF operated Boeing C 17 Globemaster III cargo jet. The C 32 and C 17 are currently the largest aircraft ever to land and takeoff from Nantucket. The largest regularly scheduled passenger airliner flown in mainline service was the McDonnell Douglas DC 9 30 jet operated by Northeast and Continental. Currently, the largest commercial jetliner serving the airport is the Embraer 190 operated by JetBlue.

+ Busiest domestic routes from ACK (November 2022 October 2023) Rank Airport Passengers Carriers 1 Boston, Massachusetts 29,590 Cape Air, JetBlue 2 New York–LaGuardia, New York 26,540 Delta Connection, JetBlue 3 New York–JFK, New York 24,560 Delta Connection, JetBlue4 Washington–National, D. C. 17,350 American Eagle, JetBlue 5 White Plains, New York 12,110 JetBlue, Tradewind 6 Newark, New Jersey 11,050 United Express 7 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 4,590 American Eagle8 Hyannis, Massachusetts 1,780 Cape Air, Nantucket Airlines 9 Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts 1,110 Cape Air, Nantucket Airlines 10 New Bedford, Massachusetts 1,100 Cape Air, Nantucket Airlines

+ Largest airlines at ACK (November 2021 October 2022) Rank Airline Passengers Share 1 JetBlue 108,000 39.18% 2 Cape Air 52,440 19.05% 3 Endeavor Air 43,030 15.63% 4 Republic Airways 30,750 11.17% 5 GoJet 27,680 10.05%

On the evening of August 15, 1958, Northeast Airlines Flight 258, a Convair CV 240 2 crashed 0.3 mile (0 km) northeast of ACK attempting a VOR instrument approach to runway 24 in heavy fog. The aircraft struck the ground 1450 feet (442 m) short of the runway and 600 feet (183 m) to the right of the extended centerline. Of the 34 on board, 22 passengers and three crew members died. Pilot error was the cause of the accident.