Chennault International Airport

Chennault International Airport (IATA: CWF, ICAO: KCWF, FAA LID: CWF) is a public aerospace/industrial complex in Lake Charles, in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is governed by the Chennault International Airport Authority.[2] The facility covers 1,310 acres (530 ha) of land.[2] The main runway is, at 10,702 feet (3,262 meters), among the longest along the Gulf Coast.[3]

Chennault International Airport
USGS aerial photo as of 23 January 1994
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerChennault International Airport Authority
ServesLake Charles, Louisiana
Elevation AMSL16 ft / 5 m
Coordinates30°12′38″N 093°08′35″W
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
15/33 10,702 3,262 Concrete
Statistics (2023)
Aircraft operations (year ending 2/1/2023)20,814
Based aircraft24
Sources: airport website[1] and FAA[2]

The facility was originally the Lake Charles Army Airfield, being renamed as Chennault Air Force Base for military aviator Claire Chennault, who commanded the Flying Tigers fighter group during World War II.[4]

The airport was named Louisiana's Airport of the Year in 2021.[5]

Other features

The airfield is home to the Chennault International Airshow.[6][7]


LandLocked Aviation, a company mostly known for painting and refinishing aircraft, has their base at CWF. They have partnered with major airlines such as United Airlines and Delta Airlines, and they are known to also paint military aircraft.

Accidents at CWF
  • On March 14, 1972, a USAF Douglas C-47 crashed while practicing touch-and-go's at CWF. The aircraft landed hard and veered to the left into a covered concourse. All 4 occupants died.[8]

References
  1. Chennault International Airport Authority Archived January 30, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  2. FAA Airport Form 5010 for CWF PDF, effective 2023-08-10
  3. "Chennault runway ready for landings". American Press. American Press. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  4. Parzych, Cynthia (2015). Historical Tours Arlington National Cemetery: Trace the Path of America's Heritage. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 73. ISBN 978-1-4930-1300-5.
  5. Robinson, Andrea (2021-12-30). "Chennault awarded Louisiana's Airport of the Year for 2021". KPLC News. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
  6. Thompson, Lindsey. "Chennault to host tailgate-style airshow this summer". www.kplctv.com. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
  7. Smith, Mike. "Big plans with a big runway: Historic Louisiana airport seeks to transform itself". The Advocate. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
  8. Accident description for 44-77228 at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on August 25, 2023.
  • Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office 1961 (republished 1983, Office of Air Force History, ISBN 0-912799-02-1).
  • Ravenstein, Charles A. Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama: Office of Air Force History 1984. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.

General references
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