Chennault International Airport

Chennault International Airport is an airport and aerospace complex in Lake Charles, Louisiana. It serves corporate, military, civilian and general aviation. The Chennault International Airport Authority maintains and markets the site, which is marking 40 years of service.

The runway is 10,702 feet long, about two miles. The airport says it is the longest between Houston and Cape Canaveral, and it can take any aircraft flying today. The airspace is uncongested, with little or no ground delay. Pilots can use ILS and GPS approaches and an FAA contract air traffic control tower. U.S. Customs foreign clearance is available on site. Security and fire protection run 24 hours a day. The airport holds Part 139 certification.

Services include maintenance and government contract fuel. The airport also offers MRO services through companies based on site. Aircraft painting and refinishing is one example. Tenant companies handle surface preparation, aviation-grade paints and later touch-ups.

Tenants include Northrop Grumman, Citadel Completions, LandLocked Aviation Services, Louisiana Millwork and Planet Construction. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the Louisiana National Guard are also based there. The airport has a new air cargo pass-through facility. An air cargo facility is open now for a cargo-handling tenant partner.

More than 900 acres are open for development across the complex. Trucks can reach a large part of the southern United States in a day. The area sits in a Foreign Trade Zone, an Opportunity Zone and an Enterprise Zone. Utilities and lease terms are low cost. A local university and a nearby technical college train the workforce.

The airport reports $39 million in capital improvements over the last five years. It says it brings $410 million in economic impact each year. Its major tenants work in aerospace and manufacturing.

Services

• Aircraft maintenance
• Government contract fuel
• MRO services
• Aircraft painting and refinishing
• Customs foreign clearance
• Air cargo facility
• Development land
• General aviation