Chehalis–Centralia Airport

Coordinates: 46°40′37.3000″N 122°58′57.9000″W / 46.677027778°N 122.982750000°W / 46.677027778; -122.982750000

Chehalis–Centralia Airport (IATA: CLS, ICAO: KCLS, FAA LID: CLS) is a county-owned public use airport located in Chehalis, a city in Lewis County, Washington.^[1][2] The airport lies one mile west of the town.

History

Chehalis–Centralia Airport began in 1927, when the Donahoe family sold Lewis County part of their 600 acre farm. Later that year, the plot was split, and dedicated 44 acres as an airstrip, and the rest to a golf course. In 1928, the county purchased an additional fifty acres to expand the airfield. By World War II, the airport covered 295 acres, and became known as a city-county airport. During WWII, the federal government seized the airport, using it as a training facility for new pilots, and also developed two 5,000 foot runways. By 1960, the airport was given to its current owner, the city of Chehalis.^[3]

Facilities and aircraft

Chehalis–Centralia Airport covers 438 acres (177 ha), which contains one asphalt runway: 16/34 measuring 5,000 x 140 ft. For the 12-month period ending June 30, 2011, the airport had 47,710 total operations, an average of 131 per day: 90% general aviation, 9% air taxi, and <1% military. There are 105 aircraft based at this airport: 81% single-engine, 5% multi-engine, 3% jet, 8% helicopter, 2% ultralight, and 2% glider.

Commercial service

Although the Chehalis–Centralia Airport is not currently served by a commercial airline, West Coast Airlines previously operated scheduled flights to Chehalis. Flights began after World War II and ceased by 1958.

References