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Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport (K59) is the ideal mid-continent airport serving general aviation needs, attracting more than 2,500 visitors each year. More than just a place to land, it offers you the choice of self-service convenience as well as the full resources of an FBO with the ease of an airport managed by pilots, for pilots.
Named for the famous aviatrix and Atchison native, Amelia Earhart, K59 is situated just outside the major airspace of Kansas City International Airport, also offering an attractive alternative to controlled civilian/military airports in Leavenworth and St. Joseph. The airport is located one mile west of city limits, less than a five minute drive to beautiful downtown Atchison.
Pilots choose Amelia Earhart Airport for its convenient location and the chance to avoid Class B airspace over KCI. K59’s primary runway is 3,000 feet long and equipped with non-precision approaches to one end.
FBO Heartland Aviation offers a full range of services including fuel service, aircraft maintenance, aircraft rental, flight instruction, flight planning stations with free wifi and a courtesy car. Terminal amenities include a pilot’s lounge, free wifi, and public restrooms.
If you’re out for a leisurely flight, beautiful historic Atchison is the perfect day-trip or afternoon stop-over. Come into town in the courtesy car and explore our downtown shopping, restaurants, and scenic riverfront.
K59 is a public facility proudly owned by the City of Atchison, managed by its Department of Public Works. It is operated by Heartland Aviation LLC. The airport is served by a volunteer advisory board that aides the City Commission in decisions regarding future planning for the facility.
The airport is looking towards the future with continued improvements to our facilities and land available for businesses looking to grow.
Airport Activities
Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport is an important part of our community’s transportation plan.
It conservatively represents an annual economic impact of $500,000 to the Atchison community, revenue that would be lost from the cash registers of our local merchants, downtown retailers, and specialty shops if it didn’t exist as it does today. The airport attracts over 1,500 visitors annually, each visitor spending an average of $45.00 in town with local merchants.
Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport accommodates a variety of activities, including:
- corporate/business flights
- flight training
- crop dusting
- medical doctor transport
- police and law enforcement
- pipeline patrols
- real estate tours
- adventure tours
The airport also serves as a staging area for community events such as the Young Eagle Rallies hosted by the local chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Boy Scout Aviation Day, Vintage Fly-In and the Amelia Earhart Festival.
Additionally, the airport serves an important role in transporting critically injured patients to trauma centers around the state. Without this valuable service, critical time is lost when these patients travel by ground instead of by air.
For these reasons and more, Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport has been recognized as a priority facility for improvements by the Kansas Department of Transportation Aviation Division due to its prime location adjacent to KCI Class B airspace and ability to serve as an uncontrolled (no tower) general aviation site as an alternative.