Thief River Falls Regional Airport

Commercial Service

Thief River Falls Regional Airport provides commercial service through Denver Air Connection. This enables an affordable, direct service to Minneapolis, with twelve round trip flights per week. The airline has interline agreements with United Airlines and American Airlines. Rental car service is also available through Denver Air Connection.

Recent Airport Projects

The City of Thief River Falls Regional Airport has completed numerous large scale transportation projects in recent years. Their purpose was to repair and maintain infrastructure, support general aviation, commercial traffic and freight operations.

Projects include the following:

• 30,000 square foot air cargo hangar project (in process)
• Cargo apron constructed in 2022
• LED lighting on primary runway, associated parallel taxiway, and apron
• Reconstructed main apron in 2019
• Terminal Building Remodel and ARFF Building Improvements
• Multi-Purpose Hangar Construction (UPS Gateway Design)
• Fuel System Upgrade
• Crosswind Runway Construction
• Runway 13-31 Reconstruction
• Supplemental Wind Cones
• Snow Blower, Plow Truck and High Speed Broom Purchase
• Wastewater Force Main Construction
• ALP Update
• Jet Fuel Truck
• Reconstruct Parallel Taxiway

These projects reinforce the local commitment, along with state and federal partnerships, to install and maintain infrastructure critical to the growth and vitality of the Thief River Falls Regional Airport.

Proposed Airport Projects

The Thief River Falls Regional Airport continues to plan for the maintenance of existing infrastructure and expansion to meet the needs of industry. Having classification as a National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS), the Thief River Falls Regional Airport is eligible to receive federal grants under the Airport Improvement Program (AIP).

The Airport’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) outlines proposed projects over the next 20 years at a total estimated cost in excess of 40 million dollars.

Extending the runway from 6,500 feet to 8,000 feet is planned for 2028. The total cost of this improvement is estimated at approximately $28,000,000. Funding for this and other improvements come primarily from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), with a portion from state and local sources.

The Thief River Falls Regional Airport is committed to accomplishing these improvements as quickly as time and funding allows.

Airport Facilities

The Airport property, which is owned by the City and leased and operated by the Airport Authority, totals about 1,200 acres in fee and easement land interests.

The following describes the airfield systems, as illustrated on the Airport Layout Plan (ALP) drawings and supporting table documentation:

• Runway System: The airfield is a midfield intersecting runway configuration, with a 6,503’ x 150’ primary Runway 13-31, and 4,996’ x 75’ crosswind Runway 04-22. Runway 31 is installed with a precision Instrument Landing System (ILS).
• Taxiway System: The airfield taxiway system includes a full-length parallel taxiway system to Runway 13-31 and Runway 4-22, Runway 13-31 exit taxiways and terminal connector taxiways to the apron/ramp. The taxiways total 15,000 linear feet and vary from 40 to 75 feet wide.
• Apron System: The apron/ramp areas are located on the northeast side of the airfield, supporting various aircraft parking and maneuvering for the commercial operators, transient users, the Fixed Based Operator, Northland Community and Technical College airframe and power plant program, and hangar tenants. The main apron is a contiguous paved area totaling about 281,370 square feet, containing one airline parking position fronting the passenger terminal building, a designated cargo aircraft parking position, 11 marked small aircraft tie-downs, and undesignated ramp parking areas adjacent to buildings and hangars. In 2022, the airport constructed  a 140,000 square foot cargo apron.

Additional Information About Thief River Falls Regional Airport

Airport Ownership, Classification and Role

The Thief River Falls Regional Airport is owned by the City of Thief River and operated by the Thief River Falls Airport Authority, as a public-use facility providing for commercial, general aviation, college and military users. The Airport surpassed 8,000 enplanements last year. The airport is classified as a Non-Primary Commercial Service Airport by the Federal Aviation Administration National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS).

The Minnesota Aviation System Plan (SASP) identifies the Airport as a ‘Key’ commercial service classification. The Airport is designated as an FAA C-III Airport Reference Code (ARC), and certified as a Class I-A FAA Part 139 facility for serving passenger aircraft up to 30 seats.

Airport Activity

Statistics show that this is a busy airport. FAA-published information shows the Airport experiencing 31,200 aircraft operations per year (takeoffs and landings) of which 30,000 operations are attributed to general aviation operations, 1,250 from air carrier commercial service, 2,600 from other commercial/cargo service, and 100 military operations. The Airport has 26 based aircraft, including 3 multi-piston and 3 jet turbine airplanes.