Departure
94%
vs 95% ▼ 1
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Niagara Falls International Airport (KIAG) is a joint civil-military airfield in the Town of Niagara, New York, sharing its runways with the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station and lying close to the Canada/USA border. Its long, ILS-equipped main runway and mix of general aviation, air taxi, military and limited commercial traffic make it an interesting destination for the simulator pilot, with the added attraction of the nearby Falls themselves and their special flight restrictions.
Niagara Falls International Airport, known by the IATA code IAG and ICAO identifier KIAG, sits in the Town of Niagara in Niagara County, New York, a few miles east of downtown Niagara Falls. It is a joint civil-military field, operated by the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority and shared with the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, hosting Air Force Reserve tanker operations alongside general aviation, flight training, air taxi work and limited scheduled airline service. For a simulator pilot the field offers a strong mix of long runways, an ILS approach, active military traffic and the proximity of one of the world's most famous natural landmarks, complete with its own special flight-restriction area.
The airport lies in the Town of Niagara, New York, about 4 miles east of downtown Niagara Falls, roughly 6 nautical miles east of the Falls themselves and about 16 nautical miles northwest of Buffalo International Airport. It is a joint civil-military airfield sharing its runways with the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, and the surrounding area is subject to a dedicated Niagara Falls Flight Restriction Area under FAA Part 93 special air traffic rules, which governs sightseeing flights over the Falls.
The field has three physical runway pairs. The main runway, 10L/28R, is 9105 feet long on the 10L threshold and 9803 feet on the 28R threshold, hard-surfaced and lit, with an instrument landing system serving runway 28R. A second runway, 06/24, measures 5143 feet on runway 06 and 5588 feet on runway 24, also hard-surfaced and lit. A third, shorter runway, 10R/28L, is 3948 feet in each direction, hard-surfaced and lit. Field elevation is 584 feet.
Niagara Falls Tower and the common traffic advisory frequency operate on 118.5 MHz, with ground control on 121.7 MHz and clearance delivery on 119.25 MHz. ATIS broadcasts on 120.8 MHz, and Buffalo Approach/Departure works the airport on 126.5 MHz. UNICOM is available on 122.95 MHz. Pilots wishing to sight-see over Niagara Falls are directed to use a dedicated pilot-to-pilot frequency of 122.05 MHz. The main runway, 28R, is served by an instrument landing system.
Traffic wishing to view the Falls is restricted to operating at or above 3500 feet in right-hand traffic and must communicate on 122.05 MHz for pilot-to-pilot coordination; tour aircraft are restricted to altitudes at or below 3000 feet under the Niagara Falls Flight Restriction Area (FAA Part 93, Subpart E). Pilots are advised to read back all hold-short instructions with their callsign. There is a bird strike hazard from heavy concentrations of gulls, blackbirds and starlings up to 5000 feet AGL on and around the airport, and extensive aircraft activity should be expected in the vicinity of the Falls at all altitudes. On runway 28R, the last 900 feet of the rollout end is not grooved.
The most prominent visual reference for the area is Niagara Falls itself, close to the US/Canada border, with the airport located a few miles east of downtown Niagara Falls just off a major highway. The Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, sharing the airfield's runways, is a further identifiable feature for pilots approaching the field.
The airport's roots go back to 1928, when the city of Niagara Falls established an airfield with four crushed stone runways; its first terminal opened in 1935. Bell Aerospace based itself at the field and developed a string of aviation firsts there, including the world's first commercially licensed helicopter, the Bell X-1 (the first supersonic aircraft), the Bell P-59A (America's first jet), the Bell X-5 (the first aircraft with in-flight variable-sweep wings), the Bell X-22 (the world's first vertical-thrust aircraft) and the Bell Rocket Belt. The Second World War brought an active military phase that continues today: the United States Army Air Forces operated the base throughout the war, extending and adding runways, building a control tower, and installing high-intensity lighting and an instrument landing system. After the war the base became an Air Reserve Base and later the upstate home of the New York Air National Guard, with a US Air Force Reserve unit taking up residence following the USAF's establishment in 1947. In 1959 the main runway was extended to over 9000 feet to accommodate more demanding military aircraft. The field has also seen a succession of airline operators over the decades, including American Airlines until 1956, Air Niagara in the early 1980s, Empire Airlines in the mid-1980s, Kiwi International Air Lines in 1998, Direct Air from 2007 to 2012, Vision Airlines operating as People Express from 2010, and Spirit Airlines from 2011. A new terminal opened in 2009. On 4 August 2014, an Air France Boeing 747-428 operating flight AF356 from Paris was diverted to the airport, landing on runway 28R, after Toronto Pearson International Airport was temporarily closed.
Niagara Falls International remains a joint civil-military airfield with three active runways, primarily serving general aviation, military operations and flight training, alongside air taxi and limited scheduled commercial service. It shares its runways with the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, whose resident heavy KC-135R tankers make up most of the military traffic, with additional military aircraft using the field for pattern work and fuel stops. The airport operates around the clock with no curfews and maintains 24-hour Crash Fire Rescue coverage.
