Departure
96%
vs 95% ▲ 1
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Quad Cities International Airport (KMLI) lies three miles south of Moline, Illinois, serving the Quad Cities region that spans the Illinois-Iowa border. It offers three sets of long, hard-surfaced runways including a near two-mile ILS-equipped main runway, making it a capable diversion or destination for both airline and general aviation traffic, including international arrivals cleared through its on-field US Customs facility.
Quad Cities International Airport, known by the ICAO identifier KMLI, is a public airport in Rock Island County, Illinois, about three miles south of Moline, serving the Quad Cities metropolitan area, including Davenport and Bettendorf across the Mississippi in Iowa. It is owned by Rock Island County and operated by the Metropolitan Airport Authority of Rock Island County. Although it carries an international designation and hosts a US Customs and Border Protection facility and Foreign Trade Zone, it has no scheduled international passenger airline service; its international role is instead built around cargo shipments and general aviation arrivals. For a visiting sim pilot, the field's long, ILS-served runways and mix of airline and general aviation traffic make it a straightforward but substantial airport to fly into.
The airport sits in Rock Island County, Illinois, partly within Blackhawk Township and partly within Coal Valley Township, about three miles south of Moline. It is tagged as Class C airspace with customs and landing rights facilities, reflecting its role as a port of entry for general aviation and cargo flights. The Quad-City Seaplane Base, on the Rock River, forms the airport's northern boundary and is a useful landmark when approaching from that direction.
The airport has three physical runways. Runway 09/27 is 9,974/9,973 feet, hard-surfaced, lit, and served by an ILS. Runway 13/31 is 7,282/6,753 feet, hard-surfaced and lit. Runway 05/23 is 5,004 feet in each direction, hard-surfaced and lit. Field elevation is 577 feet.
Radio services include an air-to-ground/approach-departure frequency of 118.2 MHz, ATIS on 121.2 MHz, a clearance delivery service, ground control on 121.9 MHz, tower on 119.4 MHz (which also serves as the CTAF, 119.4 MHz), and UNICOM on 122.95 MHz. A remote radio outlet for Kankakee Radio operates on 122.6 MHz, and a further frequency of 123.95 MHz is listed for CLD. The main runway, 09/27, is equipped with an ILS for instrument approaches.
The Quad-City Seaplane Base on the Rock River marks the airport's northern boundary and serves as a recognisable landmark when approaching from the north. The airport lies close to Moline itself, with Davenport and Bettendorf visible across the Mississippi to the west, useful references for orientation on approach.
The airport occupies the site of Franing Field, originally selected for 120 acres of level, obstacle-free grassland ideal for flying. The field made an early mark on aviation history when it was chosen as a control point for the first coast-to-coast flight in the autumn of 1919. On 18 August 1927, an estimated 10,000 people gathered to welcome Charles Lindbergh and the Spirit of St Louis during his Guggenheim promotional tour. In 1929, aviator Phoebe Omlie set an altitude record above the airport flying a Velie Monocoupe, the only aircraft type ever manufactured in Moline, one example of which still hangs in the terminal. The Metropolitan Airport Authority of Rock Island County was formed in 1947 after seven townships voted to establish it. The terminal was substantially remodelled in 1961 and 1968, and an entirely new terminal opened in 1985 to replace the ageing 1954 structure, allowing airline services to expand through the late 1980s. A larger US Customs and Border Protection facility opened in 2014 in a former air cargo building to process international general aviation arrivals. In 2021 the airport announced a major terminal renovation and rebranded from Quad City International Airport to Quad Cities International Airport.
The airport continues to serve as the principal air gateway for the Quad Cities region, combining domestic airline service with general aviation and cargo operations. Its US Customs and Border Protection facility and Foreign Trade Zone status allow it to process international general aviation passenger flights and cargo shipments, even though no scheduled international airline service operates from the field. A major renovation announced in 2021, valued at 20 to 40 million dollars, has been updating the ticketing area, security screening, and passenger facilities.