Departure
95%
vs 95%
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Eugene F. Kranz Toledo Express Airport is a civil-military field ten miles west of Toledo, Ohio, sharing its runways with the Ohio Air National Guard's 180th Fighter Wing. Named after the Apollo-era NASA flight director and Toledo native, it offers a long ILS-equipped main runway and a crossing secondary runway, making it a straightforward and well-equipped diversion or destination for pilots flying the northwest Ohio area.
Eugene F. Kranz Toledo Express Airport is a civil-military aerodrome serving Toledo, Ohio, and the surrounding region, and also acting as a secondary field and diversion point for Detroit Metropolitan Airport. It shares its infrastructure with the Ohio Air National Guard's 180th Fighter Wing, giving it a mixed character of scheduled passenger and cargo traffic alongside fighter operations, which makes it an interesting and well-served field for a simulator pilot to visit. The airport was renamed in 2020 in honour of Gene Kranz, the Toledo-born NASA flight director best known for his role in the Apollo 13 rescue.
The airport sits in Swanton and Monclova townships in western Lucas County, Ohio, about 10 miles (16 km) west of the city of Toledo. It lies close to the crossing of State Route 2 and the Ohio Turnpike (Interstate 80/90, exit 52), a useful landmark for pilots navigating toward the field. The airport operates within controlled airspace, reflecting its status as a Class C facility with an active air traffic control tower.
Toledo Express has two physical runways. Runway 07/25 is a hard-surfaced, lit runway of 10,577 ft (07) and 10,576 ft (25), equipped with an ILS, and is the airport's primary long runway suited to airline, cargo and military jet operations. Runway 16/34 is a shorter hard-surfaced, lit runway of 5,597 ft in both directions, providing a crosswind option for general aviation and other traffic. Field elevation is 669 ft.
Toledo Express is served by a full suite of radio facilities befitting its Class C status. Tower operates on 118.1 MHz, with Ground/Clearance Delivery on 121.9 MHz and a separate Clearance Delivery frequency of 121.75 MHz. ATIS broadcasts on 118.75 MHz, and Approach/Departure control is available on 123.975 MHz. UNICOM is on 122.95 MHz. The resident 180th Fighter Wing operates its own military operations frequency on 143.85 MHz. The primary runway, 07/25, is equipped with an ILS for instrument approaches.
The junction of State Route 2 and the Ohio Turnpike (Interstate 80/90) near exit 52 lies close to the airport and serves as a recognisable landmark for pilots approaching from the Toledo area to the east.
Efforts to build a modern replacement for the inadequate Toledo Municipal Airport (now Toledo Executive Airport) began after the Second World War. In 1952 a consortium of six major Toledo companies acquired the site west of the city and sold it to the city at cost. The airport was dedicated on 31 October 1954 and formally named Toledo Express Airport the following day, with commercial operations beginning on 5 January 1955. Through the 1980s and 1990s the airport saw substantial airline service, with as many as seven carriers operating over 40 daily flights to fourteen destinations at its peak in 1997, including United Airlines, Trans World Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Eastern Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, USAir and commuter operators such as Air Wisconsin and Comair. Traffic later declined as passengers increasingly drove to Detroit Metropolitan Airport, though the field saw renewed growth from 2013 onward. In September 2020 the airport was officially renamed Eugene F. Kranz Toledo Express Airport to honour Gene Kranz, a Toledo native and graduate of Central Catholic High School who joined NASA in 1960 as an assistant flight director for Project Mercury and went on to serve as flight director for Apollo 13, playing a central role in the effort to bring its crew home safely after the in-flight explosion of 1970.
Toledo Express remains a civil-military airport, hosting the Ohio Air National Guard's 180th Fighter Wing alongside scheduled passenger and cargo operations. It functions as a secondary airport and primary diversion point for Detroit Metropolitan Airport, and also serves as headquarters and ground cargo hub for BX Solutions. A general aviation facility with U.S. Customs and Border Protection capability has been built at the field, supporting international general aviation arrivals.