Indianapolis Regional Airport has just recently installed a new sign on the roundabout outside the airport on County Road 600 West. Tom Russo | Daily Reporter
Indianapolis Regional Airport has just recently installed a new sign on the roundabout outside the airport on County Road 600 West. Tom Russo | Daily Reporter
AIRPORT HISTORY
Mt. Comfort Airport, now known as Indianapolis Regional Airport, opened in 1977. It was built as a reliever or general aviation airfield for Indianapolis International Airport to handle general aviation and relieve congestion in Indianapolis, serving corporate and private pilots with runways. Its history traces back to studies in the 1960s for a secondary airport on land once owned by the Kingen Gun Club, eventually becoming Mt. Comfort Airport and then renamed to Indianapolis Regional Airport in 2011 to better link it to the city.

 

The airport has come a long way since the early planning for the area in the 1960’s when Indianapolis Airport Authority leaders began talk of needing a secondary airport to alleviate traffic at Weir Cook Airport, known now as Indianapolis International Airport. (Today its terminal is named for Cook, a World War I flying ace from Wilkinson.)

After the site was selected — some 887 acres of Buck Creek Township farmland — the opening took place Nov. 6, 1977. Today, leaders say, it’s a significant general aviation airport, featuring paved runways that serve corporate and private flights. The airport currently covers 1,805 acres, featuring two paved runways:

-The 6,005-foot asphalt Runway 7/25, is marked for a precision approach.-The 3,902-foot concrete crosswind Runway 16/34 is for corporate and private pilots, not major airlines like at Indianapolis International Airport.A typical commercial jet runway needs to be 6,000 to 13,000 feet, with most needing 6,000 to 8,000 feet. The airport is called a key “reliever” airport, handling traffic that doesn’t need to use Indianapolis International.
MT. COMFORT — The new sign for Indianapolis Regional Airport is nestled in a roundabout near the entrance to the airfield.

It is in some ways a sign of the times, of the growing air service in the region.

Airport leaders recently released a 20-year master plan (viewable online here) for growth focusing on economic vitality, sustainability and efficient development. Plans outline future hangars, infrastructure and potential land use changes.

The airport serves private and corporate airplanes, known as general aviation, and is not currently suited to handle commercial passengers or cargo flights. But that doesn’t mean the airport never will.

In fact, members of the airport authority note significant growth at the airport is coming that will facilitate both.

Eric Anderson is the property director with Indianapolis Airport Authority. He said airport growth is inevitable, and the addition of cargo flights will happen sooner rather than later — and long-term plans include adding passenger flights.

“The airport is growing and it is coming into its own, but ultimately it is still a general aviation airport, to which we will transition eventually to a commercial airport,” Anderson said.

“We think (the airport) is a jewel for the county, but it’s also beyond the county and it will just continue to grow. It has what I would call a very reliable future.”

Anderson stressed while any kind of commercial flights is still decades away, the possibility of cargo flights is closer.

“Cargo is imminent, I would say,” Anderson said. “We’ve purchased some land to support our master plan, and we’ve also purchased land because of the extensive commercial growth, the industrial growth going on around the airport. So we needed to protect our runway lengths more than anything else.”

The airport authority has purchased around 530 acres over the past couple of years in anticipation of the airport’s growth; add that to some of the existing land, and it is for now farming an estimated 1,650 acres.

“We’ve secured runway lengths for both of our runways out there,” Anderson said. “You see what surrounds the airport is for industrial use and the aspect is that eventually some of that cargo would be moved by an airplane rather than by a truck.”

When it comes to development, the master plan includes potential for large hangars, flex-use development and future private development spaces.

Community input, the plan notes, is a must as airport leaders want a robust process involving public meetings and feedback to align with local and regional goals.

The master plan states no commercial flights are currently allowed, but leaders are keeping options open.

Location, location, location

The aviation world knows Indianapolis Regional Airport is a prime location for growth as a general aviation, or a reliever, airport. Anderson noted it offers flight training schools, aircraft maintenance and charters, plus there is a lot of land for development.

“Runway lengths matter, and developable land matters, and we have those,” Anderson said. “This airport is in a great position to strategically grow.”

Commissioner Bill Spalding agreed with Anderson in saying the airport is a plus for the county and will likely continue to grow.

“The commissioners, I believe, do see the airport as a major asset for the county; as it supports existing employees, it will attract investment, and we think it gives Hancock County a competitive advantage when companies are deciding where to locate and expand,” Spalding said.

In June 2024, IU Health leased just over 11 acres in Hancock County for Lifeline heliport operations. The hospital network agreed to lease 11.4 acres at Indianapolis Regional Airport in Hancock County from the airport authority.

“Our recent addition would be the IU Health Lifeline that moved out of the heliport in downtown Indianapolis, and they sit in a beautiful facility that they built and operate out of,” Anderson said.

According to Indianapolis Business Journal, Jet Access announced in 2022 that it planned to create a 23,000-square-foot aviation hangar there. At the time, the company noted the new building would accommodate large-cabin business jets, such as a Gulfstream G650. The company said the new hangar will allow it to better serve companies looking to conduct or start new businesses in central Indiana. Anderson noted the facility is sublet to Rolls Royce.

“There is a significant shortage of hangar space in Indianapolis, and we are uniquely positioned to invest in our operations at Indianapolis Regional Airport,” Jet Access CEO Quinn Ricker said. “The new hangar will impact a significant sector of the business community — those who are currently doing business in Indianapolis, along with those who are looking to expand in, or relocate business to Indianapolis. The investments we are making at all of our Indiana locations are a stepping stone for economic growth for the region.”

McCordsville leaders have noted potential growth of Indianapolis Regional Airport could add another action item to the town’s long-term comprehensive plan. After meetings with airport leaders Ryan Crum, deputy town manager and director of planning and building, told the Daily Reporter town leaders foresee a future where there is regularly scheduled cargo service at the airport, as well as recurring commercial passenger service.

“That is transformative when and if it ever happens. It is a long time out, but that changes everything,” Crum said. “If I said to you today, ‘I think we should put zoning for a hotel at County Road 500 North and County Road 600 West,’ you’d think I’m nuts. And I would be nuts. I’m probably not nuts in 20 years if there’s recurring passenger service there.”

Spalding, who is from the area, recalled the transformation of the airport through the years and said it’s been impressive with a massive potential for even more growth.

“I remember back in the ‘80s; the transformation from what it was back then to what it is now has been pretty remarkable,” he said. “What they have out there now is modern facilities, a professional operation, and they’ve done a lot of long-term planning, which reflects the vision they had, and I am excited to see what it grows into. I believe that airport will continue to play a role in logistics and with manufacturing in the area.”

Spalding hopes someday he and others in the county and surrounding counties will be able to use the airport for commercial flight.

“It’s why one of the reasons that hotel at the Gateway is so important for the county,” Spalding said. “Right now, pilots and people taking flights are going to the Noblesville area and other areas because they can’t find adequate hotel space to get into, so we are trying to accommodate that.”

Anderson said the airport authority has an excellent relationship with county officials. As one of the largest terminal aviation airports in the country, “predictability would say it eventually starts commercial activity, but there are not timelines for that and it won’t happen anytime soon,” Anderson said. “But it will happen.”
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