Customs Now Available at Houston Reliever Airport

Source: http://www.lonestarairport.org 

Starting in July, the Conroe-North Houston Regional Airport (KCXO/CXO), formerly called the Lone Star Executive Airport, will have a fully-operational U.S. Customs and Border Protection Inspection Services station providing a much-needed airport of entry in the North Houston, Texas area.

Given the high traffic into and out of George Bush Intercontinental and Hobby Airports in Houston, Texas and the increased demand for general aviation services in the North Houston area, Montgomery County and the city of The Woodlands teamed up to take their local airport international. This was a direct response to the growth in population and economic opportunity in the immediate area.

Recognized as the General Aviation Reliever Airport of the Year for 2016 by the Texas Department of Transportation, Conroe-North Houston is located 37 miles (60 km) north of the central business district of Houston, which means it is a 35-minute drive from downtown Houston and 17 minutes from The Woodlands. It is just off Interstate 45 and only 25 miles (40 km) from George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

This all-weather airport is owned and operated by the county and occupies 1,277 acres (517 ha). It has a control tower and two runways – one that is 7,501 feet by 150 feet and the other is 5,000 feet by 100 feet. The airport hosts over 300 aircraft and 240 hangars. It has three, full-service FBOs and a general aviation terminal building. There is also a U.S. Army Reserve aviation unit located there and roughly 20 businesses – ranging from aircraft maintenance to flight schools – and several government agencies too.

The facility has Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) capabilities onsite. The ARFF team there is highly trained and is involved with the response, hazard mitigation, evacuation, and rescue of passengers and crew of an aircraft involved in an airport ground emergency. The KCXO team expects to attain FAA’s FAR Part 139 compliance soon.

In July 2016, the 3,200-sq-ft U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Inspection Services station will open, making the Conroe-North Houston Regional Airport the newest AOE for the Houston metroplex. This development will undoubtedly cause the annual average of 160+ international flights from more than 13 countries to dramatically increase in very short order. The new CBP facility will cost approximately $2.6 million USD and is but one in a chain of recent upgrades undertaken by the airport.

The airport, originally named Montgomery County Airport, was built in 1939 by the Civil Aeronautics Agency. During World War II, the airport was leased to the U.S. Navy and was used as a U.S. Naval Air Station. It served as a research center for drone testing and a weather station until 1946. In 1951, the County reopened the facility as a civilian airport. Various FBOs assumed management of the airport until 1972 when the County took charge of it again.

To learn more about the airport, visit www.lonestarairport.com. The airport’s phone number is +1 936 788 8311.

Contact UAS Americas Ops team in Houston by emailing hou@uas.aero