Opa-locka Airport

Opa-locka Airport
Pablo Andrés Ortega Chávez · GFDL 1.2 · source
Name	Opa-locka Airport
Nativename	Opa-locka Executive Airport
Iata	OPF
Icao	KOPF
Faa	OPF
Type	Public
Owner	Miami-Dade County
City-served	Miami metropolitan area
Coordinates	25°54′29″N 80°17′12″W

Opa-locka Airport is a public airport located in Opa-locka, Florida, serving the Miami metropolitan area in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The field functions as a reliever and general aviation facility supporting Miami International Airport, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, and regional aviation, with a history tied to World War II training, Pan Am, and postwar civil aviation growth. The airport hosts flight schools, charter operations, aircraft maintenance, and law enforcement aviation units.

History

Built in the late 1920s and expanded during World War II as a training base, the field was linked to the United States Army Air Forces technical training programs and to Pan American World Airways development in South Florida. Postwar, the airport transitioned to civil use under Miami-Dade County administration and became intertwined with regional aviation developments involving Eastern Air Lines, National Airlines (1934–1980), and later commuter carriers. During the Cold War era the facility supported Air National Guard and rotary-wing units and hosted maintenance activities connected to aerospace contractors such as Grumman and Lockheed Corporation. In the 1980s and 1990s the airport became a base for business aviation, flight training operations affiliated with institutions akin to ATP Flight School and FlightSafety International, and for helicopter operators serving offshore energy and media companies like CBS News and NBC News. Redevelopment initiatives in the 21st century involved runway improvements, hangar construction, and coordination with Federal Aviation Administration grant programs and Transportation Security Administration requirements.

Facilities and infrastructure

The airport features multiple runways, taxiways, ramp areas, and fixed-base operator facilities operated by private firms and county departments comparable to Signature Flight Support and Atlantic Aviation. Fuel services offer Jet A and 100LL supplied under quality-control regimes tied to Department of Transportation standards and maintenance shops capable of airframe and powerplant work in compliance with Federal Aviation Regulations. Hangar inventory includes corporate hangars, T-hangars, and transient tie-downs serving piston, turboprop, and business-jet airframes from manufacturers such as Cessna, Gulfstream Aerospace, Bombardier Aerospace, and Dassault Aviation. The airport's control and communications infrastructure coordinate with Miami Center and Miami Approach facilities and integrates surface movement guidance aligned with FAA National Airspace System procedures. Security and emergency response capabilities interface with Miami-Dade Police Department, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, and regional Coast Guard air-sea coordination for incidents over Biscayne Bay.

Airlines and destinations

Historically the field hosted commuter and regional carriers operating turboprop and light-jet services linking to hubs like Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Scheduled airline service has been intermittent, involving commuter brands analogous to American Eagle, Silver Airways, and franchise carriers tied to network operators such as Delta Connection and United Express. In contemporary operations, the airport primarily supports on-demand charter operators, air-taxi services governed by Federal Aviation Administration Part 135 rules, and cargo charters for logistics firms similar to UPS Airlines and FedEx Express operating feeder flights to regional distribution centers.

Operations and statistics

As a reliever airport within the FAA National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems, the field records general aviation operations, air taxi movements, and occasional military sorties. Annual aircraft operations and based-aircraft counts reflect activity by flight schools, corporate operators, and maintenance-based transient traffic; these figures are tracked in FAA databases alongside metrics for peak-hour runway capacity, instrument approaches such as Instrument Landing System, and published procedures in the Aeronautical Information Manual. Economic impact assessments link airport activity to ancillary industries like aircraft maintenance, pilot training, and aviation fuel sales, contributing to regional employment measured in county economic reports and metropolitan planning studies coordinated with Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works.

Accidents and incidents

The airport's safety record includes incidents typical of general aviation hubs: training accidents involving light aircraft affiliated with flight schools, mechanical failures on turboprop and business-jet types, and occasional runway excursions. Investigations into significant events have been conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board with participation from the Federal Aviation Administration and local law enforcement. Notable occurrences referenced in NTSB archives involve aircraft makes and models such as Piper PA-28 Cherokee, Beechcraft King Air, and light jets, leading to recommendations on pilot training, maintenance oversight, and airport operational procedures.

Category:Airports in Miami-Dade County, Florida Category:Airports established in 1928