Los Alamos Airport covers an area of 89 acres at an elevation of 7,171 feet above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 9/27 with an asphalt surface measuring 6,000 by 120 feet. Because of the restricted airspace immediately to the south of the runway, and the noise-sensitive residential area just west of the runway, Los Alamos Airport employs a non-standard traffic pattern. All takeoffs, regardless of wind conditions, are to the east on runway 9. All landings, regardless of wind, are to the west on runway 27. Unlike many airports, the orientation of the runway at Los Alamos was chosen due to geographic necessity rather than preferential wind alignment. Pilots will frequently encounter a gusty crosswind at this airfield, particularly in spring. This fact, combined with the rugged terrain off the east end of the runway, has given LAM a reputation for being a challenging airport at which to land.
Due to low passenger count, Boutique Air terminated all flights flying from Los Alamos County Airport to Albuquerque Sunport on April 30, 2016. No airlines currently serve Los Alamos. On November 20, 2017, the Los Alamos County Council approved funding to promote the use of Santa Fe Regional Airport instead of seeking replacement service.
Los Alamos has seen airline service to Albuquerque since the airport opened in 1947. Carco Airlines was the first, operating primarily Beechcraft Bonanzas through 1969 under contract with Los Alamos National Labs. Ross Aviation was then awarded the contract and flew DeHavilland Twin Otters through 1995. Occasionally Ross would operate larger 50-seat Dash-7s when passenger loads warranted. Peacock Air briefly provided flights to Albuquerque in late 1995 using Swearingen Metroliners followed briefly by Mesa Airlines in 1997 with Beechcraft 1900D airliners. Rio Grande Air served the route in 1999 and New Mexico Airlines from 2013 until the beginning of 2015, each carrier using Cessna 208 Caravan aircraft. Boutique Air was the most recent carrier serving Los Alamos from November 1, 2015 through April 30, 2016 using Pilatus PC-12 aircraft.
Operations
For the 12-month period ending June 30, 2008, the airport had 13,000 aircraft operations, an average of 35 per day: 99% general aviation, <1% air taxi, and <1% military. At that time there were 57 aircraft based at this airport: 96% single-engine, 2% multi-engine, and 2% ultralight.
Services
Los Alamos Airport has numerous services available for local and visiting pilots: a flight planning room, open 24 hours a day to pilots, includes an internet-connected computer, printer, fax machine, and free WiFi connectivity; bathroom open 24 hours a day to pilots; self-serve 100LL fuel available 24 hours a day; on-field major airframe and powerplant repair; courtesy car; aircraft rentals; car rentals; nearby bus stop.
