Alexandria International Airport – AEX Alexandria

Once located on the site of the former England Air Force Base, the public use Alexandria International Airport now sits on Alexandria, Louisiana. Transferred there after the base closed in 1992, AEX initially served as an emergency airstrip for Esler Regional Airport in 1939. It was turned into Alexandria Army Air Base when the Department of Defense took over it on the eve of World War II, using it as a training ground for pilots and aircrew of Army Air Force fighter and bomber planes.

Best Time to Visit

Covering an area of 2,284 acres (924 hectares), the airport has two runways – the grooved concrete 14/32 which measures 9,350 x 150 feet, and the asphalt-concrete 18/36 at 7,000 x 150 feet. Alexandria International Airport (AEX) is served by American Airlines under its regional name American Eagle which flies to Dallas, Delta Airlines which connects to its hub in Atlanta, and United Air Lines’ regional United Express to its hub in Houston. In October 2011, its terminal became known as the James L. Meyer Commercial Terminal in honor of England Airpark Authority’s first chairman. Visitors can travel to Pineville, Natchitoches, and Eunice easily from AEX airport.

What to Do & Area Attractions

For convenient accommodations, the Hampton Inn & Suites Alexandria, 3.2 kilometers away is just a 10-minute drive from AEX airport. La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Alexandria Airport is just a tad farther at 3.4 kilometers, as is Comfort Inn Alexandria, located near Interstate 49 just outside the airport. For additional dining options there’s also a Cracker Barrel Store at the I-49 exit along with several fast food chains.

Another airport serving the city of Alexandria, LA is the nearby ESF-Esler Regional Airport.