Midway Atoll, US Minor Outlying Islands (MDY-Henderson Field)

The Henderson Field (Midway Atoll) is an airport located in Midway Atoll, US Minor Outlying Islands. This public airport is operated by the Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service, and it has the airport code of MDY. It is mostly used as ETOPS operations’ diversion point for emergencies. The MDY-Henderson Field airport was named in honor of a World War II hero, Major Lofton R. Henderson. The airport also serves as the entry point to the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, a national monument within Sand Island that is mainly used by scientists and researchers.

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The Henderson Field (Midway Atoll) was first constructed in 1942 by the Naval Battalion. After serving as a bomber strip, the MDY-Henderson Field Airport was transferred to the care of the US Department of the Interior, and Boeing, a company based in Washington, helped develop the airport in 2004. At present it is classified as an uncontrolled airport due to the lack of a radio tower. Flights are usually operational from November to June, and scientists wait for the migration of albatross birds to signal safety for flights. The MDY-Henderson Field Airport sits on 486 hectares of land, and features a 7,800-foot asphalt runway. Previous airlines that have graced its runways include the Aloha Airlines, Pan American World Airways, and Continental Micronesia. These shuttled passengers from Honolulu, Guam, and further cities like Delhi and Frankfurt.

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