Cincinnati Municipal Airport Lunken Field Guide

Lunken Airport sits on the floodplain of the Little Miami and Ohio rivers, about three miles east of downtown Cincinnati. It handles general aviation, corporate and charter flying and has no scheduled airline service. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) carries the region's airline traffic.

The field opened in 1925 on roughly 1,000 acres, then the largest municipal airfield in the world. It was named for Eshelby Lunken, and flying lessons had begun on the site around 1921. Airlines used it through the 1930s and 1940s as Cincinnati's main airport. Flooding from the Ohio River and the need for longer runways moved airline flying to CVG, and the flood-prone site earned it the nickname "Sunken Lunken". The airport was renamed from Lunken Field to Lunken Airport in 1967.

Two runways are in use: 3R/21L at 6,101 feet and 7/25 at 5,127 feet. Runway 3L/21R closed permanently in July 2024. The FAA recorded 114,630 aircraft operations in 2022, with 150 aircraft based on the field. The old control tower is the oldest standing control tower in the United States. The terminal building holds a pilot supply shop and the Cincinnati Aviation Heritage Society and Museum.