The 2001 Drake Relays will be held April 25-28. Over 4,500 athletes, coaches, and spectators are expected to utilize the Des Moines International Airport as they travel to this premier track and field event.
Passengers give little notice to the intricacies of an airport's runways.
With destination on their minds, travelers purchase tickets, board planes, lift off and land. How and why the airfield operates is likely far from their minds. But creating a safe and efficient air traffic operation is of utmost importance for those in the industry. The Des Moines International Airport's 1991 Noise Compatibility Study recommended extending the crosswind runway to the southwest as a means to help mitigate aircraft noise in and around the airport. This project is well underway and the extended runway is scheduled, if the weather cooperates, to have aircraft operations on it by the end of this year.