Ocala International Airport is a city-owned public airport five miles west of Ocala, in Marion County, Florida. It is also known as Ocala International Airport-Jim Taylor Field and was previously Ocala Regional Airport or Jim Taylor Field.The airport is about 31 miles south of Gainesville Regional Airport.FacilitiesOcala International Airport covers 1,532acre at an elevation of 89 feet (27 m). It has two asphalt runways: runway 18/36 is 7,467 by 150 feet (2,276 x 46 m) and runway 8/26 is 3,009 by 50 feet (917 x 15 m).The airport began in 1968 with one runway served by Eastern Airlines, one Convair a day JAX-GNV-OCF-VRB-MIA and back. The last Eastern Electra left around 1972.Scheduled commercial air service continued through the late 1980s with service from:Air Florida (using 737, 727 and DC-9 aircraft) serving Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville and GainesvilleUSAir Express (Operated by Allegheny Commuter) service to OrlandoSkyway Commuter turboprop service to Orlando.The last commercial flight left Ocala in 1987 when USAir Express stopped service to Ocala, but facilities expanded to include a 3,000 foot crosswind runway, an extension of the main runway to 6,900 feet, an instrument landing approach, and FAA Part 139 certification.
