Meridian Regional Airport (IATA: MEI, ICAO: KMEI, FAA LID: MEI) is a joint civil-military public use airport located at Key Field, a joint-use public/military airfield. It is located 3 nautical miles (5.6 km; 3.5 mi) southwest of Meridian, a city in Lauderdale County, Mississippi, United States. The Meridian Airport Authority owns the airport. At 10,003 feet (3,049 m), Key Field is home to the longest public use runway in Mississippi. It is mostly used for general aviation and military traffic, but it is also served by one commercial airline with scheduled passenger service subsidized by the Essential Air Service program.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, Meridian Regional Airport had 19,599 passengers board (enplanements) in 2008, 18,560 in 2009, and 16,871 in 2010. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a primary commercial service facility.

Meridian Regional Airport was established in 1928 and opened in November 1930 with the completion of the terminal, hangar, powerhouse, and a graded and packed dirt runway. Meridian city officials asked Al and Fred Key, who operated the Key Brothers' Flying School at Bonita, to co-manage the new facility. The brothers maintained their flying school at the new field as well as their other duties, such as selling commercial airline tickets, operating the terminal and hangar, and handling airmail delivery schedules.

With the onset of the Great Depression, the City of Meridian considered abandoning the airport because of the cost of maintenance. The Key Brothers, wanting to keep the airport in business, planned to break the standing flight endurance record of 23 days and therefore focusing worldwide attention on Meridian and its airport.

From June 4 until July 1, 1935, the brothers flew over Meridian for a total flight time of over 27 days. Key Field is named in their honor. The hangar and offices used by the Key brothers preceding and following the flight are still in use today and are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

During World War II, the facility operated under the name Key Field Air National Guard Base and was controlled by the United States Army Air Corps.

Delta Air Lines began the first commercial air service to Meridian in 1930. Meridian became a stop on Delta's mainline route between Dallas, Texas and Charleston, South Carolina. Various prop aircraft were used over the years, including the Lockheed Model 10 Electra, Douglas DC-3, Douglas DC-4, Convair 340, and Douglas DC-6. By the 1970s, Delta had initiated jet service to Meridian using the McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30. On Feb. 1, 1976, the Official Airline Guide (OAG) listed two flights a day operated by Delta with the DC-9, including a daily nonstop flight from Atlanta and a daily direct flight from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, which made two intermediate stops en route at Monroe, Louisiana and Jackson, Mississippi. Delta's mainline jet service ended in the spring of 1979. Delta would eventually return to Meridian with its service in 1985, operating as the Delta Connection via a code sharing agreement by Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA). Delta flew nonstop from both Atlanta and Memphis flown with de Havilland Canada DHC-7 Dash 7 and Embraer EMB-110 Bandeirante turboprop aircraft.

Southern Airways began serving Meridian in 1962 with direct flights to Atlanta, Memphis, and New Orleans, making intermediate stops en route at other cities. Southern was operating Douglas DC-3 and Martin 4-0-4 prop aircraft at this time. By 1968, Southern had introduced DC-9 jet service to Meridian and began nonstop flights to Atlanta. According to the Feb. 1, 1976 OAG, Southern was operating five flights a day into Meridian, all with Douglas DC-9-10 jets, and nonstop from Birmingham, Alabama, Columbus, Mississippi and Laurel/Hattiesburg, Mississippi, with direct service from Atlanta, Chicago O'Hare Airport, Memphis and Tuscaloosa, Alabama.