Niagara Falls International Airport: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 43°06′26″N 078°56′46″W / 43.10722°N 78.94611°W / 43.10722; -78.94611
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== History ==
== History ==
Niagara Falls International Airport was opened in 1928 as a city-owned municipal airport with four crushed-stone runways.
Niagara Falls International Airport was opened in 1928 as a city-owned municipal airport with four crushed-stone runways. During [[World War II]], the [[United States Army Air Forces]] assumed control of the airport and upgraded its facilities to be used as an Army Air Force base. After the war, the base became a Reserve and National Guard installation, and then an [[Air Force Reserve]] and [[Air National Guard]] installation in 1947 following the establishment of the [[U.S. Air Force]] as independent service. Civilian aviation operations also resumed during the post-war period under a joint-use arrangement.

During [[World War II]], [[Bell Aircraft]] established a large aircraft manufacturing plant next to the airport, where during the war it built over 10,000 [[P-39 Airacobra]] and [[P-63 Kingcobra]] fighter aircraft. Bell employed over 28,000 workers at the plant. After the war, the plant was the development site of the experimental [[Bell X-1]] plane used by famed pilot [[Chuck Yeager]] to break the sound barrier in 1947.

The [[United States Army Air Forces]] assumed jurisdiction of the airport during the war, with the 3522d Army Air Force Base Unit managing the airport and coordinating use of the airfield with Bell Aircraft. The airfield was improved with macadam runways, 4000150(N/S), 4000x150(NE/SW), 4200x300(E/W), 4000x150(NW/SE), including many taxiways and other improvements to handle large numbers of aircraft. Air Technical Service Command also operated an Aircraft modification center at the airport where new aircraft were given various updates prior to their deployment to operational bases and overseas combat theaters.

Civilian aviation operations and jurisdiction of the airport was returned in early 1946, and a joint-use agreement was made with the [[United States Air Force]] for [[Air Force Reserve]] and [[New York Air National Guard]] use of a portion of the airport.


=== Military facilities ===
=== Military facilities ===

Revision as of 03:18, 27 February 2011

For a wider range of aviation in the Niagara Falls area, see Buffalo Niagara International Airport.

43°06′26″N 078°56′46″W / 43.10722°N 78.94611°W / 43.10722; -78.94611

Niagara Falls International Airport

Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station
File:Nfia-logo.jpg
Summary
Airport typePublic / Military
Owner/OperatorNiagara Frontier Transportation Authority
LocationTown of Niagara,, Niagara County, near Niagara Falls, New York
Elevation AMSL589 ft / 180 m
WebsiteNiagaraFallsAirport.com
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
6/24 5,189 1,582 Asphalt
10L/28R 9,829 2,996 Asphalt/Concrete
10R/28L 3,973 1,211 Asphalt
Statistics (2008)
Aircraft operations (2006)42,512
Passengers56,943 [1]

Niagara Falls International Airport (IATA: IAG, ICAO: KIAG, FAA LID: IAG) is a joint civil-military public-use airport located four miles (6 km) east of the central business district of Niagara Falls, in Niagara County, New York, United States.[2] Owned and operated by the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, the airport shares its runways with the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station.

Niagara Falls International handles airline services, general aviation and military aircraft of all sizes. A new terminal building was opened in 2009.

History

Niagara Falls International Airport was opened in 1928 as a city-owned municipal airport with four crushed-stone runways.

During World War II, Bell Aircraft established a large aircraft manufacturing plant next to the airport, where during the war it built over 10,000 P-39 Airacobra and P-63 Kingcobra fighter aircraft. Bell employed over 28,000 workers at the plant. After the war, the plant was the development site of the experimental Bell X-1 plane used by famed pilot Chuck Yeager to break the sound barrier in 1947.

The United States Army Air Forces assumed jurisdiction of the airport during the war, with the 3522d Army Air Force Base Unit managing the airport and coordinating use of the airfield with Bell Aircraft. The airfield was improved with macadam runways, 4000150(N/S), 4000x150(NE/SW), 4200x300(E/W), 4000x150(NW/SE), including many taxiways and other improvements to handle large numbers of aircraft. Air Technical Service Command also operated an Aircraft modification center at the airport where new aircraft were given various updates prior to their deployment to operational bases and overseas combat theaters.

Civilian aviation operations and jurisdiction of the airport was returned in early 1946, and a joint-use agreement was made with the United States Air Force for Air Force Reserve and New York Air National Guard use of a portion of the airport.

Military facilities

107th FIG, New York Air National Guard F-101Bs at Niagara Falls, 1981.

Today, the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station is home to the Air Force Reserve Command's 914th Airlift Wing (914 AW), flying the C-130 Hercules and the New York Air National Guard's 107th Airlift Wing (107 AW), which shares the 914th AW's C-130 aircraft. Both wings are operationally gained by the Air Mobility Command (AMC). The main runway was extended to over 9,000 feet (2,743 m) in 1959 to handle larger military aircraft, and was extended again in 2003 to its current length of 9,829 feet (2,996 m). For all practical purposes, the facility is a small Air Force base.

Both the 914 AW and 107 AW number in excess of 1,100 military personnel each (over 2,200 total): full-time Active Guard and Reserve (AGR) and Air Reserve Technicians (ART), as well as "traditional" part-time Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard personnel.

The New York Army National Guard also maintains an Army Aviation Support Facility at the station in support of operational Army flying units, both fixed-wing and rotary-wing.

The Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station was included in the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission recommendations issued by the Department of Defense on May 13, 2005. If the BRAC committee, the President, and Congress had approved all of the recommendations, it would have resulted in the closure of the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station. However, due to a local grassroots campaign by families and associates of affected military personnel, coupled with a united political effort involving Republican and Democratic congressional representatives and other politicians including both US Senators from New York, the BRAC recommendation regarding this base was largely overturned and the base will remain open for the foreseeable future. Excluding several New York Air National Guard facilities that are "nominally" under "state control," the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station is the last major U.S. Air Force installation in the State of New York and the largest U.S. federal facility in the region.

Commercial flight operations

From 1980 to 1984, commercial airline service was available at the airport via Air Niagara, a post-Deregulation airline with service to Newark Airport. Empire Airlines also served the airport at one time, with service to Syracuse. Kiwi International briefly served the airport in 1998.

In March 2007, Direct Air began airline service to Myrtle Beach. In September 2009, a new terminal complex was completed to better service existing air service and is intended as an incentive to return scheduled regional and domestic passenger service to the airport.

In October 2010, Spirit Airlines announced service to Fort Lauderdale and Myrtle Beach.[3]

In November 2010, Vision Airlines announced service to Destin/Fort Walton Beach, FL and Miami, FL (MIA) [4]

Facilities

Niagara Falls International Airport lies within Class D airspace and has an operating FAA control tower.

The airport covers an area of 1,067 acres (432 ha) which contains three paved runways:[2]

  • Runway 6/24: 5,189 x 150 ft (1,582 x 46 m), Surface: Asphalt
  • Runway 10L/28R: 9,829 x 150 ft (2,996 x 46 m), Surface: Asphalt/Concrete
  • Runway 10R/28L: 3,973 x 75 ft (1,211 x 23 m), Surface: Asphalt

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/zYj9YvGHVyE/hqdefault.jpg

Passenger terminal

On September 2, 2009, Niagara Falls International Airport dedicated its new two-story state-of-the-art 69,430-square-foot (6,450 m2) terminal with two gates. The terminal consists of one jetway and one ground-loading gate and accommodates aircraft ranging up to a Boeing 747 in size. The exterior is designed to reflect Niagara Falls' water flow. Total project cost was an estimated $42.5 million, $31.5 million for the terminal and $11 million for runway apron and landside improvements.[1][5]

Airlines and destinations

AirlinesDestinations
Direct Air operated by Vision Airlines Fort Myers/Punta Gorda
Direct Air operated by Xtra Airways Fort Myers/Punta Gorda, Melbourne (FL), Myrtle Beach, West Palm Beach[6]
Direct Air operated by Dynamic Airways Myrtle Beach [seasonal]
Spirit Airlines Fort Lauderdale, Myrtle Beach [begins May 5]
Vision Airlines Fort Walton Beach

Traffic figures

Niagara Falls International received 56,943 passengers in 2008.[1] As per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 660 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2005 and 1,409 unscheduled enplanements in 2006.[7]

For the 12-month period ending May 31, 2009, the airport had 38,325 aircraft operations, an average of 105 per day: 69% general aviation, 24% military, 5% air taxi and 2% scheduled commercial.[8]

According to the FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2007–2011, Niagara Falls International is classified as a general aviation airport.[9]

Nearby airports

0G0 - North Buffalo Suburban Airport (11 nm E)

KBUF - Buffalo Niagara International Airport (14 nm SE)

9G0 - Buffalo Airfield (18 nm SE)

9G3 - Akron Airport (21 nm E)

9G6 - Pine Hill Airport (30 nm E)

Source: AirNav

See also

References

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

  1. ^ a b c Takeoff set for new NF airport terminal
  2. ^ a b c FAA Airport Form 5010 for IAG PDF, effective 2007-10-25
  3. ^ http://www.spiritair.com/RouteMaps.aspx
  4. ^ http://visionairlines.com
  5. ^ IAG New Terminal
  6. ^ Direct Air & Tours, visitdirectair.com, retrieved 2010-Jul-22
  7. ^ FAA Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data: 2006
  8. ^ KIAG at airnav.com
  9. ^ FAA National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems: 2007-2011
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