- Niagara Falls International Airport
-
Coordinates: 43°06′26″N 078°56′46″W / 43.10722°N 78.94611°W
Niagara Falls International Airport 
Niagara Falls International Airport - New York - 28 March 1995 IATA: IAG – ICAO: KIAG – FAA LID: IAG Summary Airport type Public / Military Owner/Operator Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Location Town of Niagara,, Niagara County, near Niagara Falls, New York Elevation AMSL 589 ft / 180 m Website 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 Passengers 56,943 Sources: Federal Aviation Administration,[1] Business First of Buffalo[2] For a wider range of aviation in the Niagara Falls area, see Buffalo Niagara International Airport.- For the United States Air Force use of the airport, see Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station
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.[1] 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.
Contents
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.
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.
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:[1]
- 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
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.[2][5]
Airlines and destinations
Airlines Destinations Allegiant Air St. Petersburg-Clearwater [begins December 15] Direct Air operated by various carriers Fort Myers/Punta Gorda, Lakeland[6], Myrtle Beach, San Juan [begins May 4, 2012][7]
Seasonal: West Palm BeachSpirit Airlines Fort Lauderdale, Myrtle Beach Traffic figures
Niagara Falls International received 56,943 passengers in 2008.[2] As per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 660 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2005 and 1,409 unscheduled enplanements in 2006.[8]
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.[9]
According to the FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2007–2011, Niagara Falls International is classified as a general aviation airport.[10]
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
References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.- ^ a b c FAA Airport Master Record for IAG (Form 5010 PDF), effective 2007-10-25
- ^ a b c Takeoff set for new NF airport terminal
- ^ http://www.spiritair.com/RouteMaps.aspx
- ^ http://visionairlines.com
- ^ IAG New Terminal
- ^ Chambliss, John. Direct Air Expects Lakeland Linder to Become a Hub of Tourism, theledger.com, March 30, 2011
- ^ [http://buffalo.ynn.com/content/all_news/539284/airport-announces-international-flights, retrieved 2011-Apr-07
- ^ FAA Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data: 2006
- ^ KIAG at airnav.com
- ^ FAA National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems: 2007-2011
External links
- Niagara Falls International Airport (official site)
- Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Serving Buffalo Niagara
- Airport DiagramPDF at New York State DOT website
- FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective 20 October 2011
- Resources for this airport:
- AirNav airport information for KIAG
- ASN accident history for IAG
- FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
- NOAA/NWS latest weather observations
- SkyVector aeronautical chart, Terminal Procedures for KIAG
Categories:- Airports in New York
- Transportation in Niagara Falls, New York
- Buildings and structures in Niagara County, New York
- Transportation in Niagara County, New York
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
