Fort Wayne International Airport

Infobox Airport
name = Fort Wayne International Airport


image-width = 150
caption = FAA airport diagram
IATA = FWA
ICAO = KFWA
FAA = FWA
type = Public
owner = Fort Wayne/Allen County Airport Authority
operator =
city-served =
location = 3801 West Ferguson Road
Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States flagicon|US
elevation-f = 815
elevation-m = 248
coordinates = Coord|40|58|42|N|085|11|42|W|type:airport
website = [http://www.flyfwa.com/ www.flyfwa.com]
r1-number = 5/23
r1-length-f = 12,000
r1-length-m = 3,658
r1-surface = Asphalt/Concrete
r2-number = 9/27
r2-length-f = 4,001
r2-length-m = 1,220
r2-surface = Asphalt/Concrete
r3-number = 14/32
r3-length-f = 8,001
r3-length-m = 2,439
r3-surface = Asphalt/Concrete
footnotes = Source: Federal Aviation AdministrationFAA-airport|ID=FWA|use=PU|own=PU|site=05282.*A]

Fort Wayne International Airport Airport codes|FWA|KFWA|FWA is a public airport located seven miles (11 km) southwest of the central business district of Fort Wayne, in Allen County, Indiana, United States. This airport is publicly owned by Fort Wayne/Allen County Airport Authority. The airport contains one terminal, the Lt. Paul Baer Terminal. There is passenger service to the seven larger airline hubs of Atlanta, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas/Fort Worth, Cleveland, Detroit and Minneapolis/St. Paul, annually serving approximately 650,000 passengers. [ [http://www.theallianceonline.com/atc.htm Fort Wayne-Allen County Economic Development Alliance - Airport Development] . Retrieved on 2008-04-30.] The airport has a convert|600000|sqft|m2|sing=on air cargo center located on the southwest side. The center was occupied by Kitty Hawk Aircargo, which operated a hub and spoke operation out of Fort Wayne until October 30, 2007, shortly after the carrier filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The airport is currently trying to find alternate uses for the property.

Fort Wayne International is also home to the 122d Fighter Wing (the "Blacksnakes") of the Indiana Air National Guard, which flies the F-16 fighter from a secure area of the airport away from the publicly accessible facilities. [ [http://www.theallianceonline.com/atc.htm Fort Wayne-Allen County Economic Development Alliance - Airport Development] . Retrieved on 2008-04-30.]

As of 2006, runway 5/23's usable dimensions are convert|11981|ft|m long and convert|150|ft|m wide while the grooved-surface dimensions are convert|12000|ft|m long and convert|150|ft|m wide, large enough to accommodate the Space Shuttle, 747s, and military tankers. [ [http://www.theallianceonline.com/atc.htm Fort Wayne-Allen County Economic Development Alliance - Airport Development] . Retrieved on 2008-04-30.]

Airlines and destinations

* Allegiant Air Gate 2 (Orlando-Sanford, St. Petersburg/Clearwater)
* American Airlines Gate 8
** American Eagle (Chicago-O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth)
* Continental Airlines Gate 1
** Continental Connection operated by CommutAir (Cleveland)
* Delta Air Lines Gates 2, 6 and 7
** Delta Connection operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines (Atlanta)
** Delta Connection operated by Chautauqua Airlines (Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky)
* Northwest Airlines Gates 4 and 5
** Northwest Airlink operated by Mesaba Airlines (Detroit)
** Northwest Airlink operated by Pinnacle Airlines (Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul)
* United Airlines Gate 6
** United Express operated by SkyWest Airlines (Chicago-O'Hare)
** United Express operated by Mesa Airlines (Chicago-O'Hare)

History

The airport was originally constructed as a military base during World War II. It opened in 1941 as Baer Field at a cost of $10 million. After the war, the City of Fort Wayne bought the airport from the federal government for $1, renaming it Fort Wayne Municipal Airport in 1946. The airport kept this name until 1991, when it was renamed Fort Wayne International Airport. Despite the new name, the airport lacks any international flights and serves primarily as a regional airport at this time.In late 2003, Charles McKinley shipped himself via Kitty Hawk Air Cargo from Newark International Airport to Buffalo, New York, then to Fort Wayne, eventually flying to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, undetected through security. [ [http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2004-02-05-stowaway-sentence_x.htm USATODAY.com - Man who stowed away on flight sentenced - Feb. 5, 2004] ] [ [http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Southwest/09/09/plane.stowaway/index.html?iref=newssearch CNN.com - Man shipped from New York to Texas in crate - Sept. 10, 2003 ] ]

On August 18, 2004, Fort Wayne International Airport was in the national spotlight after a mysterious "liquid substance" discovered leaking from luggage, forced authorities to shut down the airport, after six people fell ill. Fearing that the incident may have been an act of terrorism, the FBI was involved in the investigation. Later in the day, Haz-mat ruled that there was "no biological or chemical threat" and the airport was reopened that afternoon. All who were ill recovered and it was later revealed that the substance was an agent for producing perfume. [ [http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/Midwest/08/18/airport.closed/index.html?iref=newssearch CNN.com - Airport shutdown blamed on perfume - Aug 18, 2004 ] ]

ee also

* Indiana World War II Army Airfields

External links

* [http://www.flyfwa.com/ Official site]
* [http://www.visitfortwayne.com/transport.html Fort Wayne/Allen County Convention & Visitors Bureau]
* [http://www.in.gov/indot/images/dp02001.jpgAerial Photo] (from Indiana Department of Transportation)
*FAA-diagram|00156

References