Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport

Infobox Airport
name = Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport
nativename =
nativename-a =
nativename-r =

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image-width =
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IATA = LBB
ICAO = KLBB
type = Public
owner =
operator = City of Lubbock
city-served =
location = Lubbock, Texas
elevation-f = 3,282
elevation-m = 1,000
coordinates = Coord|33|39|49|N|101|49|22|W|type:airport
website =
metric-elev =
metric-rwy =
r1-number = 8/26
r1-length-f = 8,001
r1-length-m = 2,439
r1-surface = Concrete
r2-number = 17R/35L
r2-length-f = 11,500
r2-length-m = 3,502
r2-surface = Concrete
r3-number = 17L/35R
r3-length-f = 2,891
r3-length-m = 881
r3-surface = Asphalt
stat-year =
stat1-header =
stat1-data =
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Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport airport codes|LBB|KLBB is an airport located just north of Lubbock, Texas. Originally known as Lubbock International Airport, it was renamed in 2004 to honor former Texas governor Preston E. Smith. The airport has three runways.

Airlines and destinations

* American Airlines
** American Eagle (Dallas/Fort Worth)
**American Airlines operated by Executive Air (Dallas/Fort Worth) [begins October 31st]

* Continental Airlines
** Continental Express operated by Chautauqua Airlines (Houston-Intercontinental)
** Continental Express operated by ExpressJet Airlines (Houston-Intercontinental)
* Southwest Airlines (Albuquerque, Austin, Dallas-Love, El Paso, Las Vegas)

Cargo carriers

*ABX Air (Albuquerque, Wilmington (Airborne Airpark), Ohio)
*FedEx Express (Memphis)

Information about airport

Free Wi-Fi access is provided by the city of Lubbock throughout the airport. There are concessions located on the property including a Starbucks coffee unit. All concessions are ran by HMS Host Int. General manager is Burt Ising. The airport is near completion on its major re-construction and re-configuration of its parking facilities. Wait times at this airport are extremely minimal usually taking about ten minutes from entering the airport, to ticket-counters, to gate. Lubbock Preston Smith international Airport is one of only 42 airports around the world with CNN Airport Network. Scheduled passenger service utilizes 737s from Southwest, ERJ-145s from Continental Express, CRJ-200s from Chautauqua, and ERJ-135/140/145s and CRJ-700s from American Eagle. Beginning sometime after September 4th, American Eagle will cut two flights a day and begin using its newly re-located ATR 72 turbo-prop aircraft from its San Juan hub. Airborne Express sends a Douglas DC-9 on its route through Lubbock while Fedex sends a daily Airbus A310. The Airport also plays host as a hub to Fedex's feeder planes that serve cities around Lubbock. There is occasional Allegiant Airlines charter service (MD82/83 JET) although not widely publicized.

Historically, Braniff International Airways had regularly scheduled service to Amarillo and Dallas. Continental Airlines had service to Dallas, El Paso and Los Angeles. Trans-Texas Airways had service to Amarillo and Abilene. These previously scheduled flights were from the old facility before Preston Smith International operations commenced. Delta also used to offer service to its hub at DFW. This service along with the hub at DFW was discontinued after 9/11.

History

The airport was opened in November 1937 as South Plains Airport. During World War II the facility was used by the United States Army Air Forces as a training base and was called South Plains Army Airfield. At the end of the war the airfield was determined to be excess by the military and returned to the local government for civil use.

See also

* Texas World War II Army Airfields

References

* Thole, Lou (1999), Forgotten Fields of America : World War II Bases and Training, Then and Now - Vol. 2. Publisher: Pictorial Histories Pub, ISBN 1575100517

External links

* [http://www.flylia.com Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport homepage]
* [http://www.flylia.com/aerial_view.jpgAerial View of airport]