- Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport
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"AZA" redirects here. For other uses, see AZA (disambiguation).
Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport 
IATA: AZA – ICAO: KIWA – FAA LID: IWA Summary Airport type Public Owner/Operator Phoenix Mesa Gateway Airport Authority Serves Phoenix metropolitan area Location Mesa, Arizona Built 1941 Elevation AMSL 1,382 ft / 421 m Coordinates 33°18′28″N 111°39′20″W / 33.30778°N 111.65556°W Website Runways Direction Length Surface ft m 12C/30C 10,200 3,109 Asphalt/Concrete 12L/30R 9,300 2,835 Concrete 12R/30L 10,400 3,170 Concrete Statistics (2008) Aircraft operations 230,411 Based aircraft 82 Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1] Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (IATA: AZA, ICAO: KIWA, FAA LID: IWA), formerly Williams Gateway Airport (1994–2008) and Williams Air Force Base (1941–1993), is a commercial airport located in the southeastern area of the city of Mesa, Arizona, and 20 miles (32 km) southeast of Phoenix, in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States.[1] The airport is owned and operated by the Williams Gateway Airport Authority. It serves as a focus city for Allegiant Air. The airport authority is governed by a five member board, composed of the mayors and tribal governor of the town of Gilbert, city of Mesa, town of Queen Creek, Gila River Indian Community and the city of Phoenix.
According to the FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2007–2011, Phoenix-Mesa Gateway was designated as a reliever airport, which is a general aviation airport that may be used to relieve congestion at a large commercial service airport.[2] Allegiant Air began offering scheduled commercial service from this airport in October 2007.[3] As per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 289,770 passenger boardings (or enplanements) in the calendar year 2009, a 52.29% increase over the previous year.[4]
Although most U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier for the FAA and IATA, Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport is assigned IWA by the FAA and AZA by the IATA[5] (which assigned IWA to Yuzhny Airport in Ivanovo, Russia[6]). The airport's former IATA code was CHD.[7]
Contents
History
Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport was built in 1941 and inaugurated in 1942 by the United States military as Williams Air Base. It served as a flight training field during World War II for military pilots. Military forces established a pilot school there, and many war airplanes that are now considered to be classics were seen there on a daily basis.
In 1948, Williams became the first jet training base, and in 1966 it was the first site of the Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) program.[8]
The 1991 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission recommended closing the base as its operating costs were too costly for the United States government; the base continued operating until 1993.
Entrance to Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport As the base was being shut down, it was decided that, with the growing traffic at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, an alternative airport would be needed in the area. The runway was expanded to accommodate jets, and the facility reopened in 1994 as Williams Gateway Airport. Bids began to be made for some airlines to begin flights almost immediately.
In 2004, charter airline Ryan International Airlines began offering MD-82 jet flights from there to Bullhead City International Airport in Bullhead City, Arizona, which is adjacent to Laughlin, Nevada, and many resorts.
In recent years, the airport has again become a center of flight training. Several large flight schools now take advantage of the great flying weather in the Phoenix valley.
Logo using airport's former name On July 31, 2007, the low-cost Las Vegas-based carrier Allegiant Air announced plans to open a focus city from Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, connecting the Phoenix metropolitan area to 13 destinations. First service commenced on October 25, 2007 and additional cities commencing throughout the remainder of October and complete by November 21, 2007.[3]
In a press release on September 17, 2007, the Williams Gateway Airport Authority governing board approved a name change for Williams Gateway Airport effective October 15, 2007, after which the airport would be known as the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport. The board cited a desire "to have the airport reach its highest potential in creating jobs and commercial service development" as the reason behind the change.[9]
Facilities and aircraft
Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport covers an area of 3,020 acres (1,220 ha) which contains three paved runways:[1]
- Runway 12C/30C: 10,200 x 150 ft (3,109 x 46 m), Surface: Asphalt/Concrete
- Runway 12L/30R: 9,300 x 150 ft (2,835 x 46 m), Surface: Concrete
- Runway 12R/30L: 10,400 x 150 ft (3,170 x 46 m), Surface: Concrete
For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2006, the airport had 280,719 aircraft operations, an average of 769 per day: 93% general aviation, 4% military, 3% air taxi and <1% scheduled commercial. There are 111 aircraft based at this airport: 58% single-engine, 8% multi-engine, 19% jet and 15% helicopter.[1]
The Future
The current terminal, on the West side of the runway is temporary. Ground will be broken in late 2011 to expand the current terminal by two gates, bringing the gate count to eight. Soon after, a new terminal will be built on the East side of the runway, known as the East Terminal, at a cost of $250 million.
Airlines and destinations
FAA diagram of AZA Airlines Destinations Allegiant Air Appleton, Bellingham, Billings, Bismarck, Bozeman, Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, Chicago/Rockford, Colorado Springs, Duluth, Eugene, Fargo, Fayetteville (AR) [resumes February 14, 2012],[10] Fort Collins, Grand Forks, Grand Island, Grand Rapids, Great Falls, Idaho Falls, Las Vegas, Medford [resumes February 14, 2012],[10] Minot, Missoula, Moline, Oakland [begins January 18, 2012],[11] Peoria, Pasco, Rapid City, Redmond/Bend [resumes February 14, 2012],[10] Sioux Falls, South Bend, Springfield (MO), Wichita Statistics
Please Note: Passenger totals for the domestic flights are based on a 12 month scale ending July, 2011.
Top Ten Busiest Domestic Routes Out of Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport[12] Rank City Passengers Carriers 1 
Sioux Falls, SD27,000 Allegiant Air 2 
Fargo, ND24,000 Allegiant Air 3 
Cedar Rapids, IA23,000 Allegiant Air 4 
Bellingham, WA23,000 Allegiant Air 5 
Rockford, IL21,000 Allegiant Air 6 
Missoula, MT19,000 Allegiant Air 7 Peoria, IL19,000 Allegiant Air 8 Billings, MT18,000 Allegiant Air 9 Bismarck, ND18,000 Allegiant Air 10 
Witchita, KS18,000 Allegiant Air Other
- Air Evac (Medevac airline)
- Fighter Combat International
Training
- Advanced Training Systems International, a fighter combat and maintenance training school
- Mesa Pilot Development
- Airline Transport Professionals
- University of North Dakota Aerospace
- Chandler Gilbert Community College A&P Training
Board of directors
In 1994, the Willams Gateway Airport Authority was established with a three member board with representation from the three cities immediately adjacent to Williams Field. The original governing board consisted of the mayors of the town of Gilbert, city of Mesa, and town of Queen Creek, who continue as members today.
In later years, the Gila River Indian Community and the city of Phoenix joined the Williams Gateway Airport Authority board (now Phoenix Mesa Gateway Airport Authority). Gila River Indian Community joined in 1995 and the City of Phoenix joined in 2006.
Now that the change of the Williams Gateway Airport name to Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport has occurred, the board approved resolution and ordinance does not change, diminish, give away, negate nor reduce any of the five board of directors and their respective city, town or tribal government member voting authority and respective ownership. Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport continues to be owned and operated by the Phoenix Mesa Gateway Airport Authority.
A five-member airport Board of Directors is composed of elected officials from neighboring cities and a tribal government. Authority communities are as of 2007:
See also
References
- ^ a b c d FAA Airport Master Record for IWA (Form 5010 PDF), effective 2007-10-25
- ^ FAA National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems: 2007-2011
- ^ a b "Allegiant Air announces new base in Phoenix-Mesa". Allegiant Air press release. 2007-07-31. http://allegiantair.com/aaNews20070731b.php.
- ^ "CY09 Passenger Boardings". Commercial Service Airports (Primary and Nonprimary). FAA. 23 November 2010. http://www.faa.gov/airports/planning_capacity/passenger_allcargo_stats/passenger/media/cy09_cs_enplanements.pdf. Retrieved 6 May 2011.
- ^ Great Circle Mapper: AZA / KIWA - Phoenix, Arizona (Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport)
- ^ Great Circle Mapper: IWA / UUBI - Ivanovo, Russia (Yuzhne Airport)
- ^ Great Circle Mapper: CHD - Obsolete (see AZA)
- ^ "The Southeast Valley Insider". The Arizona Republic. 2006-03-30. http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/mesa/articles/0330evinsider0330Z11.html.
- ^ "Williams Gateway Airport Authority approves name change" (PDF). Airport press release. 2007-09-17. http://www.phxmesagateway.org/content/Marketing/pressreleases/2007_09_17%20Board%20Votes%20to%20Rename%20Airport%20to%20Phoenix-Mesa%20Gateway%20Airport.pdf.
- ^ a b c Thomason, Art (August 10, 2011). "Allegiant adding Duluth to Gateway airport repertoire". The Arizona Republic. http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/2011/08/10/20110810mesa-allegiant-gateway-airport-duluth0812.html. Retrieved August 10, 2011.
- ^ Thomason, Art (November 17, 2011). "Allegiant Air announces service to San Francisco". The Arizona Republic. http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/2011/11/16/20111116mesa-allegiant-air-service-san-francisco.html. Retrieved November 17, 2011.
- ^ Phoenix, AZ: Phoenix - Mesa Gateway (AZA) Scheduled Services except Freight/Mail
External links
- Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, official web site
- Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (IWA) at Arizona DOT airport directory
- Williams Air Force Base at GlobalSecurity.org
- FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective 20 October 2011
- FAA Terminal Procedures for IWA, effective 20 October 2011
- Resources for this airport:
- AirNav airport information for KIWA
- ASN accident history for CHD
- FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
- NOAA/NWS latest weather observations
- SkyVector aeronautical chart, Terminal Procedures for KIWA
Categories:- Airports in Maricopa County, Arizona
- Buildings and structures in Mesa, Arizona
- Transportation in Mesa, Arizona
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