San Antonio International Airport

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San Antonio International Airport

IATA: SAT – ICAO: KSAT – FAA: SAT
Summary
Airport type Public
Operator City of San Antonio Aviation Department
Location San Antonio, Texas
Elevation AMSL 809 ft / 246 m
Coordinates 29°32′01″N 098°28′11″W / 29.53361, -98.46972
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
3/21 7,505 2,288 Concrete
12L/30R 5,519 1,682 Asphalt
12R/30L 8,502 2,591 Concrete
Statistics (2006)
Aircraft operations 218,314
Based aircraft 257
Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1]

San Antonio International Airport (IATA: SAT, ICAO: KSAT, FAA LID: SAT) is a commercial airport in San Antonio, Texas. The airport has three runways, covers 2,600 acres (11 km²), and its elevation is 809 feet (247 m) above sea level. SAT is a Class C airport.

Contents

[edit] Overview

In 2006, San Antonio International Airport handled 8,031,405 passengers, up 8 percent from 2005 and breaking the previous record of 7,437,290 set in 2005. SAT averages 280 daily departures and arrivals at its 27 gates, which serve 21 airlines flying to 43 metro areas, including Mexico City and Monterrey. The airport's top-ranked destinations are Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, Chicago, Baltimore, New York, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Atlanta and Washington, D.C. As of December 2006, Southwest Airlines is the airport's largest passenger air carrier, enplaning 35.24 percent of the airport's total passengers. American, Continental, and Northwest are the next three largest carriers. From February to September 2006, United Airlines maintained a "mini-hub" (which it affectionately called a 'hublet') at the airport with flights to 12 cities in conjunction with their partner Trans States Airlines. Trans States Airlines redeployed their aircraft elsewhere, eliminating service to seven cities. ExpressJet Airlines currently operates a hub at the airport. Mexicana recently celebrated 50 years serving the airport.

The airport is currently undergoing a major, multi-million dollar expansion project which will add new terminals and parking facilities. The ultimate master plan for the project will increase gate capacity to 35. In addition, construction projects involving Interstate 410 and U.S. Highway 281 will improve access to the airport. (The airport sits near the northeast corner of the I-410/US 281 intersection.) Future plans also call for Stinson Municipal Airport, currently serving general aviation, to become the city's secondary commercial airport.

Airport officials produce a 30-minute news program about once every quarter. "Airport Airwaves" airs on Tuesdays at 9 p.m., Wednesdays at 11 a.m., and Fridays at 1:30 p.m. on the Government Access cable channel.

[edit] History

San Antonio International Airport was founded in 1941 when the City of San Antonio purchased 1,200 acres (4.9 km²) of undeveloped land north of the city limits for a project to be called “San Antonio Municipal Airport.” World War II Wartime needs meant the unfinished airport was pressed into government service. The airport was opened in July 1942 as Alamo Field and was used by the United States Army Air Forces as a training base.

The 77th Reconnaissance Group, equipped with various aircraft (P-39's, P-40's, A-20's, B-25's, O-47's, O-52's, and L-5's) trained reconnaissance personnel who later served overseas. One squadron (113th) flew antisubmarine patrols over the Gulf of Mexico.

At the end of the war the airfield was determined to be excess by the military and turned over to the local government for civil use.

The current Terminal 2, began construction in 1951 and was completed in 1953. In addition to the new terminal the FAA control tower and a baggage claim system were built. When news of the 1968 World Fair coming to San Antonio came, a new satellite concourse with 8 jet bridge gates and passenger holding ares was built.

In 1975, the city adopted its first Airport Master Plan. It included plans for a new 1,300 space parking garage, and a new 360,000-square-foot (33,000 m²) Terminal (now called Terminal 1). Once the new terminal was completed in 1984, it brought the airport's capacity up from just 8 gates to an impressive 27 gates. Than in 1986, a new 221-foot (67 m) FAA Air Traffic Control Tower was built at a new location.

Then again in 1994, a second Airport Master Plan was developed that would take the airport well into the 21st century. This master plan included major updates for the airport. It called for more parking spaces made available through a new 3,000 space parking garage that would be completed by 2007. In addition it had plans for improved airport access, as well as an improved concession program. But, the biggest of all would be the two new terminals planned to replace the aging Terminal 2. The planned terminals would increase the airports gate-capacity to 35.

San Antonio closed out the end of the 20th century with over 3.5 million passenger boardings in 1999. That means that since 1966, the airport has boarded more than 80 million people.

[edit] Terminals, airlines, and destinations

San Antonio International Airport currently has two terminals with 24 jet-bridge gates (as well as 3 seldom-used ground-loading gates). The original one-level terminal (now Terminal 2) opened in 1953 with ground-loading holding areas and was expanded twice, once in 1959 with new east and west wings and again in 1968 with an 8-gate satellite concourse. The 1968 satellite concourse was built for the use of HemisFair '68. A second terminal (now Terminal 1) opened in 1984 with a 16-gate concourse. The U.S. Customs Federal Inspection Station (FIS) is located in Terminal 1. Gates 1-2 and 10-11 have direct access to the FIS.

The two-level parking garage immediately across from Terminal 1 opened in 1982. The FAA control tower became operational in 1986. And the five-level parking garage opened in 1999. Completion of an additional five-level parking garage is nearing completion as of November, 2007.

As part of an airport expansion program that is now underway, the recently renovated Terminal 2 will be razed after a new two-level 8-gate concourse is completed in late 2008. Terminal 1 will then be renamed Terminal A, and the new concourse will be named Terminal B. Another terminal, Terminal C, will then be constructed beginning in 2009. It will initially include 5 gates and will subsequently be expanded to 11 gates. Terminal C should be completed in late 2010, bringing San Antonio's total number of jet-bridge gates to 28. This number will eventually increase to 35 gates once Terminal C is expanded. The bi-level roadway in front of Terminal 1 is also being expanded to provide service to the new Terminal B and future Terminal C. A five-level 1,100,000-square-foot (102,000 m²) 3,000-space parking garage will also be constructed adjacent to the existing parking garages. Various utility projects and upgrades are also being performed as part of this program. To see a map of the construction click here.

As of April 2007, a ground-loading holding area in Terminal 2 has 3 city-operated common-use gates, Gates 39-41.

[edit] Terminal 1

Terminal 1 has 16 gates: 1-16

[edit] Terminal 2

This terminal has a Continental Airlines Presidents Club. Terminal 2 also has 8 gates: 30-37

[edit] Other operations

Beginning on May 22, 2008, Ryan International Airlines will offer daily (except Tuesday) nonstop Boeing 737-400 charter flights to Cancun and Monday and Friday nonstop service to Cozumel.

NBA and College team charters. The San Antonio Spurs and other select NBA teams use Champion Air (as of the 2005-06 season).

DHL, FedEx, and UPS operate cargo flights at SAT.

San Antonio Aerospace occasionally receives rare VIP aircraft under maintenance contracts. They also maintain commercial airline aircraft.

San Antonio receives a share of Dallas- and Houston-area diverted flights during bad weather. These diversions are more frequent during the thunderstorm-prone summer months than during the winter months. Past visitors have included trans-Atlantic flights.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ FAA Airport Master Record for SAT (Form 5010 PDF), effective 2007-12-20

[edit] External links


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