Des Moines International Airport
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Des Moines International Airport | |||
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IATA: DSM - ICAO: KDSM | |||
Summary | |||
Airport type | Public | ||
Operator | City of Des Moines | ||
Serves | Des Moines | ||
Elevation AMSL | 958 ft (292 m) | ||
Coordinates | |||
Runways | |||
Direction | Length | Surface | |
ft | m | ||
5/23 | 9,003 | 2,744 | asphalt/concrete |
13/31 | 9,001 | 2,744 | asphalt |
The Des Moines International Airport (IATA: DSM, ICAO: KDSM) is a commercial airport located in the southern part of the city of Des Moines, Iowa USA. The airport serves residents of the Des Moines metropolitan area and is the closest airport with connections to major airline hubs for people who live throughout much of east-central, north-central, and southern Iowa.
Contents |
[edit] History
During the 1920s, the Des Moines area had several small private airports that catered to general aviation and air mail. In 1929, the Iowa General Assembly passed a law allowing cities to sell bonds and levy assessments in order to build municipal airports. Over 80 different sites were considered for the Des Moines Airport until a decision was made to build on 160 acres (0.65 km²) of farmland on the south side of the city. Construction of the airport began in 1932 and was completed in 1933. The airport's first passenger terminal was built shortly after the airport was completed. It was replaced by a new terminal in 1950 that has been expanded and renovated several times since then. The airport itself has expanded several times from its original 160-acre site and now covers 2,300 acres (9.3 km²) of land.
The airport was originally governed by the City of Des Moines' Parks Department. A separate Aviation Department was established by the city during the 1960s, and in 1982, a separate Aviation Policy Advisory Board was established. Even though the airport does not offer passenger service to destinations outside of the United States, the airport was renamed the Des Moines International Airport in 1986 as a way to acknowledge the presence of a United States Customs Service office at the airport.
Many passengers in the Des Moines area choose to fly out of Eppley Airfield in Omaha or the Kansas City International Airport instead of Des Moines since both airports offer discount airlines lacking in the Des Moines market. In recent years the Des Moines International Airport has aired television commercials pointing out that passengers who choose to fly out of Omaha or Kansas City prevent Des Moines from attracting new airlines. Nonetheless, the airport handled a record 1,990,167 passengers in 2004; that figure dropped to 1,903,573 in 2005. [1]
[edit] Concourses
[edit] Concourse A
- Continental Airlines Gate A3
- Continental Express operated by ExpressJet Airlines (Houston-Intercontinental)
- Delta Air Lines Gate A5A
- Delta Connection operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines (Atlanta)
- Delta Connection operated by Comair (Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky)
- Delta Connection operated by SkyWest (Salt Lake City)
- United Airlines Gates A1, A2, and A4 (Chicago-O'Hare, Denver)
- United Express operated by Mesa Airlines (Chicago-O'Hare)
- United Express operated by Shuttle America (Chicago-O'Hare, Denver)
- United Express operated by SkyWest (Chicago-O'Hare)
[edit] Concourse C
- Allegiant Air Gate C5 (Las Vegas, Orlando-Sanford)
- American Airlines Gates C6 and C7
- AmericanConnection operated by Trans States Airlines (St. Louis)
- American Eagle (Chicago-O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, New York-LaGuardia, St. Louis)
- Midwest Airlines Gate C3
- Midwest Connect operated by Skyway Airlines (Milwaukee)
- Northwest Airlines Gate C1, C2, and C3B (Minneapolis/St. Paul)
- Northwest Airlink operated by Mesaba Airlines (Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul)
- Northwest Airlink operated by Pinnacle Airlines (Detroit, Memphis, Washington-Reagan)
- US Airways Gate C4
- US Airways Express operated by Mesa Airlines (Phoenix)
[edit] References
- Des Moines International Airport: History from the Des Moines International Airport's official website, accessed February 12, 2006
[edit] External links
- Des Moines International Airport homepage
- Resources for this airport:
- AirNav airport information for KDSM
- ASN Accident history for KDSM
- FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
- NOAA/NWS current and historical weather observations
- SkyVector aeronautical chart for KDSM
- FAA current DSM delay information