Long Island MacArthur Airport

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Long Island MacArthur Airport
IATA: ISP - ICAO: KISP
Summary
Airport type		Public
Operator		Town of Islip
Serves		Islip, New York
Elevation AMSL		99 ft (30.2 m)
Coordinates		40°47′43″N, 073°06′01″W
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
Direction	ft	m	Surface
6/24	7,006	2,135	Asphalt
10/28	5,034	1,534	Asphalt
15R/33L	5,186	1,581	Asphalt
15L/33R	3,175	968	Asphalt
Helipads
Number	Size		Surface
Number	ft	m	Surface
H1	50	15	Asphalt
H2	50	15	Asphalt

FAA diagram of MacArthur Airport (ISP)

A Southwest Airlines 737 departing Runway 24.

A gate at MacArthur Airport.

See also: Transportation in New York City

Long Island MacArthur Airport (IATA: ISP, ICAO: KISP) is located on Long Island in Ronkonkoma, Suffolk County, New York. It is owned and operated by the Town of Islip, therefore some people call it "Islip Airport". It is the only airport in Suffolk and Nassau County with scheduled service on major airlines and serves over two million passengers a year.

1 History
- 1.1 Expansion and corruption scandal
2 Airlines
3 Ground transportation
4 Facilities
5 References
6 External links

[edit] History

The airport began in 1942 as three paved runways built by the Civil Aeronautics Administration (predecessor of the Federal Aviation Administration) during World War II. Lockheed Aircraft Corporation built the first hangar at the airport in 1944. The Town of Islip built a terminal in 1949, after taking the airport back from the Army Air Corps at the end of the war. Through the 1950s, MacArthur was used by Sperry Corporation for aviation research. Allegheny Airlines was its first commercial airline in 1960, offering flights to Boston, Philadelphia and Washington. The Douglas MacArthur terminal was completed in 1968 and American Airlines began operating non-stop flights to Chicago in 1971. American Eagle did hold non-stop flights to Boston too, but ended up discontinuing service into the airport to all destinations that they served. Continental Express and Continental Connection used to fly into the airport as well, offering non-stop flights to Albany along with non-stop flights to Cleveland, but pulled out of there in 2004. Currently, Delta and US Airways operate short distance shuttles out of the old B concourse, featuring only one jetway and other gates that board from the tarmac, however only one jetway is really necessary due to the amount of air traffic. Delta Express pulled out of Islip in the summer of 2003, after experiencing a decline in passenger traffic, dramatically decreasing passenger traffic at the airport. The airline then ceased operations in November of 2003 after it was replaced by Song Airlines. Song, however, couldn't land their 757 type aircraft at Islip, so they were not able to fly into the airport. Delta has previously added service to and from Atlanta on Delta Connection. Southwest has established service to Florida, Baltimore, Chicago and Las Vegas.

[edit] Expansion and corruption scandal

The airport embarked on an expansion in 2004 that included a $50 million Southwest Airlines terminal. Investigators subsequently uncovered a six-year history of corruption in which Islip town officials expanded the town-owned airport while ignoring state regulations for fire detection and suppression.

A major proponent of the expansion was Peter J. McGowan, the former Islip town supervisor and one of the most influential Republicans on Long Island. McGowan saw his name emblazoned on the new terminal, built without state approvals and in violation of fire and safety codes, and then removed after he resigned in disgrace in March 2006 under felony indictments of grand larceny, tampering with a witness, bribe receiving, and filing a false instrument. He was jailed for 56 days for taking kickbacks and misusing more than $30,000 in campaign donations. The new terminal was renamed Veterans Concourse to honor Islip's servicemen and women.[1]

The former Islip town engineer and deputy planning commissioner, Steven J. Rizzo, admitted in August 2006 that he approved construction at a Friday's restaurant located outside the new expansion area at the airport knowing that it violated the state’s fire and safety codes. Among the sites Rizzo admitted he knew lacked the required fire-suppression system and therefore was unsafe was a T.G.I. Friday's restaurant located outside the expansion area.[2] On August 2, 2006, Fridays was closed due to these health hazards and will not be reopened until the proper corrections are made.

The expansion area consists of an Irish pub, A&W Restaurant, an Italian eatery, a Rapidos sandwich shop, a CNBC store, and four new gates. These new Southwest gates opened in November 2006, giving them a total of eight gates. The new gate area is also the exit point of the terminal to the baggage claim, when before passengers would have to pass back through the ticketing area of the airport. All food in the Airport is run by HMSHost after taking over from Anton Airfood

[edit] Airlines

Delta Air Lines
- Delta Connection operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines (Atlanta)
- Delta Connection operated by Big Sky Airlines (Boston) [begins July 15, 2007]
Southwest Airlines (Baltimore/Washington, Chicago-Midway, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Las Vegas, Orlando, Tampa, West Palm Beach)
US Airways
- US Airways Express operated by Air Wisconsin (Philadelphia)
- US Airways Express operated by Colgan Air (Boston)
- US Airways Express operated by Piedmont Airlines (Philadelphia)

[edit] Ground transportation

Ground transportation is primarily accomplished through individuals driving or being dropped off at the airport and by shuttles that connect the airport with the nearby Long Island Rail Road station in Ronkonkoma. Taxi and limousine service is also readily available.

[edit] Facilities

The Suffolk County Police Aviation Section bases a Law Enforcement and MEDEVAC helicopter at the airport. The base is staffed 24 hours a day by Police Officer pilots as well as a Flight Paramedic employed by Stony Brook University Hospital.