Santa Maria Public Airport

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Santa Maria Public Airport Capt. G. Allan Hancock Field

IATA: SMX - ICAO: KSMX - FAA: SMX
Summary
Airport type		Public
Operator		Santa Maria Public Airport District
Serves		Santa Maria, California
Elevation AMSL		261 ft (79.6 m)
Coordinates		34°53′56″N, 120°27′27″W
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
Direction	ft	m	Surface
12/30	6,304	1,921	Asphalt
2/20	5,130	1,564	Asphalt

Santa Maria Public Airport (IATA: SMX, ICAO: KSMX, FAA LID: SMX), also known as the Capt. G. Allan Hancock Field, is an airport located in Santa Maria, California, USA, serving northern Santa Barbara County. The airport is mostly used for general aviation, but is also served by commercial airlines.

1 Airlines and destinations
2 Expansion
3 History
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Airlines and destinations

Allegiant Air (Las Vegas)
United Airlines
- United Express operated by SkyWest (Los Angeles)

[edit] Expansion

The airport hopes to expand one of its runways in the hope to attract new airlines. It has opened an international customs on December 1, 2006, and airport officials hope that this would encourage new airlines to set routes to Santa Maria. The airport has also requested a route to Denver but is not really sure if their request will be granted or not.

Aside from the new Customs area, the airport finished construction on a new baggae claim area. Prior to the new baggage claim, baggage was taken from planes and dropped off in front of the terminal on a sidewalk for commuters to pick up. As of 2007, long cracks in the new baggage claim area has been an eye sore. Although the cracks do not pose any sort of risk, officials state they want to fix the cracks immediately.

The airport has also released to the public that it is making negotiations with Frontier Airlines to add a route to Santa Maria from Denver.

[edit] History

The Santa Maria Public Airport, also known as Allen Hancock Field, was first built in the 1940s when during World War 2, the Army constructed what first started out as the Santa Maria Army base. Its main purpose was to provide training for pilots of B-25 aircraft.

After the war, Santa Barbara County decided to acquire the land and facilities. It controlled the area until 1949 when the city of Santa Maria took interest and obtained half of the airport. It was in 1964 that the newly renamed Santa Maria Public Airport was born.

Its first location is where what is now Allen Hancock College. The final and current loaction of the airport is on Skyway Drive at the southern tip of city limits.