Lambert-St. Louis International Airport

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Lambert-St. Louis International Airport

IATA: STL – ICAO: KSTL – FAA: STL
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner City of St. Louis
Serves Greater St. Louis, Missouri
Location Unincorporated St. Louis County 10 miles NW of St. Louis
Elevation AMSL 605 ft / 184.4 m
Coordinates 38°44′50″N 90°21′41″W / 38.74722, -90.36139
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
12R/30L 11,019 3,359 Concrete
12L/30R 9,003 2,744 Concrete
11/29 9,000 2,743 Concrete
6/24 7,602 2,317 Concrete
Statistics (2006)
Aircraft operations 272,585
Passenger volume 15,200,000
Cargo tonnage
Area (acres) 2,800
Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1]

Lambert-St. Louis International Airport (IATA: STL, ICAO: KSTL) is the primary airport for St. Louis, Missouri, United States and the surrounding area.

The airport lies outside the city limits and is owned and operated by the City of St. Louis. In 2000, 30,558,991 passengers traveled through the airport. Passenger numbers dropped to 13 million in 2004. Passenger numbers grew to over 15.2 million passengers in 2006.[2] Lambert- St. Louis International Airport serves over 88 non-stop national and international destinations. Lambert is primarily served by aircraft such as the Boeing 737, Boeing 757, McDonnell Douglas MD-80, Airbus A320, and regional jets such as the Embraer 145 and Canadair Regional Jet. As of 2007, the largest regularly scheduled aircraft is the Boeing 757 operated by American Airlines. Connection traffic through Lambert on American Airlines and Southwest Airlines continues to grow as well.[2]. Lambert-St. Louis International Airport continues to see increase in passenger traffic. September 2007 showed more growth in the number of boarding passengers with a 4.2 percent increase over September 2006. Year to date, nearly 5.9 million passengers have originated from Lambert, a 1.2 percent over the same 9-month period in 2006. American Airlines boarded 190,570 passengers in September. Frontier Airlines showed the biggest gain in boarding passengers, also called enplanements, among the major national airlines with 12,139 passengers originating from St. Louis in September. That's a 57 percent increase over the same month in 2006. International Charter Airlines service increased 11.2 percent in September. Lambert-St. Louis International Airport serves as a hub for American Airlines and its regional affiliate, AmericanConnection and as a hub for Great Lakes Airlines. It is also home to an American Airlines maintenance ramp and the 131st Fighter Wing. Southwest Airlines is currently the largest carrier at the airport.

Contents

[edit] History

Main terminal
Main terminal
Control tower and main terminal
Control tower and main terminal

The airport was originally a balloon launching base named Kinloch Field. The Wright brothers and their Exhibition Team visited the field while touring with their aircraft, and Theodore Roosevelt flew on one of their aircraft while he was visiting, becoming the first U.S. president to fly.

In 1920, Major Albert Bond Lambert purchased the field and developed it into an airport with hangars and a terminal. Charles Lindbergh, whose first pilot job was flying airmail for Robertson Airlines at the airport, departed the airport for New York about a week prior to his record-breaking flight to Paris in 1927. Later that year, Lambert sold the airport, by then known as Lambert Field, to the City of St. Louis. Lambert thus became the first municipally-owned airport in the United States.[3]

In the late 1920s Lambert Field became the first airport with an air-traffic control system. At that time the system consisted of waving flags to communicate with pilots. The first controller's name was Archie League.[4]

Before World War II, Robertson Airlines, Marquette Airlines, and Eastern Air Lines provided passenger service to St. Louis. During the war, the airport became a manufacturing base for McDonnell Aircraft and Curtiss-Wright. After the war, Minoru Yamasaki was commissioned to design a new passenger terminal at Lambert. Completed in 1956, the four-domed terminal design inspired future terminals at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City and Charles de Gaulle International Airport in Paris.[3]

In the 1970s St. Louis city officials proposed replacing the airport with a new airport in suburban Illinois. Missouri residents strongly objected and Lambert underwent a $290 million expansion that increased its operational capacity by 50 percent including lengthening of runways and increasing gate capacity to 81. The proposed MidAmerica St. Louis Airport ultimately was built in Mascoutah, Illinois and opened in 1997 and now acts as a reliever airport to Lambert although it has no major carriers and has been derided as a pork barrel.

Trans World Airlines (TWA) moved its hub from Kansas City International Airport in 1982 and became Lambert's dominant carrier. The St. Louis hub survived TWA's bankruptcy in 1993, and by the late 1990s it was the dominant hub for TWA. After American Airlines (AA) bought TWA and merged its flight operations in 2001, Lambert became a reliever for AA's existing hubs at Chicago O'Hare and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Since the merger, transatlantic service is no longer available directly from Lambert. AA transferred many mainline TWA routes to American Connection, a group of affiliated regional carriers. After the 2003 cutbacks, AA introduced American Eagle service at its St. Louis hub in May 2005. Unlike American Connection, American Eagle is wholly owned by AMR Corporation, the parent company of American Airlines and American Eagle.

American Airlines Flight 2470 (AAL2470) was the first commercial airliner to land on Runway 11-29, the newest runway at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. The Lambert-St. Louis International Airport Expansion Program website posted pictures of the April 13, 2006 Runway 11-29 opening ceremonies.

In late December 2006, AA announced that new services would be offered from the St. Louis hub, operated by mainline equipment (i.e. larger American Airlines aircraft) due to an increased demand from business travelers that regional jets could not efficiently sustain. New routes include Austin, Boston, Raleigh/Durham, and San Antonio. At the end of 2007, Lambert-St. Louis International Airport is American Airlines' fourth-largest hub, behind Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport, Chicago O'Hare, and Miami International Airport. Southwest Airlines also maintains a major presence at Lambert.

In 2006 the United States Air Force announced plans to relocate the 131st Fighter Wing of the Missouri Air National Guard and its now 18 F-15 Eagle aircraft from Lambert-St. Louis International Airport to Whiteman Air Force Base and other bases in the region starting in 2009.

[edit] Facilities

STL FAA Airport Diagram
STL FAA Airport Diagram

Lambert-St. Louis International Airport covers 2,800 acres (1,133 ha) and has four runways:

  • Runway 12R/30L: 11,019 x 200 ft. (3,359 x 61 m), Surface: Concrete
  • Runway 12L/30R: 9,003 x 150 ft. (2,744 x 46 m), Surface: Concrete
  • Runway 11/29: 9,000 x 150 ft. (2,743 x 46 m), Surface: Concrete
  • Runway 6/24: 7,602 x 150 ft. (2,317 x 46 m), Surface: Concrete
  • Taxiway F was previously runway 13/31 for General Aviation use due to the over population at the airport. However it is no longer a problem, because of reduced service and the new runway 11/29.


Terminals:

  • East Terminal (E Gates)
  • Main Terminal (A, B, C, and D Gates)

[edit] Concourses, airlines, and destinations

[edit] Main terminal

[edit] Concourse A

Concourse A has 16 Gates: A2 - A6, A8 - A10, A12, A14 - A19, A21

[edit] Concourse B

Concourse B has 10 Gates: B2 - B4, B6 - B8, B10, B12, B14, B16

  • AirTran Airways Gates B10, B12 (Atlanta, Orlando, Sarasota/Bradenton [seasonal])

[edit] Concourse C

Note: Concourse C has a Customs/Immigration area located under gate C32

Concourse C has 30 Gates: C1 - C3, C5 - C10, C12, C15 - C19, C21, C23 - C25, C27 - C36, C38

  • American Airlines Gates C1 - C3, C5 - C10, C12, C15 - C19, C21, C23, C25 (Austin, Boston, Chicago-O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Fort Lauderdale [seasonal], Fort Myers, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York-LaGuardia, Orange County, Orlando, Raleigh/Durham [ends September 3], San Antonio [ends September 3], San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle/Tacoma, Tampa, Washington-Reagan)
    • AmericanConnection operated by Chautauqua Airlines (Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore/Washington, Columbus (OH), Dayton, Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Nashville, Newark, Norfolk, Philadelphia, Washington-Dulles, Wichita)
    • AmericanConnection operated by Trans States Airlines (Atlanta, Baltimore/Washington, Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, Charlotte, Des Moines, Fayetteville (AR), Hartford/Springfield, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Madison, Memphis, Milwaukee, Nashville, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, Raleigh/Durham, Richmond, San Antonio, Springfield (IL), Springfield/Branson, Tulsa, Wichita)
    • American Eagle (Nashville, New York-JFK, Springfield/Branson)

[edit] Concourse D

Concourse D has 15 Gates: D2, D4, D6, D12, D14, D16, D18, D20, D22, D24, D26, D30, D32, D34, D36

(This concourse is mainly vacant and serves as a walkway between Concourses B/C and also Concourse E)

[edit] East Terminal

[edit] Concourse E

Note: Concourse E has a International Customs/Immigration area located near Gate E33

Concourse E has 15 Gates: E4, E6, E8, E10, E12, E14, E16, E18, E20, E22, E24, E25, E29, E31, E33

  • Ryan International Airlines Gates E29, E31, E33 (Cancún, Montego Bay, Puerto Vallarta) [scheduled charters]
  • Southwest Airlines Gates E4, E6, E8, E10, E12, E14, E16, E18, E20 (Albuquerque, Baltimore/Washington, Birmingham (AL), Chicago-Midway, Cleveland, Columbus (OH), Dallas-Love, Denver, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Houston-Hobby, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Little Rock, Los Angeles, Louisville, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Tampa, Tulsa)
  • USA3000 Airlines Gates E29, E31, E33 (Cancún, Fort Myers, Punta Cana, St. Petersburg/Clearwater [ends August 17])

[edit] Airline lounges

Located at the B/C/D connector, this Admirals Club is a large, flagship hub Admirals Club. The club features seating for 244. Club highlights include bar/snack area, basic ticketing functions, espresso bar, three private conference rooms, and complimentary use of PCs (6), dataports, copier, printer and paper shredder.

Located on the lower level of the Main Terminal next to baggage claim carousel #M6, this USO airport facility is one of the largest in the country, serving over 120,000 military men and women each year. The airport facility never closes.

[edit] Public transportation

[edit] MetroLink

Metrolink station at the airport
Metrolink station at the airport

The airport is served by two MetroLink light rail stations directly serving downtown St. Louis with one station at both the Main and East Terminals. Ticket Vending Machines (TVMs) are located on the platforms of both stations to purchase two-hour passes (one-ride ticket) and day passes. Fares purchased at the airport are slightly higher than fares puchased elsewhere in the system.

Fares:

  • Metro Day Pass: $4.50 (Unlimited rides on all MetroLink and MetroBus lines on day of purchase)
  • Metro Two Hour Pass: $3.50-Full Fare and $ 1.75-Children (ages 5–12), Elderly(ages 65+) and Disabled customers (Unlimited rides on all MetroLink and Metrobus lines with in 120 minutes of purchase)
  • Children Under Five ride free

[edit] MetroBus

The Lambert Bus Port provides Metrobus Service to surrounding areas. The bus port is located adjacent to the intermediate parking lot, accessible via the tunnel connecting the airport main terminal.

Routes Serving Lambert Bus Port:

  • 49 Lindbergh
  • 66 Clayton-Airport

Fares:

  • Metrobus Fare: $1.75-Full Fare and $0.85-Reduced Fares (ages 5-12), Elderly(ages 65+) and Disabled customers
  • Metrobus Fare w/ Multiuse Transfer: $2.25 Full Fare and $1.10 Reduced Fares for Children(ages 5-12), Elderly(ages 65+) and Disabled customers (Unlimited rides on all MetroLink and MetroBus lines with in 120 minutes of purchase)
  • Children under five ride free

See[5] for more information.

[edit] Expansion - construction

During the late 1990's Lambert Field was ranked as high as the eighth busiest airport in the USA in terms of operations (not passengers). This was due to TWA existing as a major hub, Southwest Airlines having significant traffic, and due to a significant amount of commuter traffic to smaller cities in Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa and Kentucky. Whenever weather required the use of instrument landings, the traffic capacity was markedly reduced as for practical purposes only one runway could be used. This often resulted in large numbers of delays and cancellations at Lambert. Even in good weather, there could be delays at peak hours, and Lambert briefly redesignated the taxiway immediately north of runway 12L-30R as runway 13-31 and used it for commuter and general aviation traffic. Runway 11/29 was conceived on this and the basis of traffic projections made in the 1980's and 1990's that warned of impending strains on the airport and the national air traffic system as a result of predicted growth in traffic at the airport.[6] The $1 billion runway expansion was designed in part to allow for simultaneous operations on parallel runways in bad weather. Construction began in 1998, and continued even after traffic at the airport declined following the 9/11 attacks, and the purchase of Trans World Airlines by American Airlines in April 2001 and subsequent cuts in flights to the airport by American Airlines in 2003.[7][8] The project required the relocation of seven major roads and the destruction of approximately 2,000 homes in Bridgeton, Missouri.[9][10] In addition to providing superfluous extra capacity for flight operations at the airport, use of the runway is shunned by fuel-conscious pilots and airlines due to its distance from the terminals.[11]

Airport officials are drafting plans for terminal modernization at this time. The program, known as the "Airport Experience", is designed to help make the airport more responsive to the needs of passengers. Working with existing facilities, the program will modernize Lambert's terminals. In February 2007, Lambert-St. Louis International announced the largest renovation in the airport's history, which will include overhaul just about everything at the Main Terminal, from road signs to window panes. There will be more stores and restaurants, terrazzo floors and pedestrian bridges from the parking garage to the ticketing area. A domed glass canopy will arch above sidewalks and roadways, protecting visitors from bad weather. The $105 million job will be completed in 2012.

[edit] Future service

Recently there has been talk about bringing more international passenger flights to Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.

In addition, plans on international cargo flights from China are now underway.[12]

Air China is in talks with Missouri, St. Louis, and Lambert-St. Louis International Airport representatives and politicians to bring a cargo and international passenger hub to STL in 2008. Representatives from Air China and China will revisit St. Louis in the next months to finalize negotiations.[13][14]

Virgin America has announced that it is considering serving Lambert-St. Louis International Airport starting in the next few years. [15]

[edit] Aircraft production

McDonnell Douglas had its world headquarters adjacent to the airport. The facilities, now run by Boeing, is now the headquarters for Boeing Integrated Defense Systems. One of its most well-known production items is the F-15 Eagle still being produced (at a slow rate) today. Other aircraft include the F-18 Super Hornet and the EA-18 Growler. It is also home to Boeing Phantom Works.

[edit] Popular culture

  • In the television show Newsradio Bill and Dave are stuck at Lambert for the length of the episode due to bad weather.
  • Lambert is the airport that the Seinfeld characters leave from in the episode "The Airport."
  • Lambert is also featured in the movie Planes, Trains & Automobiles. Neal Page (Steve Martin) attempts to rent a car there, with disastrous (and profanity-laden) consequences.
  • Lambert is mentioned in the 1986 movie Manhunter as the FBI fly in during their pursuit of the killer.
  • Lambert is one of the filming locations for the 1991 film The Silence of the Lambs.
  • In the 2004 presidential campaign, John Kerry mixed up Lambert Field with Green Bay's Lambeau Field.
  • In the movie Anger Management, Dave Buznik (Adam Sandler) was on a flight to Lambert.
  • In 2006 Lambert International is mentioned in a few scenes in the movie The Return which was set in Austin, Texas

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ FAA Airport Master Record for STL (Form 5010 PDF), retrieved 2007-07-24
  2. ^ a b Historical Passenger Statistics by Type for the Years: 1985-2005 (English). General Information about Lambert. Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. Retrieved on 2007-10-14.
  3. ^ a b Lambert-St. Louis history retrieved 2007-12-14.
  4. ^ Mola, Roger. Aircraft Landing Technology. U. S. Centennial of Flight Commission. Retrieved on 2007-07-24.
  5. ^ Metro Home Page. Bi-State Development Agency. Retrieved on 2007-07-24.
  6. ^ The Expansion Story. Retrieved on 2007-07-25.
  7. ^ Historical Operation Statistics by Class for the Years: 1985-2006. Retrieved on 2007-07-25.
  8. ^ "New $1 billion runway opens this week, but it's not needed anymore", USAToday.com, 2006-04-11. Retrieved on 2007-07-25. 
  9. ^ Airport/Mass Transit November 2005 - Feature Story. Retrieved on 2007-07-25.
  10. ^ Airports and cities: Can they coexist?. Retrieved on 2007-07-25.
  11. ^ "St. Louis' airports aren't too loud: They're too quiet", USAToday.com, 2007-01-09. Retrieved on 2007-07-25. 
  12. ^ Mueller, Angela. "Paul McKee Jr. lobbies to land Chinese airlines", St. Louis Business Journal, 2008-02-22. Retrieved on 2008-04-11. 
  13. ^ "St. Louis-to-China trade route in works", Springfield News-Leader, 2008-03-27. Retrieved on 2008-04-11. 
  14. ^ Missouri Office of the Governor (2008-03-26). "Gov. Blunt, China's Investment Promotion Agency and Trade Development Bureau Sign Agreement to Promote Missouri Trade". Press release. Retrieved on 2008-04-11.
  15. ^ Virgin America Plans to Fly this Summer

[edit] External links