South Bend Regional Airport

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Coordinates: 41°42′31″N 086°19′02″W / 41.70861, -86.31722

Image:SBN_logo.gif
South Bend Regional Airport

IATA: SBN – ICAO: KSBN – FAA: SBN
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner St. Joseph County Airport Authority
Location South Bend, Indiana
Elevation AMSL 799 ft / 244 m
Website www.SBNair.com
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
9L/27R 4,300 1,311 Asphalt
9R/27L 8,412 2,564 Asphalt
18/36 7,100 2,164 Asphalt
Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1]
FAA diagram of South Bend Regional Airport (SBN)
FAA diagram of South Bend Regional Airport (SBN)

South Bend Regional Airport (IATA: SBN, ICAO: KSBN, FAA LID: SBN) is a public airport located three miles (5 km) northwest of the central business district of South Bend, a city in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States. This airport is publicly owned by St. Joseph County Airport Authority.[1] It is the state's second busiest airport in terms of commercial traffic after Indianapolis International Airport.

The airport has been known in the past as Bendix Field, St. Joseph County Airport and Michiana Regional Transportation Center. The airport was renamed South Bend Regional Airport to help identify the airport's location since many travelers were unaware of the meaning or location of Michiana (taken from MICHigan and IndIANA).

Contents

[edit] Administration

Known by the FAA as a small-hub airport (Bureau of Transportation Statistics), South Bend Regional Airport is one of only a few multi-modal transportation facilities in America that provides air, interstate bus and interstate rail service from one multi-modal terminal facility. The St. Joseph County Airport Authority claims the airport was the first truly multi-modal airport in the country.

The St. Joseph County Airport Authority is the administrative body over the airport and also provides police, fire and medical protection to the airport and its occupants. The members of the airport safety department are cross-trained as State-certified law enforcement officers, State-certified paramedics/EMTs and State-certified firefighters. The airport has been directed by John C. Schalliol for more than 25 years.

[edit] Facilities

Runway 18/36 re-opened in 3rd quarter 2007 at a new length of 7,100 feet. Also, runway connector N3 was reopened after over a decade of being closed.

The terminal has two concourses, A and C. Concourse A has 6 gates, 3 of which have ground-level boarding bridges. Concourse C has 5 gates, one of which as a ground-level boarding bridge (currently being used by Delta Connection and Allegiant Air). All boarding bridges are full-size and capable of accommodating most commercial aircraft today. Gate A-6 had a ground-level boarding bridge in the 1990s, but it has since been removed.

The airport's concourses have what are known as hold rooms. These vary slightly from some airports that have seating areas specific to a gate. Hold Room A serves all gate areas in Concourse A, and Hold Room C serves all gate areas in Concourse C.

In a press release issued in March of 2008 the St. Joseph County Airport Authority announced plans for a 45,000 square foot, 12-million dollar expansion of Concourse A that will include 5 new jet bridges (bringing to total number of gates post-expansion to 9), a concession area/lounge, children’s play area as well as a business center. The current Concourse C will be demolished and all passenger screening will be consolidated into one location at the existing Concourse A. Construction on the expansion is slated to begin in 2009 with completion in late 2010. When the expansion is complete each gate will have a jetway except A1 as well have it's own dedicated seating area.

[edit] Airport operations

Within the state of Indiana, the airport is second only to Indianapolis by means of passenger movements and air carrier service (Bureau of Transportation Statistics). In fact, according to the airport authority, South Bend is ranked in the top 25 percent of small-to-medium sized airports in terms of air service. The airport falls to third place behind Indianapolis and Fort Wayne in cargo operations, and fifth in the state for overall take-offs and landings. Due to South Bend's proximity to Chicago, South Bend air traffic controllers work closely with Chicago Center and Chicago Approach Control to sequence aircraft into and out of Chicago's terminal airspace. These efforts make South Bend's Tower/TRACON the second busiest terminal air traffic facility in the state.

[edit] Air Service

Allegiant Air announced in March of 2008 interest in providing direct international service between South Bend and Cancun, MX. Airport management is ready to move on acquiring a customs facility, however; the process to obtain such a facility will most likely take congressional involvement and local funding to pay for the facility. The airport authority told the public in a press release that now is the time to prepare for the service, not later, due to the amount of time it will take to get the customs facility operational (which could be a few years).

This is not the first time an airline has expressed interest in bringing international flights to South bend. In the early 2000's Air Canada's Air Georgian announced plans for international (trans-border) service between South Bend and Toronto. That service never took off due South Bend not being able to obtain a customs facility.

[edit] Airlines and destinations

[edit] Concourse A

Airlines & Destinations served fromSouth Bend Regional Airport(As of 2008)
Airlines & Destinations served from
South Bend Regional Airport
(As of 2008)

[edit] Concourse C

[edit] Viewing area

South Bend Regional Airport has an in-terminal viewing area with live air traffic control transmissions from South Bend Air Traffic Control Tower/TRACON. The viewing area is located on the second level of the terminal's atrium.

[edit] South Shore Train Line

The South Shore Line (NICTD) ends at SBN. The station is located at the east end of the terminal.

Preceding station   NICTD   Following station
South Shore Line Terminus


[edit] Incidents

  • On the evening of July 18th, 2007, lighting struck the airfield, causing the runway lights to turn off. Planes en route to South Bend were diverted elsewhere and all flights planned to take off to/from South Bend were cancelled. Planes were still not able to take off in the morning of July 19th because the lights had not been fixed and it was still dark out. As a result, many flights were cancelled and passengers were put on different flights. Later that day though, the lights were fixed and flights resumed their normal schedules.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b FAA Airport Master Record for SBN (Form 5010 PDF)

[edit] External links

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