| Erie International Airport Tom Ridge Field |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| IATA: ERI – ICAO: KERI – FAA LID: ERI
ERI
|
|||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Public | ||
| Owner | Erie Municipal Airport Authority | ||
| Location | Millcreek Township, Erie County, near Erie, Pennsylvania | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 733 ft / 223.4 m | ||
| Website | |||
| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 6/24 | 6,500 | 1,981 | Asphalt/Concrete |
| 2/20 | 3,507 | 1,069 | Asphalt |
| Statistics | |||
| Passengers (2009) | 121,164 2.8%UNIQ2f5cff606e7fa9df-ref-0,198F294-QINU | ||
Erie International Airport / Tom Ridge Field (IATA: ERI, ICAO: KERI, FAA LID: ERI) is a public airport serving northwestern Pennsylvania and is located five miles (8 km) southwest of the central business district (CBD) of Erie, a city in Erie County. It features commercial service by regional airlines, connecting passengers to hubs in the northeast, midwest, and southeast. The airport faces stiff competition from the Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Buffalo airports, all of which are within two hours of Erie via ground transport. The airport was recognized in 2004 as the third fastest growing airport in the United States, and the fastest growing airport in Pennsylvania.[2]
Contents |
Prior to the events of September 11, 2001, the airport was at its height with US Airways mainline jets offering service to Pittsburgh and international service to Toronto.[3][4]After 9/11, US Airways transitioned from 737s and DC-9s to regional jet service.[5] As air service rebounded in the mid 2000's, the airport offered service on US Airways Express to Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Charlotte; Northwest Airlink to Detroit; Continental Connection to Cleveland; and Delta Connection to Cincinnati and Atlanta.
The airport is reportedly looking to expand service to New York, Chicago, and many other cities. The airport has been served by many airlines over the years.[6] US Airways discontinued Charlotte service in 2006. Delta Air Lines discontinued service to Atlanta on 6 September 2007. In early 2008, US Airways discontinued Erie-Pittsburgh service. As of January 2010, US Airways Express service has been reduced to three flights daily to Philadelphia; Delta Connection offers five flights daily to Detroit; and United Express offers four flights daily to Cleveland. As is the case across the country, the high cost of fuel is causing airlines to reduce regional flying and cut routes to smaller airports such as Erie. During the winter months when weather is typically dangerous, flights into Erie often become diverted to Cleveland or Buffalo.
Erie International is in the process of a major expansion program. The plan includes expanding runway 6/24, establishing a relationship with an airport in Germany to create a major cargo bridge, and attracting new airlines offering service to more destinations. Some of those destinations could be Orlando, Atlanta, and Cancun, Mexico. About 200,000 people used the airport in 2006, and that is down 14% due to airlines cutting back on seats. But, the number of passengers did increase by 16.1% in 2010 from 2009.[7]
Erie International/Tom Ridge Field covers 450 acres (182 ha) and has two runways:
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Delta Connection operated by Pinnacle Airlines | Detroit |
| United Express operated by CommutAir | Cleveland |
| US Airways Express operated by Piedmont Airlines | Philadelphia |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
