Albany International Airport

Albany International Airport

FAA airport diagram
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner Albany County, New York
Operator Albany County Airport Authority
Serves Albany and Capital District, New York
Location Latham, New York, U.S.
Focus city for Cape Air
Elevation AMSL 285 ft / 87 m
Coordinates 42°44′57″N 073°48′07″W / 42.74917°N 73.80194°W / 42.74917; -73.80194
Website www.albanyairport.com
Map
Albany International Airport
Albany International Airport
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
1/19 8,500 2,591 Asphalt
10/28 7,200 2,195 Asphalt
Statistics
Aircraft operations (2010) 154,094
Based aircraft (2017) 88
Passengers (2013) 2,393,506

Albany International Airport (IATA: ALB, ICAO: KALB, FAA LID: ALB) is a public airport seven miles (11 km) northwest of Albany, in Albany County, New York, United States. It is owned by the Albany County Airport Authority.[1]

It is an airport of entry[3] in Latham, a hamlet within the town of Colonie. It was built on the site of the Shaker settlement about 6 miles (10 km) north of Albany and stretching north to the hamlet of Verdoy. The airport is below class C airspace.[4]

UPS Airlines and FedEx Airlines operate the Boeing 757-200 to the airport five days a week for cargo. Today, about half of the planes that depart and land in ALB are regional aircraft. Airlines that operate mainline aircraft are American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines. The largest passenger aircraft to fly into ALB on a year-round daily basis is the Boeing 737-800 operated by Southwest Airlines.

History

Albany International was the first, and remains the oldest, municipal airport in the United States. In 1908 the airstrip was on a former polo field on Loudonville Road, three miles (5 km) north of the city in the town of Colonie. In 1909 the airport moved to Westerlo Island, in the city of Albany, but at that time was in the town of Bethlehem; the airport was named at this time. The airport was named after Teddy Roosevelt's son, Quentin, a fighter pilot during World War I. A $10,000 prize was established for sustained flight between Albany and New York City; Glenn Curtiss achieved this on May 29, 1910. Other early pioneers of aviation that stopped at this early field were Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart, and James Doolittle.

Mayor John Boyd Thacher II once said "a city without the foresight to build an airport for the new traffic may soon be left behind in the race for competition". He therefore decided to build in 1928 a new modern airport on the Shaker site near Albany-Shaker Road in Colonie, not far from the original polo fields used as the first site of the municipal airport. The Shakers not only sold the land used but also loaned the use of tractors and tools.

The early Albany Airport was often closed and threatened with closure which prompted repeated improvements in the late 1930s and 1940s. The airport was closed from January 1939 until December 1940, when it reopened to traffic during daylight hours only, and then with no restrictions since January 1942. The airport has not been closed (other than for weather and emergency landings) since.

The February 1947 C&GS chart shows three 3500-foot runways aimed 12, 98 and 133 degrees magnetic.

ALB was jointly owned and managed by the city and county of Albany until 1960 when Mayor Erastus Corning 2nd ended the city's stake.

In 1962 a new terminal building opened. A landside building had ticket counters, a coffee shop, and baggage claim on the first floor and a restaurant, offices and viewing area on the second floor. A single-story boarding concourse extended outwards from this building. In 1968 this concourse was widened to allow more concessions and boarding space. The terminal was expanded again in 1979, with the addition of a new two-story building attached diagonally to the northwest. It had boarding gates for Allegheny Airlines on the second floor, and baggage carousels on the first floor.

The main terminal building at Albany International Airport

The Albany County Airport Authority was created by the county in 1993 with a 40-year lease to operate the airport in 1996. Construction of a new terminal began on May 16, 1996 and opened in June 1998. It was designed by Reynolds, Smith & Hills and Stracher-Roth-Gilmore,[5] and it was built around the existing terminal, most of which was demolished upon its completion. Only the 1979 extension remains from the old terminal building.[6]

In 1999, the Airport Authority began construction of a 16,000-square-foot (1,500 m2) addition to the new terminal to accommodate Southwest Airlines. The project was completed in 2000 and included the addition of two new dual jet bridges enabling passengers to board and deplane from the front and rear of the aircraft.[7]

Service history

At the time of US airline deregulation in 1978, most of Albany's service was provided by two "trunk carriers" (American Airlines and Eastern Air Lines) and one "local service carrier" (Allegheny Airlines, which renamed itself USAir in 1979). After deregulation, many new airlines expanded to Albany. Most did not survive the tumultuous 1980's.

Airlines that served Albany after deregulation include:

During 1986–1987, the airline industry consolidated through a series of mergers, so that after 1989 the US airline industry was dominated by a group of six "legacy carriers": American, United, Delta, Northwest, USAir, and Continental. All of them served Albany themselves or by their regional affiliates. During the 1990s, Albany and other Upstate markets enjoyed little low-fare service, and the legacy carriers mostly kept fares high. Southwest Airlines' entry into Albany in 2000 ushered in a new era of low fare service at the airport.

CommutAir hub

In early 2001, CommutAir started to invest in an Albany hub. The hub was to connect smaller cities with bigger cities with Continental Express and mainline.

At its peak, CommutAir served Allentown, Bangor, Binghamton, Boston, Buffalo, Burlington, Elmira, Portland, Harrisburg, Nantucket, Scranton, LaGuardia, Islip, Hartford, White Plains, Manchester, Providence, Syracuse, Rochester, Lake Placid, Plattsburgh, Montréal, Ottawa. The hub was closed down in late 2005 to shift operations to Cleveland. A few of the markets did do well.

The hub was served by Beechcraft 1900s operated by CommutAir for Continental Connection.

Currently, CommutAir operates several daily flights from Albany to its hubs at Newark Liberty International Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport for United Express. CommutAir also has its largest maintenance base at Albany, servicing both its Dash 8 and ERJ fleets.

Main terminal and concourses

Main terminal

Albany International Airport terminal, June 2011

The main terminal is divided into two levels. Level 1 of the main terminal includes the main check-in areas, baggage claims, car rentals, and taxis services. Escalators and stairs take passengers up to Level 2, which includes a waiting area, a Dunkin' Donuts, a seating area, and an ATM machine, all of which are open to the general public. It also contains the security checkpoint, leading passengers to a central atrium.

The central atrium provides access to all three terminals. An ATM and Ambassador Help Desk are located there. Also included in the atrium is a food court featuring Green Leaf's, McDonald's, and Silks Saratoga Bistro. The atrium and all concourses are only open to ticketed passengers once they clear security.

Concourse A

Concourse A was opened in 1968. Prior to the opening of a much more modern Concourse B in June 1998, all gates in Concourse A were occupied by US Airways. Cape Air, and United Airlines are currently located in Concourse A. Cape Air operates from gate A1, while United operates out of gates A2, A4, A5, and A6. Previous airlines at Concourse A included American Airlines, American Eagle, Northwest Airlines (before their merger with Delta Air Lines) and Continental Airlines (before their move to Concourse C). United, following its merger with Continental, added gate A4.

Concourse A has a Paradies Shop (Capital News & Gifts) and the Saranac Street Pub.

Concourse B

American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Boutique Air and JetBlue Airways occupy Concourse B. American operates out of gates B9, B10 and B11; Delta uses B5, B7 and B8; and JetBlue has gate B6. Gate B2 (lower level) is currently not in regular use, Boutique uses B4, while the B3 boarding area has been blocked and is currently used as office space. Previous airlines that used to operate out of this terminal include Air Canada, Independence Air and a pre-merger US Airways.

Concourse B's amenities include the Hudson Valley Wine Bar, a Paradies Shop (Capital News & Gifts), Starbucks, and Villa Fresh Italian Kitchen.

Concourse C

Concourse C was opened in June 1998 as part of the airport's $184 million renovation project. Concourse C has three gates, with two currently being used by Southwest Airlines (gates C2 and C3). The one vacant that was previously used by Continental Airlines, which moved to Concourse A in 2012 after its merger with United Airlines.

Concourse C has an ATM, the Brioche Dorée Café, a business center, an interfaith prayer chapel, and two Paradies Shops (Capital Book Sellers and Capital Gifts).

Concourse D (proposed)

In 2004, there were discussions between the Town of Colonie and The Albany Airport Board regarding the construction of a proposed fourth concourse,[8] but it was never built.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

AirlinesDestinations
American Airlines Charlotte
American Eagle Charlotte, Chicago–O'Hare, Philadelphia, Washington–National
Boutique Air Massena (NY)[9]
Cape Air Boston, Ogdensburg (NY)
Delta Air Lines Atlanta, Detroit
Seasonal: Minneapolis–Saint Paul
Delta Connection Detroit
Seasonal: Minneapolis–Saint Paul
JetBlue Airways Fort Lauderdale, Orlando
OneJet Pittsburgh[10]
Southwest Airlines Baltimore, Chicago–Midway, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Tampa
Seasonal: Fort Myers
United Airlines Chicago–O'Hare
United Express Chicago–O'Hare, Newark, Washington–Dulles

Cargo

AirlinesDestinations
DHL Express
operated by Ameriflight 		Cincinnati, Wilkes–Barre/Scranton
DHL Express
operated by Suburban Air Freight 		Cincinnati
FedEx Express Memphis
FedEx Express
operated by Wiggins Airways 		Newark, Plattsburgh (NY), Rutland (VT)
UPS Airlines Hartford, Philadelphia, Syracuse
Seasonal: Louisville, Providence

Statistics

Top destinations

Busiest domestic routes from ALB (Mar 2016 – Feb 2017)[11]
Rank City Passengers Carriers
1 Baltimore, Maryland 222,680 Southwest
2 Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois 159,530 American, United
3 Orlando, Florida 139,730 JetBlue, Southwest
4 Atlanta, Georgia 121,630 Delta
5 Charlotte, North Carolina 112,360 American
6 Chicago–Midway, Illinois 87,950 Southwest
7 Fort Lauderdale, Florida 79,870 JetBlue, Southwest
8 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 73,360 American
9 Detroit, Michigan 73,030 Delta
10 Washington–National, D.C. 67,550 American

Airline share

Ground transportation

Car

Albany International Airport has direct access to I-87 and New York State Route 7 via Albany-Shaker Road, a 3.3-mile four-lane boulevard. The New York State Department of Transportation is currently in the developing stages of the Exit 3 Project.[12] The Exit 3 Project will eventually provide better access to Albany International Airport and improve Exit 4. The airport is served by major car rental companies as well as by local taxi and limousine services.

Bus

Albany International Airport is served by CDTA Routes 610 and 737. Route 737 provides access to Downtown Albany, while Route 610 provides access to Colonie via Colonie Center. Adirondack Trailways and Vermont Translines also provides intercity bus service to and from the airport.

Rail

The closest rail station to Albany Airport is Schenectady Amtrak Station in Downtown Schenectady at 10 miles from the airport. For more rail options, Albany-Rensselaer Amtrak Station is 14 miles away and has more routes.

Walking

There are currently few sidewalks connecting the terminal to nearby hotels or other destinations. However, the New York State Department of Transportation has proposed installing pedestrian and bicycle facilities along Albany Shaker Road during an upcoming interchange project. This will connect the airport to hotels and businesses along Wolf Road.[13]

Incidents and accidents

On September 16, 1953, American Airlines Flight 723, a Convair 240, was flying Boston-Springfield-Albany-Syracuse-Rochester-Buffalo-Detroit-Chicago when it crashed and caught fire after flying into a series of radio towers in a fog while descending for landing. All 28 occupants on board (25 passengers and 3 crew) were killed.[14]

On March 3, 1972, Mohawk Airlines Flight 405, a Fairchild Hiller FH-227, crashed into a house in Albany, New York, on approach to Albany County Airport. The crew had difficulty getting the cruise lock to disengage in one of the engines. While the crew attempted to deal with the problem, the aircraft crashed short of the airfield, killing 16 of the 48 people in the aircraft and one person on the ground. The lone surviving crew member was a stewardess, Sandra Quinn.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 FAA Airport Master Record for ALB (Form 5010 PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. Effective Jan 5, 2017.
  2. ↑ 2010 North American Final Rankings, Airports Council International - North America, archived from the original on May 15, 2011
  3. ↑ "Customs at ALB". Albany International Airport. Archived from the original on August 31, 2008. Retrieved August 12, 2008.
  4. ↑ "Albany Airspace". SkyVector.com. Archived from the original on April 4, 2009. Retrieved April 4, 2009.
  5. ↑ "Albany International Airport". Stracher Roth Gilmore Architects. Archived from the original on September 7, 2002.
  6. ↑ "Albany Airport History". Albany County Airport Authority. Archived from the original on December 22, 2008. Retrieved December 20, 2008.
  7. ↑ "Welcome". Retrieved April 27, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Architecture+, Petersen Group picked for $1.8M airport terminal project". The Business Review. Albany, New York: American City Business Journals, Inc. January 13, 2006. Retrieved October 19, 2004.
  9. ↑ "Boutique Air announces start date for flights from Massena to Albany and Baltimore". WatertownDailyTimes.com. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
  10. ↑ http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12344260/onejet-service-between-pittsburgh-and-albany-to-begin-june-28
  11. ↑ Research and Innovative Technology Administration. "Albany, NY: Albany International (ALB)". Bureau of Transportation Statistics, U.S. Department of Transportation.
  12. ↑ "Adirondack Northway Exit 3 Project, Project I.D. No. 1721.51". New York State Department of Transportation. February 2014. Archived from the original on April 11, 2017.
  13. ↑ New York State Department of Transportation (October 11, 2011). "I-87, Exits 3/4 Access Improvements" (PDF). Retrieved October 28, 2011.
  14. ↑ "Accident description (Record 19530916-0)". Aviation Safety Net. Flight Safety Foundation. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
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