Lehigh Valley International Airport
| Lehigh Valley International Airport | |||||||||||||||
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Aerial photo of Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE), 2005 | |||||||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||
| Owner/Operator | Lehigh–Northampton Airport Authority | ||||||||||||||
| Serves | Lehigh Valley | ||||||||||||||
| Location | Hanover Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, near Allentown | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 393 ft / 120 m | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 40°39′08.4″N 075°26′25.7″W / 40.652333°N 75.440472°W | ||||||||||||||
| Website | flylvia.com | ||||||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||||||
  ABE  ABE Location of airport in Pennsylvania / United States | |||||||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||||||
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Lehigh Valley International Airport (IATA: ABE, ICAO: KABE, FAA LID: ABE) (formerly Allentown–Bethlehem–Easton International Airport) is a public airport in Hanover Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. Parts of it are in Catasauqua and Allen Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania. It is 3 miles (5 km) northeast of Allentown, in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, the third most-populous metropolitan region in the state (after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh).
It is owned and operated by the Lehigh–Northampton Airport Authority. The number of people using the airport fell by 24.3% from 723,556 in FY2012 to 582,000 in FY2014[4] and the airport has seen steep declines in passenger usage since the early 2000s when annual traffic twice hit levels above 1,000,000 passengers.[5] It is included in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2017–2021, in which it is categorized as a non-hub primary commercial service facility.[6] In previous years the FAA categorized the airport as a "small hub".
The airport is about 75 miles (121 km) driving miles from Philadelphia International Airport, 80 miles (130 km) driving miles from Newark Liberty International Airport, and 55 miles (89 km) driving miles from Trenton-Mercer Airport.
The airport is a popular diversion airport for flights going to the New York metropolitan area.
History
Lehigh Valley International Airport opened in 1929 and is one of the very few in the United States of America that serves its community from its original location. Scheduled airline flights began on September 16, 1935 by United Airlines Boeing 247s. The airport hangar served as the passenger terminal; the first terminal building at the airport was built in 1938 as a Works Projects Administration (WPA) project.
During World War II the U. S. Navy V-5 flight training program was conducted at the airport in conjunction with ground training held at Muhlenberg College. In addition, Headquarters of Group 312 of the Civil Air Patrol was at Allentown–Bethlehem Airport. One of its activities was to provide a courier service for cargo defense plants. Allentown CAP pilots also patrolled the Atlantic coastline, and was active in recruiting young men for the air cadet program of the Army Air Force.
By January 1944 work on a new runway was completed and a Class A United States Weather Bureau station had been installed. About 1,000 Naval Aviation Cadets had been trained during 1943, and a large increase in the amount of civilian and military air traffic had occurred. In late July, the War Production Board approved the construction of a second story addition to the administration building. The building housed the Lehigh Aircraft Company, the weather bureau station, the Civil Aeronautic communications station, and the office and waiting room of United Air Lines. In August, the V-5 flight training program ended when the Navy decided to move all flight training to naval air bases under Navy pilots.
In April 1946 the Lehigh Airport Authority was created to own and manage the airport. The October 1946 C&GS diagram shows four runways forming an asterisk: runway 1 was 2680 ft long, 6 was 4000 ft, 9 was 3800 ft and 14 was 3100 ft.
A new passenger terminal began construction in 1948 and was finished in 1950. Allentown–Bethlehem–Easton (ABE) airport, as it was now called, had flights on United, Trans World Airlines since 1947, and Colonial Airlines since 1949–50. DC-4s and DC-6s appeared after runway 6 was extended to 5,000 ft. TWA left in 1967, replaced by Allegheny; Colonial's successor Eastern remained until 1991. Republic DC-9 nonstop flights to Detroit started in 1986; regional partners replaced successor Northwest around 2003, as United's nonstop flights to Chicago had likewise been replaced around 2001. Delta started nonstop flights to Atlanta in 1991 and its partner took over in 2002.
In 1960 Vice President Richard Nixon and Senator John F. Kennedy made campaign stops at ABE.
Construction began on the present terminal in 1973 and the project, designed by Wallace & Watson, was completed in 1976.[7]
The most recent Terminal Renovations were done in two phases.
- Phase I (April 2009). Cost: $7,253,235; PENNDOT grant amount: $3,000,000; general contractor: Lobar, Inc. (Dillsburg, PA); architect: Breslin, Ridyard, Fadero Architects (Allentown, PA); square footage of the Phase I project: 24,000 sq.ft., 7,000 sq.ft. of which is new space.
- Phase II (November 2010). Cost: about $7,225,000; PENNDOT grant amount: $3,500,000; general contractor: E.R. Stuebner Construction, Inc. (Reading, PA); architect: Breslin, Ridyard, Fadero Architects (Allentown, PA); square footage of renovated space: 33,600 sq.ft.[8]
Naval pilot training graduation ceremony at the Lehigh Valley Airport in 1943
The airport before terminal expansion.
Facilities and aircraft
The airport covers 2,629 acres (1,064 ha) at an elevation of 393 feet (120 m). It has two asphalt runways: 6/24, 7,600 by 150 feet (2,316 x 46 m) and 13/31, 5,797 by 150 feet (1,767 x 46 m).[3] The airport has nine gates to service the passengers. The airport has five holding spots for cargo aircraft. Mainly Boeing 757 cargo aircraft fly in and out of the airport for FedEx along with Amazon Prime Air Boeing 767s.
In 2016, the airport had 77,978 aircraft operations, an average of 213 per day: 78% general aviation, 11% air taxi, 10% commercial airline and <1% military. In May 2017, there were 124 aircraft based at this airport: 64 single-engine, 10 multi-engine, 49 jet and 1 helicopter.[3]
For the 12 month period ending February 28, 2017, the airport handled 145,000,000 pounds (66,000,000 kg) of freight/mail.[2]
Fire Department
Aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) is a special category of firefighting that involves the response, hazard mitigation, evacuation, rescue and emergency medical response to airport emergencies. Airport firefighters have advanced equipment and training in the application of firefighting foams, dry chemical and clean agents used to extinguish aviation fuels.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) mandates ARFF operations at all U.S. airports that serve scheduled passenger air carriers. The LNAA ARFF Department is a group of highly dedicated and trained staff that consists of 7 full-time and 3 part-time personnel.
Commissioned on October 2003, the 13,000sq.ft. state-of-the-art ARFF facility is a very functional and professional addition to the airport. The selected building site yields the quickest response time to each of the existing runway ends and to the terminal building. The site is also strategically located to serve a future parallel Runway 6/24. The facility can be seen by passengers in the concourses and in arriving and departing aircraft.[9]
Airlines and destinations
.JPG)
Passenger
| Airlines | Destinations | Refs |
|---|---|---|
| Allegiant Air | Fort Lauderdale, Orlando/Sanford, Punta Gorda (FL), St. Petersburg/Clearwater Seasonal: Myrtle Beach | [10] |
| American Eagle | Charlotte, Philadelphia | [11] |
| Delta Air Lines | Atlanta | [12] |
| Delta Connection | Atlanta, Detroit | [12] |
| United Express | Chicago–O'Hare | [13] |
- Allegiant uses the McDonnell Douglas MD-83, and the Airbus A320-200.
- American Eagle uses the Bombardier CRJ200 and, Bombardier CRJ900 on their route to Charlotte. American Eagle also uses the deHavilland Canada Dash 8 300 series, and the Bombardier CRJ100 on their route to Philadelphia.
- Delta Airlines uses their Boeing 717 on their flight to Atlanta which only operates one service a day in the morning and one service at night which returns the 717 to the airport for its next morning flight.
- Delta Connection uses their Bombardier CRJ200, Bombardier CRJ700, and Bombardier CRJ900 on their flights to Detroit and Atlanta.
- United Express uses the Embraer ERJ-135 on their flight to Chicago-O' Hare.
Cargo
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Amazon Prime Air operated by ABX Air | Chicago/Rockford, Dallas/Fort Worth |
| Amazon Prime Air operated by Air Transport International | Cincinnati |
| Amazon Prime Air operated by Atlas Air | Charlotte, Ontario |
| FedEx Express | Indianapolis, Memphis Seasonal: Newburgh, Newark, New York (JFK) |
| Wiggins Airways | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton |
(ABE) currently, has five cargo parking spots for cargo operations.
Air Transport International uses the Boeing 767-200 to all the destinations that serve the Lehigh Valley International Airport. Amazon Prime Air uses the Boeing 767-300F. FedEx serves (ABE) by the Boeing 757 and the Airbus A300.
Charter Operations
Kalitta Charters Operates service for H.E. Tex Sutton Airlines, and flies in from various destinations such as Stewart, NY and Lexington Blue Grass Airport, KY. They have various horse and cargo deliveries.
Sun Country Operates Military charters using the Boeing 737.
Bus service
United Express also has a bus service to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).[14] Continental Airlines, which later merged into United, previously operated flights from Allentown to Newark but switched to a bus service in 1995 due to constant delays from air traffic control.[15] The distance is 79 miles (127 km). As of 1997 the service was eight times daily.[16] By February 2010 the bus was the only form of service offered by Continental after it cancelled its Allentown to Cleveland Hopkins Airport flights.[15]
Statistics
Annual traffic
| Year | Passengers | Change | Year | Passengers | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 1,013,710 | — | 2010 | 838,141 |  11.98% |
| 2001 | 912,904 |  9.94% |
2011 | 873,351 | 4.2% |
| 2002 | 798,154 | 12.57% |
2012 | 723,556 | 17.15% |
| 2003 | 982,777 | 23.13% |
2013 | 621,896 | 14.05% |
| 2004 | 1,009,951 | 2.76% |
2014 | 612,650 | 1.48% |
| 2005 | 831,570 | 17.66% |
2015 | 673,097 | 9.86% |
| 2006 | 788,511 | 5.18% |
2016 | 688,505 | 2.23% |
| 2007 | 847,527 | 7.48% |
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| 2008 | 779,968 | 7.97% |
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| 2009 | 748,482 | 4.03% |
Carrier shares
| Carrier | Passengers (arriving and departing) |
|---|---|
| Allegiant | 220,000(34.53%) |
| ExpressJet | 136,000(21.31%) |
| PSA | 90,110(14.15%) |
| Delta | 62,610(9.83%) |
| SkyWest | 49,660(7.80%) |
| Other | 78,800(12.38%) |
Top destinations
| Rank | City | Airport | Passengers | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atlanta, GA | Atlanta (ATL) | 68,170 | Delta |
| 2 | Sanford, FL | Orlando/Sanford (SFB) | 54,170 | Allegiant |
| 3 | Charlotte, NC | Charlotte (CLT) | 45,460 | American |
| 4 | Detroit, MI | Detroit (DTW) | 37,040 | Delta |
| 5 | Chicago, IL | Chicago-O'Hare (ORD) | 33,490 | United |
| 6 | Philadelphia, PA | Philadelphia (PHL) | 25,120 | American |
| 7 | Punta Gorda, FL | Punta Gorda/Fort Myers (PGD) | 21,790 | Allegiant |
| 8 | St. Petersburg, FL | St. Petersburg–Clearwater (PIE) | 20,310 | Allegiant |
| 9 | Myrtle Beach, SC | Myrtle Beach (MYR) | 10,620 | Allegiant |
| 10 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | For Lauderdale (FLL) | 3,200 | Allegiant |
Incidents and accidents
- On September 19, 2008, Mesa Airlines Flight 7138, Bombardier CRJ700, was forced to make a high-speed aborted takeoff and swerve in order to avoid a collision with a Cessna 172 that had yet to exit the runway after landing. There were no fatalities or injuries.[21]
- On November 16, 2008, US Airways Flight 4551, a US Airways Express de Havilland Dash 8 turboprop operated by Piedmont Airlines, took off from Lehigh Valley International Airport at 8:20 am heading to Philadelphia International Airport, and then had to make an emergency landing. The flight crew indicated that the front nose gear had not come down, and the plane had to make a flyover over the runway for confirmation. Of 35 passengers and three crew, there were no injuries.[22]
- On June 27, 2009, Allegiant Air Flight 746, a McDonnell Douglas MD-80 aircraft made an emergency landing after flames were observed coming from the aircraft's left engine. The flight was bound for Orlando Sanford International Airport. During takeoff one of the aircraft's tires had shredded and a piece was sucked into the engine, causing it to fail and momentarily catch on fire. The airliner landed safely minutes later with no injuries reported.[23]
- On February 14th, 2017 a small twin engine aircraft had made a successful landing on runway 13 after the gear had failed to deploy. The pilot was the only occupant and had survived the crash.
References
- ↑ Lehigh Valley International Airport, official website
- 1 2 "RITA BTS Transtats - ABE". www.transtats.bts.gov. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
- 1 2 3 FAA Airport Master Record for ABE (Form 5010 PDF), effective May 25, 2017
- ↑ http://flylvia.com/trafficeReports.html?#content-right
- ↑ The Morning Call, No U.S. Customs station at LVIA, but bluer skies may be ahead., Matt Assad, October 21, 2014, http://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-allentown-airport-passenger-traffic-20141021-story.html
- ↑ "List of NPIAS Airports" (PDF). FAA.gov. Federal Aviation Administration. 21 October 2016. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
- ↑ "The A-B-E Airport" (PDF). Modern Steel Construction. New York: American Institute of Steel Construction. 15 (3): 6–7. 1975. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
- ↑ "Lehigh Valley International Airport Files Phase I and II 6102666001". Retrieved December 25, 2012.
- ↑ http://www.flylvia.com/stay-connected/fire-department/. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - ↑ "Allegiant Air Route Map". www.allegiantair.com. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
- ↑ "Flight schedules and notifications". Retrieved 5 April 2017.
- 1 2 "FLIGHT SCHEDULES". Retrieved 5 April 2017.
- ↑ "Timetable". Retrieved 5 April 2017.
- ↑ "United." Lehigh Valley International Airport. Retrieved on October 27, 2016. "Non Stop to:[...]Newark"
- 1 2 Karp, Gregory (2010-05-04). "Airlines merger could halt bus flight". The Morning Call. Retrieved 2016-10-27.
- ↑ Wade, Betsy (1997-12-14). "PRACTICAL TRAVELER; When the Plane Is Really a Bus". The New York Times. Retrieved 2016-10-27.
- ↑ ABE fact sheet, downloaded Nov 12, 2016
- ↑ Dec 2015 Monthly Traffic Report, downloaded Nov 12, 2016
- ↑ Dec 2016 Monthly Traffic Report, downloaded Jul 16, 2017
- 1 2 "RITA - BTS - Transtats".
- ↑ https://www.ntsb.gov/news/2008/081119.html
- ↑ https://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081116/ap_on_re_us/emergency_landing
- ↑ "Plane makes emergency landing at Lehigh Valley International Airport".
- Allentown 1762–1987 A 225-Year History, Volume Two, 1921–1987. Mahlon H. Hellerich, editor, Lehigh County Historical Society, 1987.
External links
Media related to Lehigh Valley International Airport at Wikimedia Commons
- Lehigh Valley International Airport
- FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective August 17, 2017
- FAA Terminal Procedures for ABE, effective August 17, 2017
- AC-U-KWIK information for KABE
- Resources for this airport:
- AirNav airport information for KABE
- ASN accident history for ABE
- FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
- NOAA/NWS latest weather observations
- SkyVector aeronautical chart for KABE
- FAA current ABE delay information