Niagara Falls International Airport

Niagara Falls International Airport

Niagara Falls International Airport – New York – March 28, 1995
Niagara Falls International Airport aerial view in 2011
Summary
Airport type Public / Military
Owner/Operator Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority
Location Town of Niagara, Niagara County, near Niagara Falls, New York
Elevation AMSL 589 ft / 180 m
Coordinates 43°06′26″N 078°56′46″W / 43.10722°N 78.94611°W / 43.10722; -78.94611Coordinates: 43°06′26″N 078°56′46″W / 43.10722°N 78.94611°W / 43.10722; -78.94611
Website www.niagarafallsairport.com
Map
IAG
IAG

Location of airport in New York / United States

Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
6/24 5,189 1,582 Asphalt
10L/28R 9,829 2,996 Asphalt/Concrete
10R/28L 3,973 1,211 Asphalt
Statistics (2015)
Aircraft operations 29,816
Passengers 233,302
Aircraft operations data for 2011; Sources: Federal Aviation Administration,[1] NFTA Press Release,[2] Bureau of Transportation Statistics[3]

Niagara Falls International Airport (IATA: IAG, ICAO: KIAG, FAA LID: IAG) is 4 mi (6.4 km) east of downtown Niagara Falls, in Niagara County, New York.[1] Owned and operated by the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, the airport is a joint civil-military airfield and shares its runways with the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station. A new terminal building opened in 2009.

History

Niagara Falls International Airport opened in 1928 as a municipal airport with four crushed-stone runways.

During World War II, Bell Aircraft established a large manufacturing plant next to the airport, where during the war it built over 10,000 P-39 Airacobras and P-63 Kingcobras. Bell employed over 28,000 at the plant. After the war, the plant was the development site of the Bell X-1 used by Chuck Yeager to break the sound barrier in 1947.

The United States Army Air Forces assumed jurisdiction of the airport during the war, with the 3522d Army Air Force Base Unit managing the airport and coordinating use of the airfield with Bell Aircraft. The airfield was improved with macadam runways, 4000x150(N/S), 4000x150(NE/SW), 4200x300(E/W), 4000x150(NW/SE), including many taxiways and other improvements to handle large numbers of aircraft. Air Technical Service Command also operated an Aircraft modification center at the airport where new aircraft were given various updates prior to their deployment to operational bases and overseas combat theaters.

Civilian aviation operations and jurisdiction of the airport was returned in early 1946, and a joint-use agreement was made with the United States Air Force for Air Force Reserve and New York Air National Guard use of a portion of the airport.

Today, the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station is home to the Air Force Reserve Command's 914th Airlift Wing (914 AW), flying the C-130 Hercules and the New York Air National Guard's 107th Airlift Wing (107 AW), which shares the 914th AW's C-130 aircraft. Both wings are operationally gained by the Air Mobility Command (AMC). The main runway was extended to over 9,000 feet (2,743 m) in 1959 to handle larger military aircraft, and was extended again in 2003 to its current length of 9,829 feet (2,996 m). For all practical purposes, the facility is a small Air Force base.

In November 2013 Calspan Air Services became the fixed-base operator for the airport, including refueling, ramp assistance, deicing, transportation & maintenance services.

On August 4, 2014, an Air France Boeing 747-428 flight AF356 from Paris Charles-de-Gaulle was diverted from Toronto due to the temporary closing of Toronto Pearson International Airport. Landing and take-off was on Runway 28R.[4]

Airlines

American Airlines served Niagara Falls until 1956. From 1980 to 1984, Air Niagara, a post-Deregulation airline flew to Newark Airport with Boeing 727-100 jetliners. Empire Airlines also served the airport at one time, flying to Syracuse. Kiwi International Air Lines briefly served the airport in 1998 with nonstop Boeing 727-200 jet service to Newark Airport (EWR).[5]

In March 2007 Direct Air began flying to Myrtle Beach; this ended in March 2012.[6] In September 2009 a new terminal complex was completed, intended to attract airlines.

In October 2010 Spirit Airlines announced service to Fort Lauderdale and Myrtle Beach.[7]

In November 2010 Vision Airlines announced service to Destin/Fort Walton Beach, FL and Miami, FL (MIA). Service later ended.

Allegiant Airlines began service in 2009 and serves Fort Myers/Punta Gorda, Orlando/Sanford, St. Petersburg/Clearwater.

Facilities

The airport is in Class D airspace and has a FAA control tower.

The airport covers 1,067 acres (432 ha) and has three paved runways:[1]

Passenger terminal

On September 2, 2009, Niagara Falls International Airport dedicated its new two-story terminal. With 69,430-square-foot (6,450 m2), it has four gates (two jetways and two ground-loading gates), and has room for a Boeing 747 in size.[8] The exterior is designed to reflect Niagara Falls' water flow. Cost was an estimated $42.5 million, $31.5 million for the terminal and $11 million for runway apron and landside improvements.[9][10]

The previous (old) terminal is now occupied by the Niagara Aerospace Museum, also known as the Ira G. Ross Aerospace Museum.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

AirlinesDestinations
Allegiant Air Orlando/Sanford, Punta Gorda (FL), St. Petersburg/Clearwater
Seasonal: Fort Lauderdale
Spirit Airlines Fort Lauderdale, Orlando[11]
Seasonal: Myrtle Beach
Via Air Seasonal: Farmingdale/Long Island (NY)
Miami Air International Seasonal: Nashville, Grand Rapids

Statistics

In 2015, Niagara Falls International served 233,302 passengers, of which 118,154 were outbound passengers, an increase of 12.24 percent over 2014.[2] An estimated 80% of the passenger traffic at the airport comes from Canadians.[12]

In the year ending May 31, 2011 the airport had 29,816 aircraft operations, average 82 per day: 65% general aviation, 26% military, 7% air taxi and 3% airline.[1][13]

The FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 classified Niagara Falls International as a reliever airport.[14]

Top destinations

Busiest domestic routes from IAG
(Sep 2014 – Aug 2015)[15]
Rank Airport Passengers Carriers
1 Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33,000 Spirit
2 Orlando, Florida 25,000 Allegiant
3 Punta Gorda, Florida 22,000 Allegiant
4 St. Petersburg, Florida 21,000 Allegiant
5 Myrtle Beach, South Carolina 17,000 Spirit
6 Farmingdale/Long Island (NY) 3,000 Via Air

Nearby airports

Source: AirNav

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

  1. 1 2 3 4 FAA Airport Master Record for IAG (Form 5010 PDF), effective October 25, 2007
  2. 1 2 Niagara Falls International Airport Has Record 2015
  3. ↑ Niagara Falls International (IAG) at transtats.bts.gov, Retrieved April 24, 2015
  4. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7AM9PAGuFQ
  5. ↑ http://www.departedflights.com, Spring/Summer 1998 Kiwi International Air Lines route map
  6. ↑ Heath, Dan (April 12, 2012). "Direct Air bankruptcy goes to Chapter 7". Plattsburgh Press-Republican. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  7. ↑ http://www.spiritair.com/RouteMaps.aspx
  8. ↑ Airport Specifications at niagarafallsairport.com
  9. ↑ Takeoff set for new NF airport terminal
  10. ↑ IAG New Terminal
  11. ↑ http://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/high-five-orlando-spirit-airlines-brings-a-handful-of-new-destinations-to-the-theme-park-capital-o-20160721-00808
  12. ↑ Fink, James. Gillibrand presses for pre-check for Canadian air travelers. Business First. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
  13. ↑ KIAG at airnav.com
  14. ↑ FAA National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems: 2007–2011
  15. ↑ "Niagara Falls, NY: Niagara Falls International Airport (IAG)". Bureau of Transportation Statistics. August 2015. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
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