Philadelphia International Airport

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Philadelphia International Airport
Image:PHL diagram.png
IATA: PHL - ICAO: KPHL
Summary
Airport type public
Operator City of Philadelphia's Division of Aviation
Serves Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Elevation AMSL 36 ft (11.0 m)
Coordinates 39° 51' 19" N

75° 14' 28" W

Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
9R/27L 10,506 3,202 Paved
9L/27R 9,500 2,896 Paved
17/35 5,460 1,664 Paved
8/26 5,000 1,524 Paved

Philadelphia International Airport (IATA: PHL, ICAO: KPHL) is an airport in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is the largest airport in the Delaware Valley region. It is one of the 30 busiest airports in the world and a vital economic engine for Pennsylvania. The airport is a hub of US Airways and has service to destinations in the United States, Canada, Latin America, and Europe.

Most of the airport property is located in Philadelphia proper. The international terminal and the western end of the airfield are located in Tinicum Township, Delaware County.

Contents

History

Starting in 1925, the Pennsylvania Air National Guard used the PHL site (historically known as Hog Island) as a training field for its pilots. The site was dedicated as the "Philadelphia Municipal Airport" by Charles Lindbergh in 1927. However, there was no proper terminal building until 1940, so airlines used an airfield in nearby Camden, New Jersey. Once the terminal was completed, four airlines (American, Eastern, TWA, and United) started flights to the airport. Philadelphia Municipal became Philadelphia International in 1945, when American Overseas Airways began flights to Europe.

US Airways became the dominant carrier at PHL through the 1980s and 1990s. In 2004, its dominance was challenged when Southwest Airlines announced it would begin flights from PHL, challenging US Airways in most of the major's important north-south and transcontinental markets.

Today, Philadelphia International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world and among the fastest growing in the United States. Its status as a US Airways hub and the growth of Southwest Airlines and other low-cost carriers has helped passenger traffic to reach record levels. In 2004, a total of 28,507,420 passengers flew through Philadelphia, up 15.5% over 2003.[1] The airport is on track to fly even more passengers in 2005. [2]

Such growth has not come without difficulties. There are questions as to how much more passenger growth can occur. PHL's present terminal and runway configuration are reaching full utilization, leading to congestion and flight delays. Additionally, the airport's parking facilities have been severely taxed. Complete exhaustion of all parking at the airport has become a regular occurrence.[3] However, airport officials have ambitious plans for terminal and runway expansion to resolve these issues.

Economic Impact

Philadelphia International Airport is important to Philadelphia, its metropolitan region and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth's Aviation Bureau reported in its Pennsylvania Air Service Monitor that the total economic impact made by the state's airports in 2004 was $22 billion. PHL alone accounted for $14 billion or 63% of total. The caluclations include both direct spending and the multiplier effect of that spending throughout the state's economy.

Runway Expansion

As of 2005, there are two studies which deal with expanding runway capacity at PHL airport. The first is the Runway 17-35 Extension Project EIS [4] which has completed the Final Environmental Impact Statement. The plan is to extend runway 17-35 to length of 6,500 feet, extending it at both ends and incorporating the proper runway safety areas. The second study, the PHL Capacity Enhancement Program [5] is has a much larger scope and is considering more drastic ways to increase runway capacity at PHL.

Ground transportation

Image:Philadelphia runway8-26.jpg Taxis charge a flat rate of $25 (previously $20) from the airport to central Philadelphia.

The R1 Airport line provides service to and from stations at Terminals A, B, C, D, and E and provides passengers a fast and traffic-free connection between the airport, Center City Philadelphia, and other SEPTA trains, Amtrak trains, and NJT trains trains at 30th Street Station. As of 2005, the fare is $5.50 one-way to Center City, and $7.00 for travel to other stations on the SEPTA Regional Rail network. SEPTA also operates bus service to and form the airport.

Rental cars are available through a number of companies, all of which must be reached by shuttle bus.

Terminal, airlines and destinations

Philadelphia International Airport has five terminal buildings, which are divided into seven lettered concourses. The two "A" concourses are separated from each other. Concourses B, C, and D are interconnected, while concourses E and F are in separate terminals. There is a relatively large airport mall between concourses B and C.

The Philadelphia metropolitan area is the largest in the United States without nonstop flights to Asia (although United offers direct service to Hong Kong via San Francisco). This is possibly due to Philadelphia's relatively close proximity to New York, which many international carriers already serve.

Concourse A West

International Arrivals (except from Canada) are processed at the Terminal A West arrival building.

  • Air Jamaica (Montego Bay)
  • Air France (Arrivals) (Paris/CDG)
  • Frontier Airlines (Denver)
  • Lufthansa (Frankfurt)
  • US Airways (International) (Amsterdam, Aruba, Barbados, Barcelona, Bermuda, Cancun, Cozumel, Dublin, Frankfurt, Freeport, Glasgow, Grand Cayman, Grenada, London/Gatwick, Madrid, Manchester (UK), Montego Bay, Munich, Nassau, Paris/CDG, Providenciales, Rome/Fiumicino, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Thomas, San Jose (CR), Santo Domingo, Shannon, Venice)

Concourse A East

Concourse B

  • US Airways (US and Canada) (Albany, Atlanta, Baltimore/Washington, Boston, Buffalo, Burlington, Charleston, Charlotte, Chicago/O'Hare, Columbus, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Greensboro, Hartford, Houston/Intercontinental, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Manchester, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Montreal, Nashville, New Orleans, Myrtle Beach, New York/LaGuardia, Norfolk, Orlando, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland (ME), Providence, Raleigh/Durham, Richmond, Rochester, St. Louis, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle/Tacoma, Syracuse, Tampa, Toronto, Washington/Reagan, West Palm Beach, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)

Concourse C

Concourse D

Concourse E

Concourse F

Concourse F is used by regional airlines that serve as feeders for US Airways. All are doing business as US Airways Express.

  • Chautauqua Airlines (Allentown/Bethlehem, Buffalo, Greensboro, Greenville (SC), Indianapolis, Louisville, Manchester (NH), Newark, New York/LaGuardia, Syracuse, Washington/Reagan)
  • Mesa Airlines (Albany, Allentown/Bethlehem, Atlanta, Bangor, Binghamton, Birmingham (AL), Burlington, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Cleveland, Columbia, Detroit, Elmira/Corning, Erie, Grand Rapids, Greensboro, Greenville (SC), Indianapolis, Kansas City, Manchester (NH), Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Montreal, Myrtle Beach, Nashville, Newport News, Norfolk, Portland (ME), Richmond, Roanoke, Savannah, State College, St. Louis, Toronto, Washington/Reagan, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Wilmington)
  • MidAtlantic Airways (Albany, Allentown/Bethlehem, Atlanta, Boston, Burlington, Columbus, Dallas/Fort Worth, Hartford, Houston/Intercontinental, Kansas City, Manchester (NH), Minneapolis/St. Paul, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Portland (ME), Providence, Rochester (NY), St. Louis, Syracuse, Washington/Reagan)
  • Piedmont Airlines (Albany, Allentown/Bethlehem, Baltimore/Washington, Binghamton, Burlington, Charlottesville, Elmira/Corning, Erie, Harrisburg, Ithaca, Islip, Newburgh, Newport News, New Bern, New Haven, New York/LaGuardia, Roanoke, Salisbury, State College, Syracuse, White Plains, Williamsport, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
  • PSA Airlines (Akron, Allentown/Bethlehem, Boston, Burlington, Charleston, Cleveland, Dayton, Detroit, Greensboro, Hartford, Ithaca, Knoxville, Lewisburg, Louisville, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Newport News, New York/LaGuardia, Ottawa, Portland (ME), Providence, Raleigh/Durham, Rochester (NY), Toronto, Washington/Dulles, Washington/Reagan, White Plains, Wilmington)

External links

Retrieved from "http://en.freepedia.org/Philadelphia_International_Airport.html"


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