Pensacola International Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerCity of Pensacola
ServesPensacola, Florida and Mobile, Alabama
Elevation AMSL121 ft / 37 m
Coordinates30°28′24″N 087°11′12″W / 30.47333°N 87.18667°W / 30.47333; -87.18667
Websitewww.FlyPensacola.com
Maps
FAA airport diagram
FAA airport diagram
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
17/35 7,004 2,135 Concrete
08/26 7,000 2,134 Asphalt
Statistics
Aircraft operations (2021)94,079
Based aircraft (2021)152
Total passengers served (12 months ending Aug. 2021)1,958,000
Cargo handled (12 months ending Aug. 2021)25 million lbs.

Pensacola International Airport[2] (IATA: PNS, ICAO: KPNS, FAA LID: PNS), formerly Pensacola Gulf Coast Regional Airport and Pensacola Regional Airport (Hagler Field), is a public use airport three nautical miles (6 km; 3 mi) northeast of the central business district of Pensacola, in Escambia County, Florida, United States. It is owned by the City of Pensacola.[1] Despite its name, the airport does not offer scheduled international flights, though chartered international flights are not uncommon. This airport is one of the five major airports in North Florida, and among these is the second largest by passenger count, only behind Jacksonville. The other airports in the North Florida region are: Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport, Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport, Tallahassee International Airport, and Jacksonville International Airport.

It is included in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2021–2025, in which it is categorized as a small-hub primary commercial service facility.[3] As per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 771,917 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2008,[4] 694,786 enplanements in 2009, and 729,748 in 2010.[5] In 2018, the airport served 1.9 million passengers.[6]

History

In 1935, a passenger terminal opened, and airline service began two years later. Atlantic and Gulf Airlines went out of business a few months later after failing to get an airmail contract. In 1938 National Airlines began flights to Mobile and Jacksonville. From 1940 to 1945, the airport was a U.S. Navy training facility; the Navy built a control tower and added a fourth runway. In 1947 Eastern Air Lines began service out of Pensacola, and in 1952 a modern terminal replaced the original one. The airport was then dedicated to L.C. Hagler, the former mayor of Pensacola. In 1968 Eastern began the first scheduled jet service from Pensacola.

In 1978, after deregulation of the airline industry, several airlines began serving Pensacola, including Continental and Delta. In 1978 a National Airlines Boeing 727 crashed into Escambia Bay while on approach for landing, the first fatal airline accident in the area. In 1979 US Airways, then called USAir, arrived at Pensacola. In 1990 the current terminal was built and AirTran Airways began jet service in 2001. In 2005 United Express began service out of Pensacola. After stopping service to Pensacola in the 1990s, American Airlines (operating as American Eagle) began service again in Pensacola in 2004. Southwest Airlines initiated service to Pensacola in 2013 after purchasing Airtran Airways. Frontier Airlines initiated service at Pensacola in 2018.

Pensacola mayor Ashton Hayward announced on November 9, 2011, that the airport would change its name from Pensacola Gulf Coast Regional Airport to Pensacola Regional Airport, effective immediately.[7]

Facilities and aircraft

Pensacola Regional Airport covers an area of 1,211 acres (490 ha) at an elevation of 121 feet (37 m) above mean sea level. It has two runways: 17/35 is 7,004 by 150 feet (2,135 x 46 m) with a concrete surface; 08/26 is 7,000 by 150 feet (2,134 x 46 m) with an asphalt surface.[1][8]

Runway 17 has an instrument landing system and approach lights, while the Runway 26 approach has a localizer approach. A 1,000 ft. extension to the east end of Runway 08/26 was completed in 2006. The airport hopes to extend Runway 17/35 to about 8,500 ft.

The airport's two war-era diagonal runways were decommissioned in the 1960s.

For the 12-month period ending February 28, 2021, the airport had 94,079 aircraft operations, an average of 258 per day: 54% general aviation, 21% military, 18% commercial and 8% air taxi. In November 2021, there were 152 aircraft based at this airport: 109 single-engine, 16 multi-engine and 27 jet.[1]

Terminal

Pensacola has one passenger terminal with 12 gates, built in the early 1990s. Gates 1 through 10 are located on the 2nd floor, while Gates 11 and 12 are located on the ground floor.

Gate assignments:

  • American: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
  • Delta: 2, 4
  • Silver: 11
  • Southwest: 10
  • United: 1, 3
  • Frontier: 6
  • Boutique Air: 12
  • Spirit: 8

Terminal expansion

The terminal was expanded in 2011 at a cost of $35 million. The expansion was designed by Gresham, Smith, and Partners[9] and Stoa Architects.[10][11]

In 2022, it was announced that the city of Pensacola was looking into a $70 million concourse and parking expansion that would provide more space to handle the airport's rapid increase in passenger numbers and flights.[12][13]

Management

The airport is operated as a self-funding department of the government of the City of Pensacola.[14]

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

AirlinesDestinations
American Airlines Charlotte, Dallas/Fort Worth
American Eagle Charlotte, Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami, Washington–National
Seasonal: Chicago–O'Hare, New York–LaGuardia, Philadelphia
Delta Air Lines Atlanta
Seasonal: Detroit
Delta Connection New York–LaGuardia
Frontier Airlines Denver
Silver Airways Orlando, Tampa, West Palm Beach (begins March 7, 2024)[15]
Southwest Airlines Dallas–Love, Houston–Hobby, Nashville
Seasonal: Austin (resumes June 8, 2024),[16] Chicago–Midway, Denver, Kansas City, St. Louis
Spirit Airlines Dallas/Fort Worth, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando
United Airlines Houston–Intercontinental
Seasonal: Chicago–O'Hare
United Express Chicago–O'Hare, Houston–Intercontinental
Seasonal: Denver

Cargo operations

UPS Airlines is the only major cargo carrier at the airport currently. UPS flies two flights into Pensacola, four days out of the week, Tuesday through Friday. On Saturday, UPS only flies one flight to Pensacola. Suburban Air Freight operates daily flights to Atlanta with a Beech 1900C. Ameriflight operated daily feeder flights for UPS to Mobile Downtown Airport and Gulfport–Biloxi International Airport with the Swearingen Fairchild SA227-AT Metro until July 16, 2016. As of July 18, 2016, Martinaire took over feeder service from Ameriflight with the Cessna 208B Super Cargomaster.

AirlinesDestinations
UPS Airlines Albany (GA), Birmingham (AL), Louisville, New Orleans, Orlando
Suburban Air Freight Atlanta
Martinaire Gulfport, Mobile–Downtown

Statistics

Passenger traffic

Annual passenger traffic at PNS airport. See Wikidata query.

Top destinations

Busiest domestic routes from PNS
(April 2021 – March 2022)[17]
Rank City Passengers Carriers
1 Georgia (U.S. state) Atlanta, Georgia 357,470 Delta, Southwest
2 Texas Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas 165,340 American, Spirit
3 North Carolina Charlotte, North Carolina 117,440 American
4 Texas Houston–Intercontinental, Texas 89,470 United
5 Tennessee Nashville, Tennessee 77,390 Southwest
6 Texas Dallas–Love, Texas 56,510 Southwest
7 Colorado Denver, Colorado 51,080 Frontier, Southwest, United
8 Florida Miami, Florida 43,970 American
9 Illinois Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois 43,430 American, Frontier, United
10 Virginia Washington-National 40,610 American

Airline market share

Largest airlines at PNS (April 2021 - March 2022)[17]
Rank Airline Passengers Share
1 Delta Air Lines 654,000 26.04%
2 Southwest Airlines 544,000 21.63%
3 PSA Airlines 273,000 10.87%
4 American Airlines 244,000 9.71%
5 Envoy Air 138,000 5.51%
6 Other 659,000 26.24%

Accidents and incidents

  • On May 8, 1978 National Airlines Flight 193 landed in Escambia Bay while approaching the east–west runway. Three of the 58 passengers and crew on board were killed.
  • On January 2, 1982, a United States Navy Beechcraft Super King Air crashed into a housing development on approach north of Pensacola Regional Airport. The plane struck several trees, fell on a car and collided with an oak tree. The pilot was killed, the other seven occupants survived.[18]
  • On December 27, 1987, Eastern Air Lines Flight 573, a McDonnell-Douglas DC-9-31 suffered a hard landing, causing the aircraft to bounce and break apart aft of the wings. All four crew and 103 passengers survived, four passengers sustained minor injuries during evacuation.[19]
  • On April 10, 1989, a Southern Company Services Beechcraft Super King Air crashed into an apartment complex 4.1 miles from PNS en route to Atlanta DeKalb-Peachtree Airport. An in-flight cabin fire and smoke disabled the flight crew. All three occupants (2 crew, 1 passenger) died.[20]
  • On July 6, 1996, Delta Air Lines Flight 1288, an MD-88, experienced an uncontained engine failure during takeoff on runway 17. Fragments from the number one (left) Pratt & Whitney JT8D-219 turbofan engine penetrated the fuselage, killing two and seriously injuring one of the 148 people on board.
  • On July 11, 1996 a United States Air Force F-16C Fighting Falcon cashed into two houses just north of Pensacola Regional Airport while attempting an emergency landing. The plane was en route from Shaw AFB in South Carolina to Eglin AFB in Okaloosa County to escape Hurricane Bertha when it experienced an engine flameout. The pilot ejected safely; however, a 4-year-old child was killed, and the mother was severely burned.[21]

Public safety

Pensacola International is protected by several local and federal law enforcement and public safety agencies. Specifically, they are served by:

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 FAA Airport Form 5010 for PNS PDF. Federal Aviation Administration. effective November 4, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Pensacola International Airport". www.flypensacola.com.
  3. ↑ "List of NPIAS Airports" (PDF). FAA.gov. Federal Aviation Administration. October 21, 2016. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Enplanements for CY 2008" (PDF, 1.0 MB). faa.gov. Federal Aviation Administration. December 18, 2009.
  5. ↑ "Enplanements for CY 2010" (PDF, 189 KB). faa.gov. Federal Aviation Administration. October 4, 2011.
  6. ↑ "Pensacola International Airport". www.flypensacola.com. Retrieved May 6, 2019.
  7. ↑ http://www.flypensacola.com/_files/contents/386/Airport%20Event%20110911.pdf
  8. ↑ "PNS airport data at skyvector.com". skyvector. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  9. ↑ "Neteffectservices.com". greshamsmith.neteffectservices.com.
  10. ↑ "Pensacola Gulf Coast Regional Airport – Stoa Architects". Archived from the original on August 19, 2012. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
  11. ↑ http://flypensacola.com/upload/images/pdfs/AirExpan2007_new.pdf
  12. ↑ Kennedy, Emma. "Pensacola airport officials eyeing new concourse, parking expansion to keep up with demand". Pensacola News Journal. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  13. ↑ Kennedy, Emma. "Pensacola airport sees 40% increase in flights as planning continues for $70M expansion". Pensacola News Journal. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  14. ↑ "About Airport". www.flypensacola.com.
  15. ↑ "Silver Airways Restarts West Palm Beach". Airline Geeks. January 15, 2024.
  16. ↑ "New Flight Schedules".
  17. 1 2 "RITA BTS Transtats – PNS". www.transtats.bts.gov. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  18. ↑ Accident description for 161189 at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on May 14, 2021.
  19. ↑ Accident description for N8948E at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on May 14, 2021.
  20. ↑ Accident description for N30PC at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on May 14, 2021.
  21. ↑ "F-16.net - The ultimate F-16, F-35 and F-22 reference". www.f-16.net. Retrieved January 7, 2024.


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