San Diego International Airport
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Template:Airport frame Template:Airport title Template:Airport infobox Template:Runway title Template:Runway Template:Airport end frame San Diego International Airport, (IATA Airport Code: SAN) also known as Lindbergh International Airport or Lindbergh Field, is located in San Diego, California
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Overview
San Diego International Airport is the nation's busiest single runway commercial airport — serving over 16 million passengers in 2004, and servicing 19 airlines, seven airfreight companies, 16 airline support providers and 23 concessionaires. San Diego International Airport contributes nearly $5 billion annually to the regional economy. SAN experienced a growth rate of 7.1% in terms of passengers in 2004. San Diego is also one of the physically smallest airports in the world supporting commercial service with a total of 614 acres (2.5 km²) of useable land.
History
Dedicated on August 16, 1928, the new airport was given the prominent name: San Diego Municipal Airport - Lindbergh Field. This naming occurred because San Diego holds the honor of being the city from which Charles Lindbergh began the journey that would ultimately become the first transatlantic flight. Additionally, the airport holds the distinction of being the first federally certified airfield to serve all aircraft types, including seaplanes. The airport gained 'international airport' status in 1934.
World War II brought significant change to the airfield when the U.S. Army Air Corps took it over in 1942 to support the war effort. The infrastructure of the airport was improved to handle the heavy bombers being manufactured in the region during the war. This transformation, including an 8,750 foot runway, made the airport "jet-ready' long before jet passenger planes came into widespread service [1] (http://www.san.org).
The current Terminal 1 was opened on March 5, 1967. It was not until July 11, 1979 that Terminal 2 was opened. This second terminal was later expanded by 300,000 square feet in 1998. A third terminal, dubbed the 'Commuter Terminal' opened on July 23, 1996.
Originally operated by the San Diego Unified Port District, the airport is now operated by the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority.
Relocation Proposals
The airport's high traffic and limited size have prompted discussion among business, civic, and political leaders about increasing airport capacity. Dennis Bouey, Port Director in 1999, said that the current airport would be unable to meet San Diego's needs by 2015.
The current site of the airport is bound by San Diego Bay, military facilities, and residential areas. Extension into the bay is an undesirable option because the required landfill would interfere with nearby U.S. naval operations. The adjacent military land is still in active use and not currently available. Using residential land, though possible via Eminent Domain, is publicly and politically unpopular.
As a result of the constraints of the current surrounding land, the Airport Authority is exploring several proposals to completely relocate the airport. Of the nine under consideration, two of the locations are considered remote to San Diego.
One such remote location has created local controversy. A proposal promoted by Congressman Bob Filner [2] (http://www.house.gov/filner/district.htm) involves locating the new airport to Imperial county, approximately 75 miles from San Diego. The proposal has garnered both ridicule and criticism for its resulting long driving time and for a costly companion proposal involving a high speed train connection.
An intriguing but so far unsuccessful idea is the construction of a "floatport" which would be a fully floating airport located 3 miles off of the tip of Point Loma.
Airlines and destinations
Commuter Terminal
- American Eagle doing business as Alaska Commuter, American Eagle, Continental Express, Delta Connection, Frontier JetExpress, and Northwest Airlink (Los Angeles)
- Skywest doing business as United Express (Imperial and Los Angeles)
Terminal 1
- Alaska Airlines (Los Cabos, Portland (OR), Seattle/Tacoma, and Vancouver)
- Southwest Airlines (Albuquerque, Baltimore/Washington, Chicago/Midway, El Paso, Las Vegas, Oakland, Nashville, New Orleans, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Jose, and Tucson)
- United Airlines (Chicago/O'Hare, Denver, San Francisco, and Washington/Dulles)
- US Airways (Charlotte, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh)
Terminal 2
- Aeroméxico (Loreto, Los Cabos, and Mazatlan)
- Aloha Airlines (Honolulu, Kahului and Reno)
- America West Airlines (Las Vegas, Los Cabos, Phoenix, Puerto Vallarta, and Vancouver)
- American Airlines (Boston, Chicago/O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, New York/Kennedy, and St. Louis)
- American Eagle (San Jose)
- Continental Airlines (Houston/Intercontinental and Newark)
- Delta Air Lines (Atlanta, New York/Kennedy, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky (Covington, KY), and Salt Lake City)
- Frontier Airlines (Denver)
- Hawaiian Airlines (Honolulu and Kahului)
- Independence Air (Washington D.C./Dulles)
- JetBlue Airways (New York/Kennedy, and Washington, D.C./Dulles)
- Mesa Air doing business as America West Express
- Northwest Airlines (Detroit and Minneapolis/St. Paul)
- SkyWest doing business as Delta Connection (Salt Lake City)
- Sun Country Airlines (Minneapolis/St.Paul)
- WestJet (Calgary)
Airlines that have served San Diego
Since the deregulation of air travel in the United States in 1978, many airlines have carried their passengers through San Diego. Sadly, some of these airlines may have lasted 1 or 2 years at the most. But other established carriers have also ceased operations and many ending visions of a glorious past by the cold reality of economics. In addition, many international airlines have came and later found San Diego unprofitable with Los Angeles only being a hour or so away.
- Aero California Route Deemed Unprofitable (See Footnote)
- Aeroservicios de California Unknown Demise
- Air Bahia Unknown Demise
- Air California Name changed to Air Cal; Later, acquired by American Airlines
- Air Canada Route Deemed Unprofitable
- Air Cortez Unknown Demise
- Air Irvine Unknown Demise
- Air LA Unknown Demise
- Air Mackenzie Unknown Demise
- Air Resorts Unknown Demise
- American Trans Air Route Deemed Unprofitable
- Aspen Air Acquired by Air Wisconsin
- Bonanza Air Lines Merged into Air West which later became Hughes Airwest
- Braniff International Airways (First Version) Bankrupt
- Braniff International Airways (Second Version) Bankrupt
- British Airways Route Deemed Unprofitable
- British Caledonian Bought by British Airways and route deemed unprofitable
- CalAir Unknown Demise
- Caledonian Airways Became British Caledonian
- Canadian Airlines Route Deemed Unprofitable and company later bought by Air Canada
- Capitol Airways Bankruptcy
- Cochise Airlines Unknown Demise
- Dash Air Unknown Demise
- Denver Ports of Call Unknown Demise
- Flying Tiger Line Ceases Operations
- Frontier Airlines (First Version)Acquired by People Express
- Global International Bankruptcy
- Golden West Airlines Bankruptcy
- Great American Airways Unknown Demise
- Hughes Airwest Acquired by Republic Airlines
- Imperial Airlines Unknown Demise
- MarkAir Acquired by Alaska Airlines
- Midwest Express Route deemed Unprofitable
- Morris Air Acquired by Southwest Airlines
- Muse AirAcquired by Southwest Airlines and operated as TransStar
- National Airlines(First Version) Acquired by Pan Am
- Northeastern Airlines Unknown Demise
- Ozark Airlines Acquired by Trans World Airlines
- Pacific Southwest Airlines Acquired by USAir (US Airways)
- Pacific Western Airlines Merged with CPAir to form Canadian Pacific
- Pan American World Airways Ceased operations with purchases by Delta Airlines and United Airlines
- People Express Acquired by Frank Lorenzo's Continental/Texas Air International
- Piedmont Airlines Acquired by USAir
- Pride Air Bankruptcy
- Reno Air Acquired by American Airlines against the wishes of AA pilots
- Republic Airlines Merged with Northwest Orient (Northwest Airlines)
- Royal American Airways Unknown Demise
- Scenic Air Unknown Demise
- Southern Airways Merged into Republic Airlines
- States West Airlines Became part of Trans States
- Sun Aire Lines Became Skywest Airlines
- Sunworld Airlines Bankruptcy
- Total Air Bankruptcy
- Trans Star AirlinesOwned by Southwest Airlines and ceased operations
- Trans World Airlines After 75 years it was acquired by American Airlines due to Bankruptcy
- Transamerica Bankruptcy
- West Air Unknown Demise
- WestAir Commuter Airlines Unknown Demise
- Western Airlines Acquired by Delta Airlines
- Western Pacific Airlines Ceased operations and acquired by United Airlines
- Wings West Acquired by American Eagle
- World Airlines Route Abandoned
- There is a possibility that Aero California's routes to San Diego were abandoned because of the fact that they also serve Tijuana International Airport, which is only 15 miles (24 km) away.
External links
- San Diego International Airport Homepage (http://www.san.org/)
- Airliners.Net - Search for San Diego under Photo Search and see the colorful past of San Diego airport through the years (http://www.airliners.net/)
- satellite image on Googlemaps (http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=32.732123,-117.197921&spn=0.005096,0.007918&t=k&hl=en)