Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport
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Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport (IATA airport code ITH) is a small regional airport that serves the southern Finger Lakes Region of New York. It is located north of the city of Ithaca, the county seat and largest city in Tompkins County, whence its name derives. It is used for private as well as commercial passenger and freight aviation.
The original Ithaca Municipal Airport was located west of downtown Ithaca, near the inlet of Cayuga Lake. Its unpaved runways, proximity to the city, and fog in the lake valley posed serious limits to growth, however. Cornell University opened the existing airport on East Hill in 1948 and transferred its ownership to the County in 1956. The former airport site is now Cass Park, including a hangar which was renovated in 1975 to house the Hangar Theatre (http://www.hangartheatre.org/). In 1994 the runway was extended and an entirely new, 33,000 square foot (3,000 m²) terminal building opened, replacing the cramped, aging original building. The airport received its current name on March 20, 2001.
The airport was the base where aviation pioneer Cecil Robinson began flying aerial photography missions. In 1945 shortly after the end of World War II, he created Robinson Airlines, basing its maintenance operations at the airport. The airline changed its name to Mohawk Airlines in 1952 and merged with Allegheny Airlines in 1972. Later the airport was also served by Empire Airlines and Air North, the of latter which became Brockway Air, which was merged into Piedmont Airlines. Allegheny, Piedmont, and Empire were all eventually merged into US Airways.
Other carriers that served the airport include Commuter Airlines, Mall Airways, Command Airways (later dba American Eagle), TW Express (also dba United Express), and Continental Express.
Commercial traffic peaked in 1990 with some 226,813 passengers, but slowly declined to 161,396 in 2002 [1] (http://www.ithaca-airport.com/facts/). During this time the small size of the market, relative proximity to Syracuse Hancock International Airport and other regional airports, and crowded conditions in Northeastern airspace had led TWA, United Airlines, and finally Continental Airlines to seek more profitable routes, leaving US Airways the sole carrier. In late 2004, after negotiations with the County, Northwest Airlines agreed to add Northwest Airlink service to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport starting in the late spring of 2005.
Airlines and Nonstop Destinations
- Colgan Air dba US Airways Express (New York/LaGuardia)
- Piedmont Airlines dba US Airways Express (Philadelphia)
- PSA Airlines dba US Airways Express (Philadelphia)
- Pinnacle Airlines dba Northwest Airlink (Detroit)
External link
- Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport (http://www.ithaca-airport.com/)