Palm Beach International Airport
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Palm Beach International Airport is located in West Palm Beach, Florida and serves Palm Beach County, Florida. It has the IATA Airport Code PBI. Palm Beach Airport is operated and maintained by Palm Beach County Department of Airports.
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History
Palm Beach International Airport (PBIA) began operations as Morrison Field in 1936. Morrison Field was named in honour of Miss Grace K. Morrison who was a key participant in the planning and organization of the airfield. The first flight departing the field was a New York bound Eastern Air Lines DC-2 in 1936. The airport was officially dedicated on December 19, 1936.
In 1937 the airport was expanded beyond an airstrip and an administration building when the Palm Beach Aero Corporation obtained a lease, built hangars and the first terminal on the south side of the airport. The new terminal became known as the Eastern Air Lines Terminal. The field was used by the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II, commencing in 1941. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor Morrison field was used as a base for the allied invasion of France, many planes took off from Morrison for the D-Day invasion of Normandy.
In 1947 the Army Air Corps moved to Mobile, Alabama and commercial services by Eastern and National Airlines resumed from Morrison Field. On August 11, 1948, the name of the airport was changed to Palm Beach International Airport. The airport was once again used by the military in 1951. Renamed Morrison Air Force Base the facility was used to train nearly 23,000 airmen during the Korean War. On March 1953 the county opened the airport's second passenger terminal on the south side of the field. Following the War, the federal government attempted to make the airport a permanent military base, however the County fought the move and took over airport operations in 1959. Delta Air Lines began scheduled service in 1959 and was followed by Capital Airlines in 1960. Jet-powered flights were introduced by Easten Airlines in 1959 with the Lockheed L-188 Electra.
On October 1966 a jet-age eight-gate Main Terminal Bulding was opened on the northeast quadrant of the airport. In 1974, Delta Air Lines moved into its own six-gate unit terminal which featured the airport's first jetways. The FAA built a new ATC Control Tower on the south side of the airport during this period.
On October 23, 1988, the 25-gate David McCampbell Terminal, named for World War II naval flying ace, Medal of Honor winner and Palm Beach County resident David McCampbell, was officially dedicated. The 550,000 square foot (51,000 m²) terminal was designed with expansion in mind and can be doubled in size when required.
As of 1998, 5.8 million had passangers passed through Palm Beach International Airport. In 2003 its terminal was voted among the finest in the nation by the readers of Conde Nast Traveler Magazine.
Airlines
The following airlines fly to Palm Beach International Airport:
Concourse A
- Gulfstream International Airlines dba Continental Connection (Freeport, Marsh Harbour, Nassau, and Tampa)
Concourse B
- Air Canada (Toronto) - Seasonal Service
- Continental Airlines (Cleveland, Houston/Intercontinental, and Newark)
- Continental Express (Houston/Intercontinental)
- Laker Airways (Freeport)
- Northwest Airlines (Detroit)
- Southwest Airlines (Baltimore/Washington, Long Island/Islip, Philadelphia, and Tampa)
- Spirit Airlines (Detroit Wayne, Atlantic City) - Seasonal Service
- US Airways (Charlotte, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Washington/Reagan)
Concourse C
- American Airlines (Boston, Chicago/O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, New York/LaGuardia)
- AirTran (Atlanta)
- Bahamasair (Nassau)
- CanJet (Montréal)
- Comair dba Delta Connection (Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky (Covington, KY))
- Delta Air Lines (Atlanta and Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky (Covington, KY))
- Delta Air Lines dba Song Airlines (Boston, Hartford, New York/Kennedy, New York/La/Guardia)
- Independence Air (Washington/Dulles)
- United Airlines (Chicago/O'Hare)
Reference
- The History Of Palm Beach International Airport (http://www.pbia.org/history.htm)
External links
- Palm Beach International Airport Homepage (http://www.pbia.org)
- Palm Beach International Airport 1966-88 (http://www.geocities.com/golldiecat)