Albuquerque International Sunport
| Albuquerque International Sunport Albuquerque |
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IATA: ABQ – ICAO: KABQ – FAA LID: ABQ
 ABQ
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| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Public | ||
| Operator | City of Albuquerque | ||
| Serves | Albuquerque, New Mexico, US | ||
| Location | 2200 Sunport Boulevard SE Albuquerque, New Mexico |
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| Hub for | |||
| Elevation AMSL | 5,355 ft / 1,632 m | ||
| Coordinates | 35°02′21.6″N 106°36′38.8″W / 35.039333°N 106.610778°W | ||
| Website | |||
| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 3/21 | 10,000 | 3,048 | Concrete |
| 8/26 | 13,793 | 4,204 | Concrete |
| 12/30 | 6,000 | 1,829 | Concrete |
| 17/35 | 10,000 | 3,048 | Asphalt/Concrete |
| Statistics (2006, 2010) | |||
| Aircraft operations (2006) | 192,520 | ||
| Based aircraft (2006) | 322 | ||
| Passengers (2010) | 5,801,641 | ||
| Sources: airport website[1] and FAA[2] | |||
Albuquerque International Sunport (IATA: ABQ, ICAO: KABQ, FAA LID: ABQ) is a public airport located 3 miles (5 km) southeast of the central business district of Albuquerque, a city in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States.[2] It is the largest commercial airport in the state, handling 5,888,811 passengers in 2009.[3] The airport serves Albuquerque and Santa Fe (also served by Santa Fe Municipal Airport).
Contents |
History [edit]
Albuquerque in the 1930s was served by two private airports, West Mesa Airport and Oxnard Field. Around 1935 it was suggested that the city build a new public airport using WPA money. Having secured $520,500 USD in funding, Governor Clyde Tingley broke ground for the project on February 28, 1937. Albuquerque Municipal Airport opened in 1939 with two paved runways, a Pueblo Style terminal building designed by Ernest Blumenthal, and a massive hangar designed to accommodate the new Boeing 307.[4]
The April 1957 OAG shows 31 weekday departures: 13 on Continental, 12 TWA and 6 Frontier.
Jeppesen airport diagrams for 1955 and 1965
The present terminal was designed by William E. Burk Jr.[5] and built in 1965 just east of the original terminal. It has been expanded twice, in 1989, which was designed by Phillip Jacobson and BPLW Associates[5] and in 1996. The old terminal has been restored and houses offices of the Transportation Security Administration. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
Military faciliities and operations [edit]
The Sunport began a new role in 1940 when it was designated Albuquerque Army Air Base, the precursor to today's Kirtland Air Force Base. The airport continues to share its runways with Kirtland AFB, which also handles rescue and firefighting operations. An Air Force Material Command (AFMC) installation, the host unit is the 377th Air Base Wing (377 ABW). Flying units at Kirtland AFB consist of the 58th Special Operations Wing (58 SOW) of the Air Education and Training Command (AETC) and the 150th Fighter Wing (150 FW), an Air Combat Command (ACC)-gained unit of the New Mexico Air National Guard.
Future developments [edit]
The Airport Master Plan drafted in 2002 lays out intermediate- and long-term projects at the Sunport, including the removal of Runway 17/35 and the construction of a second terminal when traffic demands it. The runway closure recommendation is based on safety, noise abatement and the cost of upkeep. Because 17/35 intersects all three of the other runways it has the highest risk of runway incursions and air traffic control prefers not to use it. Wind is usually from the east, and even during strong winds the other runways can cover departure and landing. Currently, most of the runway's use is general aviation.
In the longer term, the plan calls for a new terminal to be built to the northeast of the existing terminal. A people mover system will connect the terminal with parking facilities and the existing terminal.[6]
A major new part of Albuquerque called Mesa del Sol is being developed 5 miles (8.0 km) south of Albuquerque International Sunport and is planned to house 100,000 inhabitants by 2055.[7]
Facilities and aircraft [edit]
Albuquerque International Sunport Airport covers an area of 2,039 acres (825 ha) which contains four runways. For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2006, the airport had 192,520 aircraft operations, an average of 527 per day: 41% scheduled commercial, 23% air taxi, 23% general aviation and 16% military. There are 322 aircraft based at this airport: 33% multi-engine, 30% single-engine, 18% military, 13% jet and 7% helicopter.[2] ABQ's terminal, which was expanded to its present size in the late 1980s and again in 1996, encompasses 574,000 sq ft (53,300 m²). of space. The airport has a Pueblo Revival style passenger terminal which houses two concourses and an area for commuter airline gates. The count of passengers at the Sunport has seen an average per year increase of 2% over the last 15 years.[3]
The largest passenger aircraft normally scheduled into the Albuquerque International Sunport is the Boeing 757, operated by Delta Air Lines on flights to and from Atlanta during the spring and summer months, and during the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in October; Delta also uses the 757 to Minneapolis during this time.[8] United also uses a 757 on the first flight of the day to Denver during Thanksgiving time. The largest overall aircraft the Sunport usually sees is a UPS Airbus A300 to Louisville and Ontario. In the past, however, the airport has seen regularly scheduled Lockheed L-1011 service operated by Trans World Airlines.
More recent data from the FAA shows the annual operations for the five-year period from 2005–2009 are:
2005: 196,699; 2006: 192,241; 2007: 190,780; 2008: 180,553; 2009: 158,529[9]
The airport's freight center moved 67,000 tons of cargo in 2008.[3]
Airlines and destinations [edit]
Albuquerque International Sunport has a single terminal with 25 gates in three concourses, including a concourse for commuter airline gates. Concourse A has 13 gates: A1 – A12, A14. Concourse B has 9 gates: B1, B3-B10 (Gate B2 was removed during the security hall and low B gate bathroom expansion). Concourse E has 2 gates: E1 & E2. Concourse C consisted of three gates (C1, C2, & C3). It was mostly used by Trans World Airlines. It was closed in the early 2000s and has mostly been converted to office space. Concourse D was a ground-level commuter aircraft concourse that was used by Great Plains Airlines and Rio Grande Air. It was closed in 2004 after Great Plains Airlines liquidated due to insolvency.
Statistics [edit]
| Rank | City | Passengers | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phoenix | 325,000 | Southwest, US Airways |
| 2 | Dallas/Fort Worth | 284,000 | American |
| 3 | Denver | 273,000 | Frontier, Southwest, United |
| 4 | Dallas (Love Field) | 178,000 | Southwest |
| 5 | Los Angeles | 173,000 | American, Southwest, United |
| 6 | Las Vegas | 161,000 | Southwest |
| 7 | Atlanta | 136,000 | Delta |
| 8 | Houston (HOU) | 88,000 | Southwest |
| 9 | Houston (IAH) | 87,000 | United |
| 10 | Oakland | 79,000 | Southwest |
Cargo airlines [edit]
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| FedEx Express | Lubbock, Memphis |
| UPS Airlines | Dallas/Ft. Worth, El Paso, Louisville, Ontario, Phoenix |
General aviation support [edit]
Support for private, corporate, and general aviation aircraft pilots and passengers are handled by two fixed-base operators at Albuquerque International Sunport: Atlantic Aviation and Cutter Aviation. Both are located on the Southeast section of the airport off Clark Carr Loop.
Ground transportation [edit]
- Bus
- ABQ RIDE offers bus service (Routes 50, 222, and 250) at the south side of the baggage claim area.
- Commuter train
- ABQ RIDE Route 222 provides connecting service to the New Mexico Rail Runner Express Bernallilo County/International Sunport Station, while ABQ RIDE Route 250 provides nonstop service to the Alvarado Transportation Center in Downtown Albuquerque. The Rail Runner provides service both north and south of the airport, including Downtown Albuquerque and Santa Fe.
- Scheduled shuttle bus service
- Regularly scheduled bus and shuttle service is provided by various carriers to locations from ABQ to the city as well as Santa Fe, New Mexico.
- Taxi
- Taxis can be hailed through the Ground Transportation employees outside the baggage claim areas.
Accidents [edit]
- On February 19, 1955, TWA Flight 260, a Martin 4-0-4 bound for Santa Fe, crashed into the Sandia Mountains shortly after takeoff. All 16 people on board the flight were killed.[13]
- On September 11, 1958, a USAF F-102 Delta Dagger slid off the end of Runway 35 in heavy rain and struck a car on Gibson Boulevard before coming to rest in an empty lot on the north side of the street. Both occupants of the car were killed.[14]
- On November 3, 1973, National Airlines Flight 27, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10, suffered a catastrophic engine failure while en route from Houston to Las Vegas. Shrapnel from the engine struck the fuselage and caused an explosive decompression of the aircraft. One passenger was blown out of the cabin. The plane was able to make an emergency landing at ABQ.[15]
- On September 14, 1977, a USAF Boeing EC-135 crashed into the Manzano Mountains just after takeoff, killing all 20 people on board.[16]
- On July 6, 1997, Delta Air Lines Flight 1470, a Boeing 727 suffered a right landing gear failure after landing on Runway 21. While there were no fatalities, 3 people were injured and the aircraft suffered serious damage.
- On October 14, 2012, US Airways Flight 265 landed at the Albuquerque airport, ABQ, after the Airbus A319 en route from Tampa to Phoenix suffered cracks in the windshield. None of the 119 passengers was hurt.[17]
Amenities [edit]
- The Sunport had been providing free internet through wi-fi. In February 2005, the Sunport was voted one of the top five U.S. airports for wireless access, according to a Microsoft Small Business Center poll. Sunport was the only one among the top 5 that provided free internet.[18] The service is still provided free to this date.
- There is a free cell phone parking area, where meeters and greeters can park and wait for a call from their arriving passenger before driving to the front of the terminal for pickup.
- There are two free Aircraft Observation Area.
References [edit]
- ^ Albuquerque International Sunport, official site
- ^ a b c FAA Airport Master Record for ABQ (Form 5010 PDF), effective June 5, 2008
- ^ a b c "Sunport Facts & Figures". City of Albuquerque. Archived from the original on February 13, 2009. Retrieved February 12, 2009.[dead link]
- ^ Biebel, Charles D. (1986). Making the Most of It: Public Works in Albuquerque during the Great Depression 1929–1942. Albuquerque: The Albuquerque Museum, pp. 66–67.
- ^ a b Price, Vincent Barrett (1992). A City At the End of the World. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press. p. 36. ISBN 0-82631-371-X.
- ^ "Executive Summary". Albuquerque International Sunport Airport Master Plan. Retrieved August 14, 2010.
- ^ Metcalf, Richard (March 1, 2008). "Mesa del Sol Reshapes Region". Retrieved March 1, 2008. Unknown parameter
|news=ignored (|newspaper=suggested) (help) - ^ "Flight Status". Delta.com. Retrieved April 14, 2012.
- ^ Air Traffic Activity System http://aspm.faa.gov/opsnet/sys/opsnet-server-x.asp
- ^ http://jansaviation.com/newsn.php?art=americans-e175-destinations-set
- ^ "Commercial Airlines – City of Albuquerque". Cabq.gov. Retrieved April 14, 2012.
- ^ "NM: Albuquerque International&carrier=FACTS". Transtats.bts.gov. Retrieved April 14, 2012.
- ^ "Aviation Safety Network: Aircraft accident description Martin 4-0-4 N40416 – Sandia Mountain, NM". Aviation-safety.net. Retrieved April 14, 2012.
- ^ Palmer, Mo (August 10, 2006). "Remembering past tragedies." The Albuquerque Tribune.
- ^ "Aviation Safety Network: Aircraft accident description McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 N60NA – Socorro, NM". Aviation-safety.net. November 3, 1973. Retrieved April 14, 2012.
- ^ (September 15, 1977). "20 die in Air Force plane crash." Associated Press.
- ^ "U.S. Airways Flight Makes Emergency Landing In Albuquerque After Windshield Cracks". The Florida News Journal. October 14, 2012. Retrieved October 14, 2012.
- ^ Business First, Albuquerque. "Sunport's free WiFi service grabbing national attention".
External links [edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Albuquerque International Sunport |
- FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective May 2, 2013
- FAA Terminal Procedures for ABQ, effective May 2, 2013
- Resources for this airport:
- AirNav airport information for KABQ
- ASN accident history for ABQ
- FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
- NOAA/NWS latest weather observations
- SkyVector aeronautical chart for KABQ
- FAA current ABQ delay information
