Charleston International Airport
| Charleston International Airport Charleston Air Force Base |
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|---|---|---|---|
IATA: CHS – ICAO: KCHS – FAA LID: CHS
 CHS
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| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Public / Military | ||
| Operator | Charleston County Aviation Authority / U.S. Air Force | ||
| Location | North Charleston, South Carolina | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 46 ft / 14 m | ||
| Coordinates | 32°53′55″N 080°02′26″W / 32.89861°N 80.04056°W | ||
| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 03/21 | 7,004 | 2,135 | Asphalt |
| 15/33 | 9,001 | 2,744 | Concrete |
| Statistics (2012) | |||
| Passengers | 2,593,063 | ||
| Aircraft operations (incl. military) |
105,223 | ||
| Source: Statistics from CHS[1] | |||
Charleston International Airport (IATA: CHS, ICAO: KCHS, FAA LID: CHS) is a joint civil-military airport located in the city of North Charleston, Charleston County, South Carolina, USA. The airport serves the needs of the entire South Carolina Lowcountry. The airport has two runways and is operated under a joint-use agreement with Joint Base Charleston.[2] It is South Carolina's busiest airport. In 2012, the airport served 2,593,063 passengers in its busiest year ever. The airport is approximately 13 miles north of downtown Charleston.
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History [edit]
In 2001, Air Canada briefly serviced Charleston from Toronto but ended service immediately following the September 11th attacks. Airport officials have touted regularly scheduled international service as an important objective for the airport's future.
Currently Delta Air Lines is the largest carrier by passenger volume at Charleston International Airport.
All four major legacy carriers serve Charleston along with Southwest Airlines. Other airlines have periodically served the airport, including low-fare carriers such as Air Tran Airways. However, these services generally were short-lived and heavily dependent on macroeconomic circumstances.
In 2011, Southwest Airlines began service to Charleston, which officials cited as a primary reason for increased passenger figures. Southwest was the first low-cost airline to serve the airport since AirTran left the airport.[3][4]
In September 2012, JetBlue Airways announced it would begin service to Charleston in February 2013.[5]
Facilities and aircraft [edit]
Charleston International Airport and Charleston AFB cover an area of 2,060 acres (830 ha) which contains two runways: 15/33, measuring 9,001 x 200 ft (2,744 x 61 m) and 03/21 measuring 7,004 x 150 ft (2,135 x 46 m).[6]
The Air Force owns and operates the runways at the airport and has an intergovernmental agreement with the Charleston County Aviation Authority to allow for civilian use of the airfield. In 2009, the secondary runway 3/21 was closed for nearly a year as it underwent reconstruction and resurfacing. In 2012, the main runway 15/33 will also be closed for reconstruction to replace the concrete and to reduce the runway width from 200 feet to 150 feet.[7]
For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2011, the airport had 105,019 aircraft operations, an average of 288 per day: 28.3% air taxi, 26.6% general aviation, 23.5% military and 21.5% scheduled commercial.
The $48 million terminal was built in 1987 and was designed by Howard Needles Tammen & Bergendoff, Davis & Floyd, Inc., and Lucas & Stubbs.[8][9]
In recent years, area officials have expressed a need to update the terminal's interior, which has been described as dated and dark. In 2012, a $150 million project to renovate and expand the terminal was considered by the Charleston County Aviation Authority.[10]
Airlines and destinations [edit]
All passengers check in at the main terminal, but flights depart from 2 different concourses. Concourse A being on the right, and Concourse B on the left. Each concourse has its own TSA security checkpoint. The airport has the ability to handle international air traffic.
Top Destinations [edit]
| Rank | City | Passengers | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atlanta, GA | 361,000 | Delta |
| 2 | Charlotte, NC | 197,000 | US Airways |
| 3 | Baltimore, MD | 101,000 | Southwest |
| 4 | New York (LaGuardia), NY | 72,000 | Delta |
| 5 | Chicago (Midway), IL | 67,000 | Southwest |
| 6 | Washington (National), VA | 65,000 | US Airways |
| 7 | Philadelphia, PA | 56,000 | US Airways |
| 8 | Washington (Dulles), VA | 56,000 | United |
| 9 | Chicago (O’Hare), IL | 52,000 | United |
| 10 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX | 43,000 | American |
References [edit]
- ^ 2012 Operations Report
- ^ "Joint Civilian/Military (Joint-use) Airports". Airport Improvement Program. Federal Aviation Administration. 2002-03-06. Retrieved 2008-09-29.
- ^ "Banner year for Charleston International Airport". Retrieved 2012-06-19.
- ^ http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=92562&p=irol-newsArticle_Print&ID=1484935&highlight=
- ^ http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wont-you-go-to-charleston-with-me-jetblue-airways-to-launch-service-to-south-carolinas-colonial-seaport-city-169432846.html
- ^ FAA Airport Master Record for CHS (Form 5010 PDF), effective 2007-12-20
- ^ "Main Charleston area's airport runway to shut down for reconstruction June 18". Retrieved 2012-06-19.
- ^ Airport History
- ^ Wiesenthal, Eric (December 26, 1981). "Airport Taking Shape". The Post and Courier. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
- ^ "Vote to OK start of Charleston International Airport renovations on hold". Retrieved 2012-06-19.
- ^ http://www.transtats.bts.gov/airports.asp?pn=1&Airport=CHS&Airport_Name=Charleston,%20SC:%20Charleston%20AFB/International&carrier=FACTS
External links [edit]
- Charleston International Airport, official site
- Charleston Air Force Base, official site
- Anna.aero article, Analysis of airport traffic and serving airlines
- FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective May 2, 2013
- Resources for this airport:
- AirNav airport information for KCHS
- ASN accident history for CHS
- FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
- NOAA/NWS latest weather observations
- SkyVector aeronautical chart for KCHS
- FAA current CHS delay information
