Des Moines International Airport

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Des Moines International Airport
DSMairportlogo.jpg
IATA: DSM – ICAO: KDSM – FAA LID: DSM
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner Des Moines Airport Authority
Serves Des Moines, Iowa
Elevation AMSL 958 ft / 292 m
Coordinates 41°32′02″N 093°39′47″W / 41.53389°N 93.66306°W / 41.53389; -93.66306Coordinates: 41°32′02″N 093°39′47″W / 41.53389°N 93.66306°W / 41.53389; -93.66306
Website www.DSMairport.com
Maps
FAA airport diagram
DSM is located in Iowa
DSM
Location of airport in Iowa
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
5/23 9,003 2,744 Asphalt/Concrete
13/31 9,002 2,744 Asphalt
Statistics (2010)
Aircraft operations 83,744
Based aircraft 125
Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1]

Des Moines International Airport (IATA: DSM, ICAO: KDSM, FAA LID: DSM) is a joint civil-military public-use airport located three nautical miles (6 km) southwest of the central business district of Des Moines, a city in Polk County, Iowa, United States. The airport serves the Des Moines metropolitan area with 19 connections to major airline hubs.

This airport is included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015, which categorized it as a primary commercial service airport.[2] As per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 919,990 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2008,[3] 853,596 enplanements in 2009, and 898,840 in 2010.[4] In 2012, the airport handled 1,038,484 enplanements.[5]

On November 1, 2011, the City of Des Moines transferred control of the airport from the city to the Des Moines Airport Authority. The city retains ownership of the land but transfers title to all property and equipment to the Authority. In turn, the authority will agree to a 99-year lease on the land.[6]

In addition to commercial operations, the airport is also hosts the 132d Fighter Wing (132 FW) of the Iowa Air National Guard.

Contents

History [edit]

The drop off area of the airport

During the 1920s, the Des Moines area had several small private airports that catered to general aviation and airmail. In 1929, the Iowa General Assembly passed a law allowing cities to sell bonds and levy assessments in order to build municipal airports. Over 80 different sites were considered for the Des Moines Airport until a decision was made to build on 160 acres (0.65 km²) of farmland on the south side of the city. Construction of the airport began in 1932 and was completed in 1933. The airport's first passenger terminal was built shortly after the airport was completed. It was replaced by a new terminal in 1950 that has been expanded and renovated several times since then. The present concourses were built in 1970, along with the remodeling of the terminal.[7] The airport itself has expanded several times from its original 160-acre (0.65 km2) site and now covers 2,300 acres (9.3 km²) of land.

The airport was originally governed by the City of Des Moines' Parks Department. A separate Aviation Department was established by the city during the 1960s, and in 1982, a separate Aviation Policy Advisory Board was established. The airport was renamed the Des Moines International Airport in 1986 to acknowledge the presence of a United States Customs Service office at the airport.

In August 2007, Des Moines International was chosen by Mesaba Airlines, also called Northwest Airlink, to build a maintenance facility at the airport. This facility serves as the hub of maintenance for the whole airline. The facility opened on February 9, 2009.

Expansion [edit]

Interior renovation work began in 2009 on the airport and concluded in 2010. The project, designed by Brooks Borg Skiles AE LLP,[8] includes new carpets, paint, gate counters, seating, a new ceiling, signage, and a fire sprinkler system. Also included in the upgrade is a common-use project allowing any airline to use any gate at the airport. A new restroom is also being added to the C concourse to allow for future concourse expansion. The airport is modernizing baggage handling capabilities with expanded processing facilities as well.

In addition to work inside the passenger terminal, the airport is building a rental car facility and new parking facilities. It is also planning a new 5,000-foot runway (to be extended to 9,000 feet (2,700 m) in a later phase), and a new GA apron. The new GA apron is partially in response to the failure of a reliever proposal in Adel, Iowa and restricted space in the current GA area.

Facilities and aircraft [edit]

Aerial view of Des Moines International Airport, 2012

Des Moines International Airport covers an area of 2,625 acres (1,062 ha) at an elevation of 958 feet (292 m) above mean sea level. It has two runways: 5/23 is 9,003 by 150 feet (2,744 x 46 m) with an asphalt and concrete surface; 13/31 is 9,002 by 150 feet (2,744 x 46 m) with an asphalt surface.[1]

For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2010, the airport had 83,744 aircraft operations, an average of 229 per day: 56% scheduled commercial, 39% general aviation, and 5% military. At that time there were 125 aircraft based at this airport: 45% single-engine, 22% multi-engine, 18% jet, 1% helicopter, and 14% military.[1]

Airlines and destinations [edit]

A Delta Connection CRJ-900 Parked at the gate
A United Airlines A320 parked at gate A4

As of January 2011, United Airlines is the largest operator out of DSM Handling 32% of passengers, followed by Delta Air Lines (29%), American Eagle (17%), Allegiant Airlines (8%), Frontier Airlines (6%), US Airways (5%), and AirTran (3%).[9] Contrary to the airport's name, there are currently no flights serving international destinations from Des Moines International Airport.

The Des Moines Terminal is divided into 2 concourses; concourse A with gates A1-A5(A-E), and concourse C, with gates C1-C7.

The following airlines offer scheduled passenger service:

Airlines Destinations Concourse
Allegiant Air Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Orlando-Sanford, St. Petersburg/Clearwater A
American Airlines Dallas/Fort Worth C
American Eagle Chicago-O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth C
Delta Air Lines Atlanta C
Delta Connection operated by ExpressJet Atlanta, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York-LaGuardia (begins June 10, 2013)[10] C
Delta Connection operated by Pinnacle Airlines Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul C
Frontier Airlines Denver A
Southwest Airlines Chicago-Midway, Las Vegas (begins September 29, 2013)[11] A
United Airlines Chicago-O'Hare, Denver A
United Express operated by ExpressJet Chicago-O'Hare, Denver, Houston-Intercontinental, Newark A, C
United Express operated by Shuttle America Denver A
United Express operated by SkyWest Airlines Chicago-O'Hare A
US Airways Phoenix C
US Airways Express operated by PSA Airlines Charlotte C
US Airways Express operated by Republic Airlines Washington-National C
US Airways Express operated by SkyWest Airlines Phoenix C

Statistics [edit]

Carrier shares for August 2010 - July 2011[12]
Carrier Passengers (arriving and departing)
American Eagle
314,000(17.43%)
Mesaba
227,000(12.59%)
United
222,000(12.32%)
SkyWest
160,000(8.87%)
Allegiant
141,000(7.83%)
Other
738,000(40.97%)
Top 10 domestic destinations (January 2012 - December 2012)[12]
Rank Airport Passengers Carriers
1 Chicago, Illinois (O'Hare) 187,000 American, United
2 Denver, Colorado 177,000 Frontier, United
3 Dallas, Texas 106,000 American
4 Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota 97,000 Delta
5 Atlanta, Georgia 88,000 Delta
6 Detroit, Michigan 53,000 Delta
7 Phoenix, Arizona 41,000 US Airways
8 Las Vegas, Nevada 33,000 Allegiant
9 Charlotte, North Carolina 31,000 US Airways
10 Memphis, Tennessee 31,000 Delta

Cargo [edit]

Airlines Destinations
Air Net Denver (Centennial Airport), DuPage, Omaha, Rochester MN
FedEx Express Memphis, Madison, Cedar Rapids
Flight Express Waterloo, Cahokia/St. Louis (Downtown Airport), Fort Dodge, Kansas City (Downtown Airport)
UPS Airlines Burbank, Cedar Rapids, Newark, Spokane, Sacramento, Portland OR, Philadelphia, Louisville, Hartford/Springfield [seasonal], Rockford IL

Accidents and incidents [edit]

On December 2, 1978, Douglas C-47A N41447 of SMB Stage Line crashed short of the runway while on a cargo flight from Chicago, Illinois.[13] Airframe icing was a factor in the accident.[14]

On December 1, 2007, a United Express plane carrying 44 passengers slid off a taxiway while taxiing to the runway for takeoff. No one was injured, but the airport was closed for seven hours after the incident because of the winter storm moving through the area.[citation needed]

On March 13, 2008, an Atlanta-bound ASA (Delta 4704) flight was delayed more than five hours when a mouse was discovered shortly before take-off from DSM. Officials delayed the flight to inspect the plane for any damage that the mouse may have caused. Maintenance crews checked wiring and components on the aircraft. The flight took off at 11:39am.[15]

On July 8, 2008, a Des Moines bound, Denver originating United Airlines flight was delayed for more than six hours after a passenger found ticks on the plane from Washington, DC to Denver. The plane was further delayed because of storms in Denver.[16]

On December 18, 2010, a small red Beechcraft Bonanza crashed while performing an emergency landing at DSM. The Airport Director stated that the small craft had engine problems and turned around for the airport. The aircraft eventually lost the engine and pilot was able to glide to the end of the runway. The aircraft clipped the end of the runway fence with its landing gear, making the nose of the craft dip into the snow. Police and emergency reported only minor injuries.[17]

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b c FAA Airport Master Record for DSM (Form 5010 PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. Effective August 25, 2011.
  2. ^ "2011–2015 NPIAS Report, Appendix A" (PDF, 2.03 MB). National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems. Federal Aviation Administration. October 4, 2010. 
  3. ^ "Enplanements for CY 2008" (PDF, 1.0 MB). CY 2008 Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data. Federal Aviation Administration. December 18, 2009. 
  4. ^ "Enplanements for CY 2010" (PDF, 189 KB). CY 2010 Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data. Federal Aviation Administration. October 4, 2011. 
  5. ^ http://dsmairport.com/assets/588/12Dec2012.pdf
  6. ^ Pulliam, Jason. "Airport Authority Approved by City Council". Des Moines Register. Retrieved 1 November 2011. 
  7. ^ Lamberto, Nick (August 25, 1970). "'Cattle Chutes' to Be Used Longer-Airport Work Lag". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved June 27, 2012. 
  8. ^ Brooks Borg Skiles AE LLP - Des Moines Airport
  9. ^ [1][dead link]
  10. ^ http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20130215/BUSINESS04/302150080/1001/
  11. ^ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20130304/us-travel-brief-southwest-airlines-las-vegas/
  12. ^ a b "Des Moines, IA: Des Moines International (DSM)". Bureau of Transportation Statistics. December 2012. 
  13. ^ "N41447 Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 1 August 2010. 
  14. ^ "NTSB Identification: MKC79FA007". National Transportation Safety Board. Retrieved 2 August 2010. 
  15. ^ "Mouse can't hold back jet". desmoinesregister.com. Retrieved 2008-03-18. [dead link]
  16. ^ Mutzabaugh, Ben. "Mileage calculator". USA Today. Retrieved May 1, 2010. 
  17. ^ "Plane Crashes At Des Moines Airport". Retrieved August 22, 2011. 

External links [edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Des Moines International Airport
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