Fort Wayne International Airport

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For the U.S. Air Force use of this facility, see Fort Wayne Air National Guard Station.
Fort Wayne International Airport
Fwaa temp logo.png
Fort Wayne International Airport - USGS 10 April 2002.jpg
USGS 2002 orthophoto
IATA: FWA – ICAO: KFWA – FAA LID: FWA
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority
Serves Fort Wayne, Indiana
Elevation AMSL 814 ft / 248 m
Coordinates 40°58′42″N 085°11′43″W / 40.97833°N 85.19528°W / 40.97833; -85.19528Coordinates: 40°58′42″N 085°11′43″W / 40.97833°N 85.19528°W / 40.97833; -85.19528
Website www.FlyFWA.com
Maps
FAA airport diagram
FWA is located in Indiana
FWA
Location of airport in Indiana
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
5/23 11,981 3,652 Asphalt/Concrete
14/32 8,001 2,439 Asphalt/Concrete
9/27 4,001 1,220 Asphalt/Concrete
Statistics (2010)
Aircraft operations 40,961
Based aircraft 84
Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1]

Fort Wayne International Airport (IATA: FWA[2], ICAO: KFWA, FAA LID: FWA) is a public use airport located seven nautical miles (8 mi, 13 km) southwest of the central business district of Fort Wayne, in Allen County, Indiana, United States. It is owned by the Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority.[1]

This airport is included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015, which categorized it as a primary commercial service airport since it has over 10,000 passenger boardings (enplanements) per year.[3] As per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 272,796 enplanements in calendar year 2011, a decrease of 0.1% from 273,056 in 2010.[4]

The airport contains one terminal, the Lieutenant Paul Baer Terminal. Passenger service is offered to five larger airline hubs of Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Detroit, and Minneapolis-Saint Paul annually, along with nonstop vacation service to Orlando, Punta Gorda (serving Fort Myers and Sarasota), Tampa, and seasonal service to Myrtle Beach. Together, flights from the airport to these nine cities serve approximately 600,000 combined arriving and departing passengers per year.[5]

The airport has a 600,000-square-foot (56,000 m2) air cargo center located on the southwest side. The center was occupied by Kitty Hawk Air Cargo, which operated a hub and spoke operation out of Fort Wayne until October 30, 2007, shortly after the carrier filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The former Kitty Hawk hub is now used by several aviation and non-aviation companies including Logistics Insight, FedEx Express, and Spinach Ball.[6]

Fort Wayne International is also home to a maintenance base for Pinnacle Airlines.

Contents

Baer Army Air Field In World War II [edit]

The airport was originally constructed at a cost of $10 million as a U.S. Army Air Forces base during World War II, opening in 1941 under the name Baer Field and later Baer Army Air Field. During wartime, over 100,000 military personnel served out of Baer Field and its more than 100 structures. The principal units at the installation were the First Troop Carrier Group and the 45th Army Air Force Base Unit.

The oldest original Baer Army Air Field hangar, Hangar #40, was in continuous use from World War II until 2012. Hangar #40's final tenant was FedEx Express, who used it until the hangar was damaged in a weather-related incident. After the damage to Hangar #40, FedEx moved into a portion of the former Kitty Hawk hub. Hangar #40 was demolished between March and April 2013.

Early Passenger Service & The Jet Age [edit]

At the end of World War II, the city of Fort Wayne bought the airport from the federal government's General Services Administration for the price of $1, renaming it Baer Field/Fort Wayne Municipal Airport in 1946.[7] Two passenger airlines initially served Baer Field: TWA and Chicago & Southern Airlines. C&S merged with Delta Air Lines in 1953, and Delta is the airport's longest-serving carrier, having served the airport in one form or another ever since. United Airlines added service to the airport shortly afterward. In 1951, the airport's current terminal opened, which replaced a temporary converted military structure. The new permanent terminal featured an air traffic control tower, an observation deck, and the popular "Look-Out Dining Room" restaurant featuring views of the ramp below. TWA, the first airline to serve Fort Wayne at what is now Smith Field, discontinued service from Baer Field in 1962. In 1967, United began the first scheduled pure-jet service from Baer Field using Sud Aviation Caravelle jets, though United had been using the turboprop Vickers Viscount to Baer Field for several years before the introduction of Caravelle service. United's move to jets was followed shortly afterward by Delta using Douglas DC-9 aircraft.

In addition to Delta and United, locally-based Hub Airlines and several other regional airlines also offered service from the airport in the 1960s and 1970s. The airport was the largest in Indiana not served by airlines that were classified as local service airlines by the Civil Aeronautics Board such as Allegheny Airlines and Ozark Air Lines.

Deregulation & New Management [edit]

In 1981, Baer Field's original 1951 terminal building was significantly modernized and expanded with features like jetways to handle increased traffic brought on by the Airline Deregulation Act. During the period immediately following deregulation in the late 1970s through the early 1980s, American Airlines, Air Wisconsin, Piedmont Airlines (later US Airways), and Republic Airlines were several of the airlines that had begun service to Baer Field. Air Wisconsin (operating in partnership with United, and later as United Express) also maintained a maintenance base on the west side of the airport in the 1980s and 1990s. After Air Wisconsin closed the maintenance base, Shuttle America briefly used the hangar before the loss of the US Airways Express Pittsburgh flying; the former Air Wisconsin hangar is now used by Pinnacle Airlines. In 1985, management of Baer Field was transferred from the City of Fort Wayne to the newly-established Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority, with a board composed of equal numbers of City of Fort Wayne and Allen County officials.

The 1990s And Expansion [edit]

In 1991, Baer Field was renamed Fort Wayne International Airport; at the same time, the terminal was renamed to continue honoring Lieutenant Paul Baer. Throughout the 1990s, the newly-renamed airport underwent the largest expansion and revitalization in its history. Between 1994 and 1997, the terminal was again expanded and updated, with design by MSKTD & Associates, Inc.[8] Other improvements included runway upgrades and the establishment of the Air Trade Center on the southwest side of the property. In 1998, Fort Wayne International Airport started advertising the airport to the general public for the first time. That same year, Delta ended its mainline jet service to Atlanta. Although this ended a tradition of service dating back to Chicago & Southern Airlines when the airport was converted to civil use in the 1940s, Delta continued to serve the airport via Delta Connection regional jet service to Atlanta and Cincinnati. Other airlines serving the airport, including United, Northwest, and American, followed Delta's lead in introducing regional jets such as the Canadair Regional Jet, Fairchild Dornier 328JET, Avro RJ85, and the EMBRAER ERJ-145 to the airport. Turboprops such as the Saab 340, Beechcraft 1900, and Dash 8 also continued to play a role for flights to destinations such as Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Detroit, occasionally alongside larger jets on the same routes.

9/11, Competition, And The First LCC [edit]

By 2000, Fort Wayne International Airport was handling record traffic; the 2000 traffic record remains intact. American Eagle also began their service to Dallas/Fort Worth that year, which continues to this day. Air Canada Express also began a short-lived service to Toronto. The following year, Fort Wayne International Airport's traffic dropped significantly as a result of the September 11 attacks. The slump continued for several years, prolonged by an ongoing fare war between Southwest Airlines, ATA Airlines, and others at Indianapolis International Airport, which is located two and a half hours from Fort Wayne. In late 2003, ATA Connection began service from Fort Wayne International Airport to Chicago/Midway, the first low-cost carrier to serve the airport. Demand for the flights reached the point where airport management bought the on-site Days Inn to make room for more parking. ATA briefly switched the flight's destination to Indianapolis before closing their regional division completely in early 2005. US Airways also ended service to Pittsburgh, their lone service from the airport, as part of a broader dehubbing of Pittsburgh. US Airways exited the airport completely, as the Pittsburgh service was not transfered to the airline's other hubs in Philadelphia or Charlotte. Around the same time as the departure of US Airways from the airport, Northwest stopped using mainline aircraft on their Detroit flights; unlike US Airways, NWA continued to serve the Fort Wayne to Detroit route using regional jets and turboprops. Delta planned on introducing service to Orlando from the airport in 2005; however, the flights were canceled days before the planned launch as the result of Delta's Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Breaking The Slump [edit]

In 2006, a modernized 210 feet (64 m) air traffic control tower was opened on the south side of Fort Wayne International Airport, at a price of $9.7 million.[9] One year later, Allegiant Air, the airport's second low-cost carrier, began operations with service to Orlando. Allegiant continues to serve the airport, and has since added service to Tampa/St. Petersburg, Myrtle Beach (seasonal), and Punta Gorda (serving Fort Myers and Sarasota). At one time, Allegiant also offered service to Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Fort Lauderdale from the airport; the Las Vegas and Phoenix services were discontinued due to fuel costs and the Fort Lauderdale service was eliminated due to congestion problems at Fort Lauderdale International Airport. In 2008, all Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority properties including Fort Wayne International Airport and Smith Field (which was transferred from City to Airport Authority control in 2003) received a new logo. The new brand, designed by Fort Wayne firm Catalyst Marketing Design, is meant to resemble jet contrails. Debuting together with the new logo was the slogan "A Whole New Altitude" that was and continues to be used for both airports along with the Airport Authority's operations. Northwest began service to Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport in early 2008; the service was temporarily suspended in 2009 following the merger of Delta and Northwest, but now operates as seasonal service running between the early spring and late fall.

Weathering The Recession [edit]

During and after the recession of 2008, Fort Wayne International Airport lost relatively little of its service and passengers when compared with similar Midwestern airports. Although Continental Airlines ended Cleveland service in 2009 and Delta ended Cincinnati service in 2011, the impact to the airport was minimal as Continental's aircraft had far-below-average loads and Delta made seasonal Minneapolis flights year-round for a time. In both cases, the service discontinuation was part of broader hub cutbacks at both Continental and Delta that affected many other airports. Following the merger of Delta and Northwest, Delta also replaced the last of the turboprop flying from the airport with regional jets.

Positive changes also occurred in passenger amenities in this timeframe. In 2010, Fort Wayne International Airport changed concessions vendors from Air Host to First Class Concessions. Approximately one year later, new Seattle's Best Coffee locations opened on both the secured and unsecured sides, along with a Samuel Adams-themed restaurant and bar offering hot food on the secured side for the first time. Hot food from the Samuel Adams Brewhouse is also available on the non-secured side, though the alcoholic beverages offered on the secured side are not available. Coca-Cola, which has a distribution operation on Airport Expressway near the airport, has been the exclusive provider for both fountain and bottled non-alcoholic beverages to the airport since First Class Concessions took over the concessions contract. The gift shop was also upgraded to include Fort Wayne brands such as DeBrand chocolates and Vera Bradley products, along with books, magazines, travel needs, and aviation-themed merchandise. The airport has offered free Wi-Fi ever since they started offering the service, and installed ARCONAS inPower Flex modules in select seating areas with both 110V and USB charging in 2011 to better serve laptop and smartphone users. The airport's Hospitality Hosts handed out their 1 millionth sugar cookie in 2011; these cookies are baked across the street from the airport at Ellison Bakery and are provided free to all arriving passengers.

The Airport Today & Tomorrow [edit]

Today, Fort Wayne International Airport is served by four carriers: Allegiant Air, American Eagle, Delta, and United Express. Although they account for a small percentage of airport traffic (less than 1%), charter flights from operators including Allegiant, Vision Airlines, Miami Air International, and Republic Airlines also operate from the airport.

Fort Wayne International Airport introduced a new website in February 2013. Designed by Reusser Design (located about 15 minutes away from the airport in Roanoke, Indiana), the new website replaces one that debuted shortly after the airport's rebranding. Unlike the previous airport website, the new website does not use Flash and uses responsive web design and CSS to deliver a full experience to both desktop and mobile users. A new television ad campaign filmed by Fort Wayne-based PUNCH Films and created by Asher Agency, the airport authority's longtime advertising agency, was introduced in April 2013.[10] The new television spots are the first for the airport in three years; PUNCH and Asher also worked together on the 2010 television ad campaign.

The airport's terminal is also receiving updates in 2013. These include new paint, expanded business and welcome centers, new children's play areas, permanent heating and air conditioning units for aircraft use at gates, and a new rental car area. [11] The airport's office reception area and executive offices on the second floor of the terminal building also received an update at approximately the same time. New paint, new Steelcase furniture, and new decor were among the improvements to the Airport Authority offices.

An FAA Master Plan for Fort Wayne International Airport, the first since 2003, was completed in 2012. The new rental car area (which will bring covered spaces for rental cars) and parking lot reconfiguration (which will streamline the exit for the short- and long-term parking lots) are the first improvements to be carried out under the master plan. These will happen in the fall of 2013. Currently, the airport lacks significant concessions post-security, as the current setup is a temporary improvement over the pre-2011 layout. Currently, the Samuel Adams Brewhouse and Seattle's Best Coffee, both open from 5 AM until the last departure of the day, are the only food concessions available post-security. The airport's master plan calls for additional concession development, and the airport authority's seven-year contract with First Class Concessions anticipates such a move occuring. The master plan also calls for the replacement of ground-level Gates 1 through 4 with an equal number of additional jetway gates on the second floor, and one of the new gates would include a passenger U.S. Customs Federal Inspection Services station to complement the existing FIS station for cargo. Both the new jetway gates and passenger FIS facility will improve the airport as a diversion point when airports in locations such as Chicago and Detroit are closed or restricted due to weather. The new gates would be added in part by moving Atlantic Aviation to the airport's west side near the Pinnacle Airlines maintenance base and by the demolition of an unused hangar. The master plan also calls for a larger Transportation Security Administration security area located on the second floor where the Greater Fort Wayne Aviation Museum now resides. The museum would then move to a larger space located at the site of the current passenger holdrooms for Gates 1 through 4. This relocation will once again allow access to the museum without a TSA screening and a ticket or tour guide.

With the exception of the new car rental area and parking lot reconfiguration, construction of most of these improvements will not start until 2014 at the earliest and will likely last until 2016. Fort Wayne International Airport - Master Plan

Preserving History [edit]

Located in the Lieutenant Paul Baer Terminal, the Greater Fort Wayne Aviation Museum recounts early aviation history in Northeastern Indiana.[12] The museum's curator, Roger Myers, also co-authored the book "Fort Wayne Aviation: Baer Field & Beyond", published by Arcadia Publishing. The book is available at the airport gift shop, from Amazon.com, and at Fort Wayne-area Barnes & Noble and Walgreens stores.

Facilities & Aircraft [edit]

Fort Wayne International Airport covers an area of 3,351 acres (1,356 ha) at an elevation of 814 feet (248 m) above mean sea level.[1]

The airport's main Runway 5/23's is 11,981 feet (3,652 m) long and 150 feet (46 m) wide made out of grooved asphalt and concrete.[1][13] The runway is large enough to accommodate the NASA Space Shuttle orbiter, Airbus A380s, Boeing 747s, and military air mobility and aerial refueling aircraft such as the C-5 Galaxy, C-17 Globemaster III, KC-135 Stratotanker and KC-10 Extender.[5] The runway is also equipped with BAK-14 arresting gear on both ends for emergency arrestment of US and NATO/Allied fighter and other similar-sized tactical fixed-wing aircraft.

Fort Wayne International's Runway 14/32 is the airport's secondary runway measures 8,001 by 150 feet (2,439 m × 46 m). Runway 9/27 is 4,001 by 75 feet (1,220 m × 23 m) and used for general aviation aircraft.[1][13]

For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2010, the airport had 40,961 aircraft operations, an average of 112 per day: 49% general aviation, 41% air taxi, 5% scheduled commercial, and 5% military. At that time there were 84 aircraft based at this airport: 44% single-engine, 23% multi-engine, 15% jet, 14% military, and 4% helicopter.[1]

Airlines & Destinations [edit]

Fort Wayne International Airport has eight shared-use gates; however, certain airlines typically use certain gates. American Eagle and Allegiant Air share ground handling (American Eagle Airlines) and typically use Gates 7 and 8. Delta Connection, which is handled by Delta Air Lines subsidiary Delta Global Services (DGS), typically uses Gates 2, 4, 5, and 6. United Express, which also uses DGS for ground handling, shares Gate 6 with Delta.

Gates 1 through 4 are ground-level on the first floor of the terminal and are boarded via airstairs, whereas Gates 5 through 8 are on the second floor of the terminal and board via jetways. As Gates 5 through 8 were built at a time when the airport had mainline service, these gates can handle aircraft ranging in size from the Canadair Regional Jet family used by Delta and United to the McDonnell Douglas MD-80, Boeing 757, and Airbus A320 family aircraft used by Allegiant. Gate 2 also has a Commute-a-Walk flexible walkway to shield passengers from elements such as rain and snow. This system was originally purchased for ATA Connection, which ceased operations in 2005, and also was briefly used by Allegiant Air. After Allegiant changed ground handling companies from LaBov & Beyond Business Aviation to American Eagle, the airline switched from using Gate 2 to sharing American Eagle's gates. Gate 2 is used for Delta flights during peak departure times, but can be used for any airline serving the airport at any time with the airport's shared-use gate system.

Airlines Destinations
Allegiant Air Orlando-Sanford, Punta Gorda,[14] St. Petersburg/Clearwater
Seasonal: Myrtle Beach
American Eagle Chicago-O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth
Delta Connection operated by ExpressJet Atlanta, Detroit
Delta Connection operated by Pinnacle Airlines Atlanta, Detroit
Seasonal: Minneapolis/St. Paul
United Express operated by SkyWest Airlines Chicago-O'Hare

Statistics [edit]

Carrier shares for October 2011 – September 2012[15]
Carrier   Passengers (arriving and departing)
Pinnacle (Delta Connection)
192,000(34.99%)
American Eagle
154,000(28.16%)
Allegiant
90,430(16.52%)
SkyWest (United Express)
70,160(12.81%)
ExpressJet (Delta Connection)
36,030(6.58%)
Other (including charters)
5,140(0.94%)
Top domestic destinations (October 2011 – September 2012)[15]
Rank City Airport Passengers
1 Chicago, IL O'Hare International (ORD) 79,770
2 Detroit, MI Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County (DTW) 58,200
3 Atlanta, GA Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL) 44,680
4 Dallas/Fort Worth, TX Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW) 32,340
5 St. Petersburg, FL St. Petersburg-Clearwater International (PIE) 20,700
6 Sanford, FL Orlando Sanford International (SFB) 17,340
7 Minneapolis, MN Minneapolis-Saint Paul International (MSP) 15,240
8 Punta Gorda, FL Punta Gorda Airport (PGD) 3,780
9 Myrtle Beach, SC Myrtle Beach International (MYR) 3,440

Cargo Airlines [edit]

Airlines Destinations
FedEx Express Memphis, Providence, South Bend
UPS Airlines Louisville, South Bend

Incidents [edit]

  • On August 18, 2004, Fort Wayne International Airport was in the national spotlight after a mysterious "liquid substance" discovered leaking from luggage forced authorities to shut down the airport, when six people fell ill. Fearing that the incident may have been an act of terrorism, the FBI was involved in the investigation. Later in the day, Haz-mat ruled that there was "no biological or chemical threat" and the airport was reopened that afternoon. All who were ill recovered and it was later revealed that the substance was an agent for producing perfume.[18]

See also [edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Fort Wayne International Airport

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f FAA Airport Master Record for FWA (Form 5010 PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. Effective November 15, 2012.
  2. ^ "IATA Airport Code Search". International Air Transport Association. Retrieved December 22, 2012. 
  3. ^ "2011–2015 NPIAS Report, Appendix A" (PDF, 2.03 MB). National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems. Federal Aviation Administration. October 4, 2010. 
  4. ^ "Enplanements for CY 2011" (PDF, 1.7 MB). CY 2011 Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data. Federal Aviation Administration. October 9, 2012. 
  5. ^ a b Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority - Fast Facts. Retrieved on February 20, 2013.
  6. ^ Kitty Hawk’s space void is virtually filled. The Journal Gazette. October 23, 2012. Retrieved on December 7, 2012.
  7. ^ Fort Wayne International Airport website, Airport History. Retrieved on February 20, 2013.
  8. ^ Fort Wayne International Airport - MSKTD & Associates, Inc.
  9. ^ View From the Top: Airport's New Control Tower Ready for Service. The News-Sentinel. January 17, 2007. Retrieved on February 3, 2009.
  10. ^ Facebook - PUNCH Films. Retrieved on February 25, 2013.
  11. ^ Airport authority plans five projects for 2013 - WANE-TV. Retrieved on March 23, 2013.
  12. ^ Fort Wayne International Airport website. Aviation Museum. Retrieved on February 20, 2013.
  13. ^ a b Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Digital Airport/Facility Directory | Fort Wayne Intl. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
  14. ^ Allegiant Air - Allegiant Announces New Base of Operations in Punta Gorda, Florida - April 10, 2012. Retrieved on April 23, 2012.
  15. ^ a b "Fort Wayne, IN: Fort Wayne International (FWA)". Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), U.S. Department of Transportation. September 2012. Retrieved January 5, 2013. 
  16. ^ "Man who stowed away on flight sentenced". USATODAY.com. February 5, 2004. 
  17. ^ "Man shipped from New York to Texas in crate". CNN.com. September 10, 2003. 
  18. ^ "Airport shutdown blamed on perfume". CNN.com. August 18, 2004. 

External links [edit]


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