Fresno Yosemite International Airport
- for the United States Air Force use of the airport, see Fresno Air National Guard Base
| Fresno Yosemite International Airport | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Aerial image - 17 August 1998 | |||
| IATA: FAT – ICAO: KFAT – FAA LID: FAT | |||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Public / Military | ||
| Owner | City of Fresno | ||
| Serves | Fresno, California | ||
| Location | Fresno, California | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 336 ft / 102 m | ||
| Coordinates | 36°46′15″N 119°43′08″W / 36.77093°N 119.71896°WCoordinates: 36°46′15″N 119°43′08″W / 36.77093°N 119.71896°W | ||
| Website | |||
| Maps | |||
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 FAT
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| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 11L/29R | 9,227 | 2,812 | Asphalt |
| 11R/29L | 7,205 | 2,196 | Asphalt |
| Helipads | |||
| Number | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| H1 | 70 | 21 | Asphalt |
| Statistics (2010) | |||
| Aircraft operations | 199,209 | ||
| Passengers | 569,879 | ||
| Based aircraft | 195 | ||
| Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1] | |||
Fresno Yosemite International Airport (IATA: FAT, ICAO: KFAT, FAA LID: FAT), formerly known as Fresno Air Terminal, is a joint civil-military public airport located in eastern Fresno, in Fresno County, California. The airport is more than 60 miles (97 km) south of Yosemite National Park on California State Route 41. Despite its name, the airport covers 2,150 acres (870 ha) and has two runways and one helipad. It is the major air transportation center for the San Joaquin Valley, with major air carrier service to airline hubs throughout the Western United States. Direct international flights to Guadalajara, Mexico, are available through Aeromexico and Volaris. Fresno was the ninth (9th) busiest international route out of Guadalajara International Airport in 2009.[2][not in citation given] It is also home to Fresno Air National Guard Base and the 144th Fighter Wing (144 FW) of the California Air National Guard.
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[edit] History
The airfield was opened in June 1942. During World War II the airfield was known as Hammer Field and was used by the United States Army Air Forces' Fourth Air Force. Hammer Field was a training base and had three sub-bases and two gunnery ranges.
The airfield was renamed Fresno Air Terminal, and retained a military cantonment area for the an Army Air Forces unit of the National Guard that became a unit of the Air National Guard when the U.S. Air Force was established as a separate service in 1947.
Today the California Air National Guard 144th Fighter Wing (144 FW) occupies two separate parcels of land at the airport—the main base area and the Munitions Storage Area. These areas of the airport are known as the Fresno Air National Guard Base.[3]
TWA and United flights from San Francisco/Oakland to Los Angeles moved from Chandler Field to FAT in 1947; TWA left in 1963. A United nonstop to Denver started in 1970; the nonstop 727 to Chicago only lasted for a year or so starting in 1979, but Denver continued.
In 1988 the FAA designated the airport as an "International Point of Entry", making it eligible for international flights.
In 1995, the name was changed to attract out-of-state and international visitors to Yosemite National Park. Since its opening, the airport has gone through multiple renovations and expansions. In 2002, a new two-level concourse building was completed and in 2006 construction of a new Federal Inspection Facility (FIS) was completed. The airport applied for a new FAA identifier code when its name was changed in 1996; however, the FAA will only assign a new airport identifier code when an airport physically moves to another location, such as in 1995 when Denver Airport moved from Stapleton (DEN to DVX).[4]
Fresno has also served as headquarters for at least two airlines. In the mid 1990s, Air 21 flew Fokker F28 jets to various destinations; as far east as Colorado Springs, and as far west as San Francisco. Allegiant Air also called Fresno home, but has since moved its headquarters to Las Vegas.
In the 1980s, Fresno saw a variety of mainline aircraft, but throughout the 1990s, there was a shift to mainly regional aircraft. There has recently been more mainline aircraft returning to Fresno; including the long standing service to Dallas/Ft. Worth on American Airlines, Allegiant Air, and US Airways offer mainline service to Fresno. Delta Air Lines announced service to Fresno from Atlanta, but this was later recanted. Frontier Airlines ended service as of June 2007, after two years of steady service.
The only direct international service from Fresno ended when Mexicana ceased operations in August 2010 to Guadalajara International Airport, Mexico. Volaris and Aeromexico restored service between the two cities in April 2011.[5][6]
[edit] Facilities and aircraft
Fresno Yosemite International Airport covers an area of 1,728 acres (699 ha) at an elevation of 336 ft (102 m) above mean sea level. It has two asphalt paved runways: 11L/29R is 9,227 by 150 ft (2,812 by 46 m) and 11R/29L is 7,205 by 100 ft (2,196 by 30 m). It also has one helipad, designated H1, that measures 70 by 70 ft (21 by 21 m).[1]
For the 12-month period ending September 30, 2009, the airport had 143,945 aircraft operations, an average of 394 per day: 65% general aviation, 18% air taxi, 10% scheduled commercial, and 8% military. At that time there were 195 aircraft based at this airport: 47% single-engine, 23% multi-engine, 6% jet, 11% helicopter and 13% military.[1]
[edit] Passenger totals
In 2011, over 1.2 million passengers traveled through Fresno Yosemite International Airport, a 6.4% increase from 2010.
Fresno completed 2006 with 1.281 million passengers traveling through Fresno Yosemite International Airport, an increase of 7.54% over 2005.
Fresno completed 2007 with 1.382 million passengers traveling through Fresno Yosemite International Airport, an increase of 3.13% over 2006.
The most prominent airlines at Fresno are Skywest Airlines for United Express and Delta Connection (36.29%), Mesa Airlines for US Airways Express (16.97%), American Airlines (12.77%), and Horizon Air (9.92%).[7]
[edit] Airlines and destinations
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Aeromexico | Guadalajara |
| Alaska Airlines operated by Horizon Air | Portland (OR), Seattle/Tacoma, San Diego [begins June 4, 2012][8] |
| Alaska Airlines operated by SkyWest Airlines | Seattle/Tacoma |
| Allegiant Air | Las Vegas |
| American Airlines | Dallas/Fort Worth |
| American Eagle | Los Angeles |
| Delta Connection operated by SkyWest Airlines | Salt Lake City |
| United Express operated by SkyWest Airlines | Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco |
| US Airways Express operated by SkyWest Airlines | Phoenix |
| US Airways Express operated by Mesa Airlines | Phoenix |
| Volaris | Guadalajara |
The vast majority of air traffic in and out of the airport is private aircraft. Only 7% of the air traffic is commercial, 6% is military, and the remainder is private.
[edit] Cargo
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Ameriflight | Oakland, Visalia, Santa Maria |
| FedEx Express | Oakland |
| UPS Airlines | Ontario Seasonal: Louisville |
[edit] Firsts
- FAT was the first airport in the country to implement an anti-terrorist facial recognition system, shortly after the September 11, 2001, attacks.
- The first airport in the Nation to install a web-based, wireless system (PASSUR Flight Information Display) to list active flight arrivals and departures.
[edit] Military
- The 144th Fighter Wing of the California Air National Guard is based out of the Fresno Yosemite International Airport.[9]
- The California Army National Guard maintains an Aviation Classification Repair Activity Depot (AVCRAD) at the airport. The mission of this unit is to perform high level maintenance and repair on Army aircraft. Its jurisdiction covers a 15-state region in the Western United States.
- Both the U.S. Forest Service and the California Department of Forestry operate an Air Attack Base at the airport for fighting forest fires with aerial tankers.
[edit] Solar power
Fresno Yosemite International features a 2.4 megawatt solar system, completed in March 2008. The airport purchases solar-generated electricity from the system, which is owned, operated, and maintained by Solar Power Partners and its investors. Solar Power Partners contracted WorldWater & Solar Technologies Corp to construct the system. The solar system was financed through a solar power purchase agreement, which required no capital outlay from the airport. At the time of commissioning, the system was the largest airport solar system in the nation.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c FAA Airport Master Record for FAT (Form 5010 PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. Effective March 10, 2011.
- ^ http://dgac.sct.gob.mx/index.php?id=467[not in citation given]
- ^ "Inside the 144th FW". 144th Fighter Wing, California Air National Guard. 2010. http://www.144fw.ang.af.mil/. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
- ^ Fresno Yosemite International (2010). "Frequently Asked Questions". City of Fresno. http://www.fresno.gov/DiscoverFresno/Airports/FAQ.htm. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
- ^ "Volaris to Start Flying from FYI to Mexico". WorldNow / KMPH. 1 March 2011. http://www.kmph.com/Global/story.asp?S=14167652. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
- ^ Tim Sheehan (10 March 2011). "Aeromexico to start Fresno flights April 4". The Fresno Bee. http://www.fresnobee.com/2011/03/10/2304207/aeromexico-to-start-fresno-flights.html. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
- ^ Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) (2010). "Fresno, CA: Fresno Air Terminal (FAT)". U.S. Department of Transportation. http://www.transtats.bts.gov/airports.asp?pn=1&Airport=FAT&Airport_Name=Fresno,%20CA:%20Fresno%20Air%20Terminal&carrier=FACT. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
- ^ Weisberg, Lori (January 18, 2012). "Alaska Air serving new cities from San Diego". U-T San Diego. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/jan/18/alaska-air-serving-new-cities-from-san-diego/. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
- ^ "Fresno Air National Guard Base". Global Security. 2005. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/fresno.htm. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
[edit] Further reading
[edit] External links
- Fresno Yosemite International Airport, official web site
- FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective 9 Feb 2012
- FAA Terminal Procedures for FAT, effective 9 Feb 2012
- Resources for this airport:
- AirNav airport information for KFAT
- ASN accident history for FAT
- FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
- NOAA/NWS latest weather observations
- SkyVector aeronautical chart for KFAT
- FAA current FAT delay information
