Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport

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Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport

IATA: GPT – ICAO: KGPT – FAA: GPT
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner Gulfport-Biloxi Regional Airport Authority
Serves Gulfport, Mississippi
Elevation AMSL 28 ft / 9 m
Coordinates 30°24′26″N 089°04′12″W / 30.40722°N 89.07°W / 30.40722; -89.07
Website www.FlyGPT.com
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
14/32 9,002 2,744 Asphalt/Concrete
18/36 4,935 1,504 Asphalt
Statistics (2008)
Aircraft operations 54,545
Based aircraft 35
Annual Passengers 923,675
Sources: airport web site[1] and FAA[2]

Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport (IATA: GPT, ICAO: KGPT, FAA LID: GPT) is a joint civil-military public use airport located three nautical miles (6 km) northeast of the central business district of Gulfport, a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States. It is owned by the Gulfport-Biloxi Regional Airport Authority.[2]

In 2008, a total of 923,675 passengers utilized the airport, a 2.6% increase over 2007.[3]

Contents

[edit] Facilities and aircraft

Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport covers an area of 1,700 acres (6.9 km2) at an elevation of 28 feet (9 m) above mean sea level. It has two runways: 14/32 with a 9,002 x 150 ft (2,744 x 46 m) asphalt/concrete surface and 18/36 with a 4,935 x 150 ft (1,504 x 46 m) asphalt surface.[2] For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2006, the airport had 85,809 aircraft operations, an average of 235 per day: 62% general aviation, 19% military, 12% air taxi and 7% scheduled commercial. At that time there were 35 aircraft based at this airport: 46% single-engine, 23% multi-engine, 3% jet, 17% helicopter and 11% military.[2]

[edit] Cargo Facility

A 40,000-square-foot (3,700 m2) cargo facility will be completed by 4th Quarter 2008 at Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport. The cargo facility includes 20,000 square feet (1,900 m2) of chiller space, 20,000 square feet (1,900 m2) of cargo sorting and distribution space, and 6,000 square feet (560 m2) of office space. Airside access from the runway system has been designed with safety and efficiency in mind. The ramp can facilitate two MD11s or DC10s or one B747. The area is also expandable with 120 acres (0.49 km2) reserved for air cargo on airport.

[edit] Airlines and destinations

Airlines Destinations
American Eagle Dallas/Fort Worth
Continental Express operated by ExpressJet Airlines Houston-Intercontinental, Jacksonville, Tampa
Delta Air Lines Atlanta
Delta Connection operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines Atlanta
Delta Connection operated by Pinnacle Airlines Memphis
Southern Skyways Atlanta
US Airways Express operated by PSA Airlines Charlotte

[edit] Hurricane Katrina

The airport was closed for repairs (or reconstruction) following severe damage by Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005. On September 8, 2005, the airport reopened for commercial flights on Northwest Airlines to Memphis and other airlines quickly followed suit. On February 1, 2006, Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport was back to 100% of pre-Katrina seats. As of September 12, 2006, the Airport was at 120% of seats available pre-Katrina. Currently, the airport is thriving with many non-stop flights to numerous destinations, and is undergoing extensive renovation scheduled for completion in 2007. All pre-Katrina carriers are back in operation as well as new carriers.

[edit] History

The airport was originally constructed in 1942 by the United States Army Air Forces as a training base for Air Corps Flying Training Command. Gulfport Army Airfield opened on 7 July, and the Eastern Technical Training Command conducted technical training and basic training until transferred to Third Air Force on 31 Mar 1944 with joint use by Technical Training Command for marine training of Emergency Rescue School (3d Air Rescue Group) located at Keesler Army Airbase.

Under Third Air Force, the 328th Army Air Force Base Unit conducted replacement training for heavy bomber (B-17 Flying Fortress, B-24 Liberator) units. In addition B-29 Superfortress aircrew transition training was performed by Technical Training Command. With the end of the war and the drawdown of the military, Gulfport AAF was placed into reserve status on 31 Jan 1946.

Gulfport Field was declared excess by the Air Force and conveyed by the War Assets Administration to the City of Gulfport in 1949 for use as a civil airport. The City negotiated airline service contracts with Southern Airways and later National Airlines to provide passenger and cargo service beginning in the early 1950s.

Due to the large expansion of the United States Air Force as a result of the Cold War, a new lease was obtained for military use of the airport and Gulfport Air Force Base was opened as a joint-use civil/military facility. Improvements were made by the Air Force to the field to bring the wartime facilities up to permanent Air Force standards. On 16 July 1951. Gulfport Air Force Base was activated and assigned to the Air Training Command (ATC) and was made the headquarters of the new Technical Training Air Force (TTAF), which controlled technical and basic training of Air Force personnel. The TTAF controlled 10 Air Force wings from Gulfport:

7 Technical Training wings:

1 USAF Recruiting Wing: 3500th, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio

1 USAF Military Basic Training Wing: 3700th, Lackland AFB, Texas

1 USAF Mobile Training Wing: 3499th, Chanute AFB,Illinois

In addition, contract basic flying training was conducted at Gulfport.

In 1957, ATC decided to assign all flying and crew training responsibilities under a single headquarters. In addition, effective 1 July 1958, the command discontinued the Technical Training Air Force and moved all training headquarters to their controlling major commands or to ATC, depending on its mission. Recruiting and Basic Training were also reassigned to HQ ATC. Gulfport AFB was closed as an active Air Force installation and its military facilities were transferred to the Mississippi Air National Guard, with the airport remainnig a joint-use airport and Air National Guard base.

Through the late 1970s, Southern Airways continued as the primary airline, followed by successors Republic Airlines and Northwest Airlines into the 1990s. Beginning in 1953, the Mississippi Air National Guard developed a training activity which has grown into a high-tech Combat Readiness Training Center, one of four in the Nation. Military traffic has expanded each year, and now more than 20,000 Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve flight personnel are trained at the base annually. Within 10 minutes, supersonic fighters and in-flight refuelers can simulate a combat environment over the Gulf of Mexico or at Camp Shelby in Hattiesburg, MS. Additionally, the Army National Guard established the Aviation Classification Repair Depot operation which repairs several types of combat and transport helicopters for military activities throughout the Southeast and Puerto Rico.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport, official site
  2. ^ a b c d FAA Airport Master Record for GPT (Form 5010 PDF), effective 2008-04-10
  3. ^ http://www.flygpt.com/STatistics/Stats.htm

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulfport-Biloxi_International_Airport"
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