John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport

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John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport

IATA: JST – ICAO: KJST – FAA: JST
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner Johnstown-Cambria County Airport Authority
Operator www.flyjohnstownairport.com
Serves Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Elevation AMSL 2,284 ft / 696 m
Coordinates 40°18′58″N 078°50′02″W / 40.31611°N 78.83389°W / 40.31611; -78.83389
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
15/33 7,003 2,135 Concrete
5/23 4,386 1,337 Asphalt
Statistics (2007)
Aircraft operations 59,430
Based aircraft 69
Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1]

The John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport (IATA: JST, ICAO: KJST, FAA LID: JST), humorously dubbed the "Airport to Nowhere" for its lack of flight service and capacity far in excess of demand, is a public use airport located three nautical miles (6 km) northeast of the central business district of Johnstown, a city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is owned by the Johnstown-Cambria County Airport Authority.[1]

The airport is mostly used for general aviation, but is also served by one commercial airline. Service is subsidized by the Essential Air Service.

The John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County (JMJCC) Airport is home to several military units. The airport houses the Pennsylvania Army National Guard 1-104th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion (Company's HHC,A,C,D, and E) and Det 1, 1-169th Aviation (Med-Evac). It also houses the 258th Air Traffic Control Squadron of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, the Marine Wing Support Squadron 471 (MWSS-471), Detachment A, and the Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 775 (HMLA-775), Detachment A.[2] These military units use helicopters, rather than fixed-wing planes.

Contents

[edit] Facilities and aircraft

John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport covers an area of 650 acres (263 ha) at an elevation of 2,284 feet (696 m) above mean sea level. It has one asphalt paved, R/W 23/5 and one concrete runway R/W 33/15]s: 15/33 measuring 7,003 x 150 feet (2,135 x 46 m) and 5/23 measuring 4,386 x 100 feet (1,337 x 30 m).[1]

For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2007, the airport had 59,430 aircraft operations, an average of 162 per day: 64% general aviation, 29% military, 6% air taxi and 2% scheduled commercial. At that time there were 69 aircraft based at this airport: 38% single-engine, 6% multi-engine, 1% jet and 55% military.[1]


[edit] Criticism - the "Airport to Nowhere"

 This section may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this section if you can. (July 2009)

The Johnstown airport has been derided by some fiscally conservative members of Congress as the "Airport to Nowhere" for its lack of flights and outsized capacity far in excess of demand. Some taxpayer watchdog groups have criticized the John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport as being a taxpayer-funded boondoggle built to stroke the ego of its powerful benefactor, Rep. John A. Murtha (D), Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. With three departures a day and an average passenger load of 25 per aircraft, the Johnstown, PA, airport may be one of the most expensive taxpayer-subsidized ventures in the history of U.S. commercial aviation. As such, the airport's continued expansion has been likened by some to the infamous taxpayer fiasco known as Alaska's "Bridge to Nowhere" (a project similarly funded by a powerful member of Congress who was at the time of its proposal in charge of appropriations). Citizen watchdog groups have urged to President Obama to propose a system by which taxpayer-funded projects no longer be built largely for the aggrandizement of their political benefactors.

[edit] Airline and destinations

United Express provides a total of three nonstop flights (three departures, three arrivals) on weekdays between Johnstown and Washington Dulles Airport, and fewer flights on weekends between the same cities. No other destinations are served. [3]

[edit] History

The airport was dedicated in 1948, and at one time was served by both Allegheny Airlines and Mohawk. When US Airways ended service to Altoona, Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh, United Express picked it up with service to Altoona and Washington-Dulles.

[edit] Finances

Although the airport only offers three commercial flights and has very little other activity, as of April 2009, the airport had received almost $200 million in federal subsidies. In 2004, an $8 million air traffic radar system was installed at the airport, but as of April 2009, it has never been used. [4]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d FAA Airport Master Record for JST (Form 5010 PDF), effective 2008-04-10
  2. ^ "Murtha Joins in Dedicating New Marine Corps Center". Press Release from Congressman Jack Murtha. 2000-12-03. http://www.house.gov/murtha/news/nw001203.htm. 
  3. ^ http://flyjohnstownairport.com/passenger/flight-schedule.htm Johnstown-Cambria County Airport flight schedule| date = 2009-04-23}}
  4. ^ http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/23/murtha.airport/?iref=mpstoryview Remote Murtha Airport Lands Big Bucks, CNN

[edit] External links


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