Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport

Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport
IATA: PHF ICAO: KPHF
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	The Peninsula Airport Commission
Location	Newport News, Virginia
Elevation AMSL	43 ft / 13 m
Coordinates	37°07′55″N 76°29′35″W
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 7/25 8,003 2,439 Concrete 2/20 6,526 1,989 Concrete

Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport (IATA: PHF, ICAO: KPHF) is an airport located 9 mi (14 km) northwest of downtown Newport News, Virginia, and serves the entire Hampton Roads metropolitan area along with Norfolk International Airport in Norfolk. The airport is owned and operated by the Peninsula Airport Commission, which is a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Newport News/Williamsburg International does not currently handle any international passenger flights, but does service a number of corporate international flights. It has a large designated area built specifically for US Customs in Concourse A.

According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics in 2010, Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport ranks #31 on its list of Top 100 cheapest airports to fly from based on average airfare, ranking ahead of nearby Norfolk International(#71), as reported by the Daily Press. The airport has had lower average airfare costs than Norfolk and Richmond International since 1995, and has stayed below the national average airfare cost since 1997.

For June 2011, the airport ranks #7 on the Top 101 Airports on Affordability, conducted by cheapflights.com.

There are currently two runways (7-25 and 2-20). Plans for a third runway (7L-25R) date to the 1990s for future completion.

AirTran Airways is the airport's main airline operator. In August 2011, AirTran announced that it will cease operations at Newport News/Williamsburg International in March 2012. The airport is also serviced by Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, US Airways, Allegiant Air, which commenced service on November 16, 2011 and People Express Airlines on February 13th, 2012 announced plans to operate its main base and headquarters at the airport.

History

In 1946, Virginia's General Assembly passed legislation creating the Peninsula Airport Commission (PAC) to determine a location for and establish a new commercial airport to serve the cities of Newport News, Hampton, and Warwick. An agreement was reached with the US War Asset Administration in 1947 to transfer 924 acres (3.7 km²) of the former Camp Patrick Henry, a World War II US Army base, to the PAC as the site for the new airport. A Nike missile air defense base, known as N-85, still exists on the property, though abandoned since the mid-1960s.

The airport was originally named Patrick Henry Airport. It was assigned the designator PHF, representing Patrick Henry Field. The first runway built was Runway 2-20, a 3,500-foot (1,100 m) runway, followed by Runway 6-24 (later redesignated as Runway 7-25). Commercial airline service began in November 1949. The airport was serviced by Piedmont Airlines and Capital Airlines.

In 1951, the original passenger terminal was damaged by a fire. An upgraded traffic control tower was constructed and began operation and Runway 6-24 was extended to 5,000 feet (1,500 m) for larger four-engine aircraft during 1952. A new passenger terminal was opened in 1955.

Between 1952 and the 1970, three other airlines United Airlines, National Airlines, and USAir extended service to the airport. Both runways were extended during this period to their current lengths of 6526 feet (1989 m) Runway 2-20, and 8003 feet (2439 m) Runway 7-25. The airport was renamed "Patrick Henry International Airport" in 1975. A US Customs facility was added to the passenger terminal building to allow international flights (both commercial and corporate) access to the airfield. The airport now consists of 1,800 acres (7.3 km²), with most of it in the city of Newport News and nearly half of the airfield with runways 20 and 25 in York County.

When the United States Congress deregulated the airlines in 1978, many airlines serving Patrick Henry Airport consolidated their southeast Virginia services at other area airports. This resulted in Patrick Henry International Airport losing all jet services. By 1979 the airport only offered small commuter flights to very few destinations.

On December 19, 1980, the Daily Press reported a committee authorized by the PAC recommended that the airport change its name to "Newport News/Williamsburg International" to then-Executive Director Michael White. This change would not take place until ten full years later. At the time, the Commission members represented the cities of Newport News, Hampton, and Williamsburg, as well as James City County and York County. Since 2010, the Commission consists of six commissioners who are appointed by the cities of Hampton (2) and Newport News (4).

In 1985, USAir added large jet services from Pittsburgh and Washington, DC. These jet services were pulled in 1995 and the airline's US Airways Express division now serves Philadelphia and Charlotte from the airport. The PAC renamed the facility Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport in September 1990. A new terminal was opened in late 1992. AirTran Airways started service from the airport to Atlanta in 1995, and now also flies to Boston, New York City, and Orlando. In May 2008, AirTran discontinued service to Tampa and replaced it with an additional route to LaGuardia NYC. Delta Connection began service from Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport to Atlanta in February 2002, which also included nonstop service to Boston that year. Delta Air Lines maintained one daily mainline roundtrip flight to Atlanta operated by an MD-88 aircraft, but in June 2010 added a second MD-88 mainline flight, followed by a third and fourth. All Delta flights now include first class seating since 2010, and has offered service utilizing Boeing 737 and Airbus A319 aircraft on occasion.

Until the 1990s, part of the original terminal building was named Flight Services Building, and home to the National Weather Service. Weather reports and emergency alerts were broadcast on radio stations and weather frequencies during severe weather right from the airport.

When the original control tower was shut down in July 2007 with the opening of the state of the art 147 ft (45 m) tall new tower, it had been the oldest operating control tower on the east coast with continuous service for 55 years.

President Barack Obama flew into the Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport on Air Force One (from Andrews Air Force Base) for the first time as President of the United States; he was to attend the U.S. House Democratic Retreat. The airport is the airport of choice for US Presidents who visit the Hampton Roads area, having been visited by Presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush during their terms in office.

Expansion

Panoramic view of tower, terminal and parking garage

In light of steady growth at the airport (which breaks its own record for passenger enplanements almost every month), the airport has launched a massive expansion effort. In 2009, additional parking lots were completed to handle increased rental car fleets; total parking capacity is estimated at 3,000, and a new air traffic control tower was completed in July 2007, to replace the one built in 1951. A new three-level parking garage opened in June 2007, with two or three more garages planned. The current pair of baggage claim carousels, will be increased to as many as five.

Further plans call for an additional three concourses, a third runway of 10,000 ft (3,000 m), a new General Aviation terminal, and extending the existing runways to 10,000 ft (3,000 m). Additional taxiways are planned as well.

The airport also is developing Air Commerce Park, which is an area of the airfield which was to host the 2003 Aviation World's Fair. This Park is planned to bring corporate flights and cargo handling capabilities as well as companies such as FedEx or UPS and others with unique hangar space and direct access to runways through Taxiways J and L which have reopened, bringing the total number of taxiways to 8. Recent news reports stated that Orion Air has begun operations as the first tenant in the Park employing 100 persons upon completion of construction on a 40,000 sq ft (3,700 m²). facility.

The airport is served by various taxi companies, including Orange, American, Yellow, Best, and All City. Also, HRT (Hampton Roads Transit) directly serves the airport with regional bus service at two bus stops; the airport is on HRT Route 111 and is the only Hampton Roads airport with direct bus service. Shuttle and Limousine companies also service the airport through pre-arranged appointments. Five car rental agencies can be found at the airport, including Hertz, National, Enterprise and Avis/Budget, too.

The airport is also home to three Fixed Base Operators, Rick Aviation, Atlantic Aviation and Orion Air Group. Rick and Atlantic provide flight instruction schools, and jet fuel services to private and commercial airplanes. Atlantic Aviation handles international chartered flights. Rick Aviation continues to operate inside the original passenger terminal, sharing space with Denbigh High School's Aviation Academy (serving 350+ high school students). As Orion Air Group opened a new world headquarters 40,000sq. ft. facility which will employ 100 people, they are already planning an additional 70,000sq. ft expansion. Additionally, in 2011 Tidewater Flight Center opened a second location at the airport, providing flight instruction from the original terminal building. Also sharing the original terminal building is a local squadron of the Civil Air Patrol, which maintains several CAP airplanes at the airport.

The Commission also operates its own police department and fire department, which provide full service protection for the entire airport facility including the airport's own residential area, which continues to be home for some airport employees. Crimes investigated by the airport police are prosecuted mostly in Newport News city courts, though a few cases are prosecuted in York County courts, depending on which side of the city line crime occurs.

The airport has handled over one million passengers every year since 2005, with each succeeding year showing significant increases. The airport is considered the third-fastest growing airport in the United States and the 118th largest airport. Newport News-Williamsburg International is geographically larger than Norfolk International (1,800 acres versus 1,300 acres) and also boasts a taller Air Traffic Control Tower than Norfolk's. In January 2011, the airport reported that 2010 was its best year ever, with over 1,060,000 passengers, breaking all previous records despite the downturn economy.

For several years, rumors abounded that the substantial expansions may coincide with the announcement of a new carrier to come to the airport - with some speculation going as far as direct UK-Newport News flights. This rumor, though hardly substantiated, has circulated in a number of circles within Hampton Roads, which led up to Jamestown 2007 festivities and the then-recent decision by UK industrial giant Wolseley plc to make Newport News their North American headquarters.

In December 2008, the PAC announced that Ken R. Spirito had been selected to serve as its new Executive Director, replacing interim director Mark Falin. Spirito served as Executive Director of Peoria International in Illinois up until his move to Newport News. In November 2010, Ted Kitchens was hired as Assistant Director of Planning and Development, having previously served with Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International in Georgia.

On February 4, 2010, PAC announced that Frontier Airlines would begin nonstop service from Newport News with direct flights to Denver, Colorado with four flights per week. Initial service was to be provided by Airbus A318 128-seat jets, to be followed up June 4 with Airbus A319 136-seat aircraft. Due to high demand however, the upgrade from A318 to A319 jets took place within weeks of the inaugural May 3 flight, far ahead of schedule. This marked the first new airline to service the Hampton Roads area in eight years.

For 2011, Frontier Airlines increased its service from the airport. Beginning May 13, 2011, Frontier flights used larger Airbus jets, A320s, with a capacity of 162. However, as of September 12, 2011, Frontier began providing service to the airport seasonally, from March to September of each year, according to a July report in the Daily Press. Starting March 2, 2012, Frontier will offer departures at 8:30am to Denver with a schedule that spans Monday through Friday of each week. On February 4, 2012, PAC announced that Frontier will resume year-round service at the airport, and will operate seven days per week beginning May 22 through Labor Day. After Labor Day, Frontier will operate flights six days per week.

In late summer 2010, Delta announced that it would increase the size of its planes to accommodate more passengers, beginning with Boeing 737-800 series jets. Since January 2011, they provide two additional daily flights using 142 seat MD-88 aircraft, for a total of 4. Additional service using Airbus A320 aircraft began in 2011.

The airport completed building its second terminal concourse (Concourse A) and opened it on May 3, 2010, which is served by AirTran Airways, Frontier Airlines and Allegiant Airlines. Concourse A is also designed for a full-service Customs facility and larger-size international jets. Concourse B will be completely remodeled in 2012 with all new facilities and gates for Delta Air Lines and US Airways. A local contractor donated $50,000 worth of labor and materials to expand the airport's USO office in 2010, doubling it in size to better serve military personnel who fly through the airport. Additionally, expansion and improvements within the airport's atrium include all-new seating throughout the terminal building and both concourses, as well as a completely new Welcome Services center. The new seating is equipped with built-in electrical outlets and USB ports for computers and other devices. Virginia Lottery kiosks were installed as well as additional automated teller machines. Plasma screens have been placed throughout the terminal building to provide flight and luggage information, as well as plasma TV screens for news and events. An outdoor pair of escalators is planned to replace some of the stairs leading to the terminal from the parking lots. The airport also upgraded its wireless internet service, which previously was subscription-based (pay-per-use) and in 2011 unveiled completely free internet within the terminal, through a joint venture with Cox Communications. Parking lot expansions will continue, as well as additional parking garages. As reported by the Daily Press, the airport is undergoing over $23 million worth of expansions, improvements and upgrades.

Since January 2011, the airport has reported double-digit increases in passenger usage of the airport versus the same months of 2010. January 2011 figures were up 13.6%, February 2011 counts were up 10%, followed by a 9% increase for March and a 3.6% increase for April 2011. Overall, 23,941 more passengers have used the airport in 2011 over 2010, according to www.flyphf.com. 2011 statistics are up 7% overall, while competing airports Norfolk and Richmond are down for the year.

Newport News-Williamsburg is also the first airport in the nation to undergo a Sustainability Project, to incorporate green technology in every facet of operations.

On February 13, 2012 People Express Airlines announced plans to operate its main base and headquarters at the airport.

Airlines and destinations

Airlines	Destinations	Terminal
AirTran Airways	Atlanta, Boston, New York-LaGuardia, Orlando [all service ends March 10, 2012]	A
Allegiant Air	Orlando-Sanford	A
Delta Air Lines	Atlanta	B
Delta Connection operated by ExpressJet	Atlanta	B
Delta Connection operated by Pinnacle Airlines	Atlanta	B
Frontier Airlines	Denver [resumes March 2, 2012]	A
US Airways Express operated by Air Wisconsin	Charlotte, Philadelphia	B
US Airways Express operated by Piedmont Airlines	Charlotte, Philadelphia	B
US Airways Express operated by PSA Airlines	Charlotte	B

References

• Airport Master Record (FAA Form 5010), also available as a printable form (PDF)
• Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport (official web site)
• Friddell, Guy (September 21, 1990). "Identity problem with Patrick Henry name has a certain mystique". Virginian Pilot, page D1.
• Flores, Chris (August 14, 2005). "Airport gets a face-lift." Daily Press, page D1.
• Daily Press. "Tailwinds for England-to-Virginia travelers taking off?"[2].

External links

• Official site
• FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective July 11, 2024

• Resources for this airport:
  • AirNav airport information for KPHF
  • ASN accident history for PHF
  • FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
  • NOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three days
  • SkyVector aeronautical chart for KPHF
  • FAA current PHF delay information