Daytona Beach International Airport
Encyclopedia
Daytona Beach International Airport is a public county-owned airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...

 located three miles (5 km) southwest of the central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...

 of Daytona Beach
Daytona Beach, Florida
Daytona Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, USA. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city has a population of 64,211. Daytona Beach is a principal city of the Deltona – Daytona Beach – Ormond Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which the census bureau estimated had...

, adjacent to the Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway is a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. Since opening in 1959, it has been the home of the Daytona 500, one of the most prestigious races in NASCAR. In addition to NASCAR, the track also hosts races of ARCA, AMA Superbike, Grand-Am and Motocross...

, in Volusia County
Volusia County, Florida
Volusia County is a county located in the state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2010 official county's population was 494,593 . Its county seat is DeLand, and its most populous city is currently Deltona....

, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The airport has 3 runways, a six-gate domestic terminal, and an international terminal. Daytona Beach serves as the headquarters of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach
Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach is a residential campus of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. The university offers bachelor's and master's degrees in aeronautical science , aerospace engineering and other aerospace fields.-History:Embry-Riddle began in 1925 as the...

. It is considered to be much more convenient for nearby residents than nearby larger airports such as Orlando International Airport
Orlando International Airport
Orlando International Airport is a major international airport located southeast of the central business district of Orlando. It is the second busiest airport in Florida, after Miami International Airport...

 and Jacksonville International Airport
Jacksonville International Airport
Jacksonville International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located 13 miles north of downtown Jacksonville, a city in Duval County, Florida...

.

The Beach

Before airplanes landed on the beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...

, automobile races were held regularly. The beach provided a smooth, hard, and relatively clean surface to use for anything with wheels and speed. Pilots soon caught on and used the beach as a runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...

. Hangars were built later, and even aircraft service was provided on beach. This former airport is one of only two beach airports that were successful. The other, Old Orchard Beach, was located in Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...

 and was the starting point for at least five transatlantic flight
Transatlantic flight
Transatlantic flight is the flight of an aircraft across the Atlantic Ocean. A transatlantic flight may proceed east-to-west, originating in Europe or Africa and terminating in North America or South America, or it may go in the reverse direction, west-to-east...

s during the 1920s and 1930s.
The first flight on the beach occurred in 1906 by Charles K. Hamilton, using Israel Ludlow's glider
Glider (sailplane)
A glider or sailplane is a type of glider aircraft used in the sport of gliding. Some gliders, known as motor gliders are used for gliding and soaring as well, but have engines which can, in some cases, be used for take-off or for extending a flight...

. The glider was pulled by an automobile and actually took place in Ormond. He went as high as 150 feet (45.7 m) on his first try, and 250 feet (76.2 m) on the second, before crashing into a flagpole and surviving with only a bruised knee.

Numerous flights followed, including John A. D. McCurdy, the United States's 5th licensed pilot, in 1911, Phillips Page in 1912, and Ruth Law
Ruth Law
Ruth Bancroft Law was a pioneer American aviatrix during the 1910s.Law received her pilot's license in November 1912. In 1915 she gave a demonstration of aerobatics at Daytona Beach, Florida, before a large crowd...

 in 1913. Phillips Page has been credited for taking the first aerial photographs
Aerial photography
Aerial photography is the taking of photographs of the ground from an elevated position. The term usually refers to images in which the camera is not supported by a ground-based structure. Cameras may be hand held or mounted, and photographs may be taken by a photographer, triggered remotely or...

 in Florida, while flying around the Hotel Clarendon in Daytona Beach. Many other pilots took to the skies above Daytona Beach before it was closed during the winter of 1929–30.

Bethune Point

All flights were moved to the new location at Bethune Point, right on the Halifax River
Halifax River
The Halifax River is part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, located in northeast Volusia County, Florida. The waterway was originally known as the North Mosquito River, but was renamed after George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax, during the British occupation of Florida .-Geography:The...

. Eastern Air Transport was the first commercial service out of Daytona Beach. The airline was certified to fly mail to Tampa and Orlando. However, the first flight crashed just after takeoff
Takeoff
Takeoff is the phase of flight in which an aerospace vehicle goes from the ground to flying in the air.For horizontal takeoff aircraft this usually involves starting with a transition from moving along the ground on a runway. For balloons, helicopters and some specialized fixed-wing aircraft , no...

, due to a mechanical failure. The pilot was uninjured, and the mail was collected and sent out on a different flight.

Florida State Airways, Inc was an airline that formed in early 1930 in Daytona Beach. The airline provided service for passengers to other Florida cities and to the Bahamas, using Ryan aircraft. In January 1930, Vice President of Operations, Bill Lindley, piloted a flight to Palm Beach. While on the descent, he never pulled out of the dive and went into Lake Worth at full throttle. The combination of Lindley's death and the depression soon caused most aviation activity in Daytona Beach to stop.

Municipal Airport

In late 1930, a 740 acres (299 ha) piece of land turned into the current airport, located just a few hundred feet from the main drag of International Speedway Blvd. The first name it was given was Sholtz Field, after the then Governor
David Sholtz
David Sholtz was the 26th Governor of Florida.-Early life and education:Sholtz was born to Jewish parents in Brooklyn, New York, and after graduating from Yale, where he was a member of the Acacia Fraternity, in 1914 he went on and earned a law degree from Stetson University Law School...

 of Florida, who was from Daytona Beach. The airport began with two runways, both gravel. One runway was 1800 feet (548.6 m) long, the other was 2100 feet (640.1 m) long. Before too long the name was changed to Daytona Beach Municipal Airport.

Eastern Air Lines
Eastern Air Lines
Eastern Air Lines was a major United States airline that existed from 1926 to 1991. Before its dissolution it was headquartered at Miami International Airport in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida.-History:...

 began passenger service out of Daytona Beach, flying Kingbirds and Condors. But after only a few years, Eastern did not re-bid, after the airmail changes of 1934. In 1935, National Airlines
National Airlines (NA)
National Airlines was an airline founded in 1934 and was headquartered on the grounds of Miami International Airport in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States near Miami.- History :...

 won a bid on the cross-state route from Daytona Beach to St. Petersburg. In 1936, the airport was closed for repairs. National rerouted its flights to Jacksonville but Eastern became upset and called it an act of "buccaneers". National Airlines was nicknamed the "Buccaneer Route".

Expansion

In the late 1930s, four 4000 by 150 feet (45.7 m) runways were built, all paved. This expansion allowed DC-2
Douglas DC-2
The Douglas DC-2 was a 14-seat, twin-engine airliner produced by the American company Douglas Aircraft Corporation starting in 1934. It competed with the Boeing 247...

 and DC-3
Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...

 aircraft to land at Daytona Beach. At the time, the terminal was located on the south side of the airport.

For a short while in 1940, a zoo-keeper was hired to maintain the airport. When World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 broke out, the US Navy took over and used the airport for training, establishing it as Naval Air Station Daytona Beach. All runways were widened to 200 feet (61 m) and the east–west runway was extended to 5500 feet (1,676.4 m). New buildings were constructed, some of which were later used by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is a private university in the US specializing in aviation and aerospace engineering. It teaches the science, practice, and business of aviation and aerospace. Called "The Harvard of the Sky" by Time Magazine in 1979, Embry-Riddle has a history dating back to...

 after their move from Miami in 1965.

At the end of the war, ownership was given back to the city of Daytona Beach in 1946. A permanent airline passenger terminal was completed in 1958, along with a control tower. During the 1960s, the east–west runway was extended to 7,500', facilitating operations for Eastern's Boeing 720
Boeing 720
The Boeing 720 is a four-engine narrow-body short- to medium-range passenger jet airliner. Developed by Boeing in the late 1950s from the Boeing 707, the 720 has a shorter fuselage and less range...

 jets. This and the north–south runway were became 150' wide, the two diagonal runways were closed, and a 3100' x 75' flight training runway was built parallel to the main runway, on the south side of the field.

In 1969, Volusia County took over management and renamed the premises Daytona Beach Regional Airport. In the following decades Embry-Riddle considerably developed its campus on the northeast side of the field. By the mid-1980s, a midfield control tower had been completed, and the airport was served by airlines that included Eastern, Delta and Continental.

During the short period of time in the 1980s and 1990s while American Airlines maintained a hub operation in Raleigh/Durham, American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...

 provided 2–3 daily flights using mainline aircraft to Raleigh Durham International Airport. American discontinued service to Daytona Beach in 1994 as the Raleigh/Durham hub was dismantled.

In 1992, a newer, larger two-level terminal was opened to the public. The previous terminal was converted to an international arrivals facility. These new buildings, along with extension of two runways to 10,500' and 6001', justified a name change to Daytona Beach International Airport. The only scheduled direct flights out of the country from the airport were provided by Vintage Props and Jets
Vintage Props and Jets
Vintage Props and Jets was a commuter airline based in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. The airline provided daily flights between selected cities in Florida and The Bahamas....

 using small, turbo-prop aircraft. On July 18, 2008, Vintage Props and Jets temporarily ceased operations and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. International charters using wide-bodied jets of numerous airlines are periodically conducted.

In the past, Daytona Beach has seen service from present day airlines such as Delta Airlines from Cincinnati and New York, American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...

 from Raleigh-Durham, LTU International
LTU International
LTU Lufttransport-Unternehmen GmbH was an airline based in Düsseldorf, Germany, now fully owned by Air Berlin. The initials stand for the German phrase LuftTransport-Unternehmen . It operated scheduled services on medium and long-haul routes, as well as charter services...

 from Düsseldorf, Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...

 from Newark, United Airlines
United Airlines
United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...

 from Chicago and Washington DC, and AirTran Airways
AirTran Airways
AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of the Dallas, Texas-based Southwest Airlines, is an American low-cost airline headquartered in Orlando, Florida. AirTran operates over 650 daily flights , primarily in the eastern and midwestern United States...

 from Atlanta, Baltimore, and New York City. These airlines have subsequently all pulled out of Daytona Beach.

According to an article in the Daytona Beach News Journal released on September 28, 2010, Stephen J. Cooke, the director of the airport, is in active talks with the recently merged Southwest/Airtran to begin service to Daytona. Airtran has served Daytona in the past competing with Delta on the Atlanta route and having routes to Baltimore and LaGuardia as well. Southwest has never served Daytona. A Southwest spokesman has said it is too soon to discuss future markets but talks are continuing. If Southwest were to serve Daytona it would likely be from numerous cities. This would increase competition and lower prices for an airport that has been monopolized by Delta and US Airways for years.

Current service

Currently, Daytona Beach International Airport is served by two carriers, Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...

 with service to Atlanta and US Airways
US Airways
US Airways, Inc. is a major airline based in the U.S. city of Tempe, Arizona. The airline is an operating unit of US Airways Group and is the sixth largest airline by traffic and eighth largest by market value in the country....

 with service to Charlotte. Delta provides mainline service year round using MD-88s, while mixing in CRJ-700s for the quiet summer season and DC-9-50s and A319s for the busy holiday season. Delta also adds daily 757s for the Spring Break season. US Airways uses regional jets ranging from CRJ-200s to CRJ-900s depending on the season. Both Airlines upgrade for the Daytona 500
Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a -long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule....

 weekend with Delta bringing in B757s and US Airways bringing B737s and A319s.

Facilities and aircraft

Daytona Beach International Airport covers an area of 1800 acres (728.4 ha) which contains three asphalt
Asphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...

 paved runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...

s: 7L/25R measuring 10,500 x 150 ft. (3,200 x 46 m), 7R/25L at 3,195 x 100 ft. (974 x 30 m) and 16/34 which is 6,001 x 150 ft. (1,829 x 46 m).

For the 12-month period ending April 30, 2010, the airport had 290,455 aircraft operations, an average of 796 per day: 97% general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...

, 1% scheduled commercial, 2% air taxi
Air taxi
An air taxi is an air charter passenger or cargo aircraft which operates on an on-demand basis.-Regulation:In the United States, air taxi and air charter operations are governed by Part 135 of the Federal Aviation Regulations , unlike the larger scheduled air carriers which are governed by more...

 and <1% military. There are 231 aircraft based at this airport: 72% single engine, 16% multi-engine, 11% jet aircraft and 1% helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...

s.

Fixed base operators

  • ATP Jet Center(formerly known as Precision Air Center and Lynch Air)
  • Commonwealth Aviation
  • SheltAir Aviation Services
    SheltAir Aviation Services
    SheltAir Aviation Services is a fixed base operator with thirteen locations in Florida, Georgia, and New York in the United States of America. The company offers aircraft parking, fueling, cleaning, ground support, and passenger/crew services. SheltAir is a subsidiary of Holland SheltAir Aviation...

  • Yelvington Jet Aviation

Aviation Schools

  • Ultimate Air Academy
  • 1st Class Aviation School of Aeronautics
  • Air America Flight Center
  • Airline Transport Professionals
  • Daytona Aviation Academy
  • Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
    Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach
    Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach is a residential campus of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. The university offers bachelor's and master's degrees in aeronautical science , aerospace engineering and other aerospace fields.-History:Embry-Riddle began in 1925 as the...

  • Phoenix East Aviation
  • The Airline Academy

Scheduled passenger service

Top Destinations

Busiest domestic routes out of DAB
(July 2010 - June 2011)
Rank City Passengers Carriers
1   Atlanta, GA
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport , known locally as Atlanta Airport, Hartsfield Airport, and Hartsfield–Jackson, is located seven miles south of the central business district of Atlanta, Georgia, United States...

188,000 Delta
2   Charlotte, NC
Charlotte/Douglas International Airport
Charlotte Douglas International Airport is a joint civil-military public international airport located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Established in 1935 as Charlotte Municipal Airport, in 1954 the airport was renamed Douglas Municipal Airport after former Charlotte mayor Ben Elbert Douglas, Sr...

67,000 US Airways

Air taxi service

External links

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