Erie International Airport
Encyclopedia
Erie International Airport / Tom Ridge
Field is a public airport serving northwestern Pennsylvania
and is located five miles (8 km) southwest of the central business district
(CBD) of Erie
, a city in Erie County
. It features commercial service by regional airline
s, connecting passengers to hubs in the northeast, midwest, and southeast. The airport faces stiff competition from the Pittsburgh
, Cleveland
and Buffalo
airports, all of which are within two hours of Erie via ground transport. The airport was recognized in 2004 as the third fastest growing airport in the United States, and the fastest growing airport in Pennsylvania.
The airport is reportedly looking to expand service to New York, Chicago, and many other cities. The airport has been served by many airlines over the years. US Airways discontinued Charlotte service in 2006. Delta Air Lines discontinued service to Atlanta
on 6 September 2007. In early 2008, US Airways discontinued Erie-Pittsburgh service. As of January 2010, US Airways Express service has been reduced to three flights daily to Philadelphia; Delta Connection offers five flights daily to Detroit; and Continental Connection offers four flights daily to Cleveland. As is the case across the country, the high cost of fuel is causing airlines to reduce regional flying and cut routes to smaller airports such as Erie. During the winter months when weather is typically dangerous, flights into Erie often become diverted to Cleveland or Buffalo.
s:
Tom Ridge
Thomas Joseph "Tom" Ridge is an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives , the 43rd Governor of Pennsylvania , Assistant to the President for Homeland Security , and the first United States Secretary of Homeland Security...
Field is a public airport serving northwestern Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and is located five miles (8 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"...
(CBD) of Erie
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
, a city in Erie County
Erie County, Pennsylvania
Erie County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 280,566. Its county seat is the City of Erie.- Geography :...
. It features commercial service by regional airline
Regional airline
Regional airlines are airlines that operate regional aircraft to provide passenger air service to communities without sufficient demand to attract mainline service...
s, connecting passengers to hubs in the northeast, midwest, and southeast. The airport faces stiff competition from the Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh International Airport
Pittsburgh International Airport , formerly Greater Pittsburgh Airport, Greater Pittsburgh International Airport and commonly referred to as Pittsburgh International, is a joint civil–military international airport located in the Pittsburgh suburb of Findlay Township, approximately west of...
, Cleveland
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport is a public airport located nine miles southwest of the central business district of Cleveland, a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. The airport lies just within the city limits of Cleveland...
and Buffalo
Buffalo Niagara International Airport
Buffalo Niagara International Airport is an airport located in Cheektowaga CDP, Town of Cheektowaga, in Erie County, New York, USA. It is named after the Buffalo – Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The airport serves Buffalo, New York as well as Southern Ontario, Canada...
airports, all of which are within two hours of Erie via ground transport. The airport was recognized in 2004 as the third fastest growing airport in the United States, and the fastest growing airport in Pennsylvania.
History
Prior to the events of September 11, 2001, the airport was at its height with US Airways mainline jets offering service to Pittsburgh and international service to Toronto.After 9/11, US Airways transitioned from 737s and DC-9s to regional jet service. As air service rebounded in the mid 2000's, the airport offered service on US Airways Express to Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Charlotte; Northwest Airlink to Detroit; Continental Connection to Cleveland; and Delta Connection to Cincinnati and Atlanta.The airport is reportedly looking to expand service to New York, Chicago, and many other cities. The airport has been served by many airlines over the years. US Airways discontinued Charlotte service in 2006. Delta Air Lines discontinued service to Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
on 6 September 2007. In early 2008, US Airways discontinued Erie-Pittsburgh service. As of January 2010, US Airways Express service has been reduced to three flights daily to Philadelphia; Delta Connection offers five flights daily to Detroit; and Continental Connection offers four flights daily to Cleveland. As is the case across the country, the high cost of fuel is causing airlines to reduce regional flying and cut routes to smaller airports such as Erie. During the winter months when weather is typically dangerous, flights into Erie often become diverted to Cleveland or Buffalo.
Current News
Erie International is in the process of a major expansion program. The plan includes expanding runway 6/24, establishing a relationship with an airport in Germany to create a major cargo bridge, and attracting new airlines offering service to more destinations. About 200,000 people used the airport in 2006, and that is down 14% due to airlines cutting back on seats. But, the number of passengers did increase by 16.1% in 2010 from 2009.Facilities
Erie International/Tom Ridge Field covers 450 acres (182 ha) and has two runwayRunway
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:
- Runway 2/20: 3,507 x 150 ft (1,069 x 46 m), Surface: AsphaltAsphaltAsphalt 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...
- Runway 6/24: 6,500 x 150 ft (1,981 x 46 m), Surface: Asphalt/Concrete
Airlines and destinations
Accidents/Incidents
- In 1986 USAir Flight 499USAir Flight 499US Airways Flight 499 was scheduled to be flown from Toronto, Ontario to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with a scheduled stop en route in Erie, Pennsylvania, on February 21, 1986...
, a DC-9, from Toronto Pearson landed on snow covered runway 24, and slid off the runway to rest over Asbury Road on the western perimeter of the airport. - In 1984, a USAir chartered flight, an MD-80 carrying a football team, landed in snowy conditions on a soft patch of land next to the runway.
External links
- Airport Master Record (FAA Form 5010), also available as a printable form (PDFPortable Document FormatPortable Document Format is an open standard for document exchange. This file format, created by Adobe Systems in 1993, is used for representing documents in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems....
) - Erie International Airport
- Pennsylvania Bureau of Aviation: Erie International Airport