Grand Canyon National Park Airport
Encyclopedia
Grand Canyon National Park Airport is a state-owned public-use airport located in Tusayan
, a CDP
in unincorporated
Coconino County
, Arizona
, United States
. It is near Grand Canyon National Park
, seven miles (11 km) from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon
. The airport is primarily used for scenic tours and charter flights, but there is scheduled commercial service.
As per Federal Aviation Administration
records, the airport had 294,436 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year
2008 and 354,624 enplanements in 2007. According to the FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems
for 2009–2013, it is categorized
as commercial service - primary.
Today, the airport is the third most active air carrier airport in the Arizona
, following Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
and Tucson International Airport
. Over 40 air taxi and commuter carriers serve the airport.
On August 16, 2009, Air Force One
, carrying President
Barack Obama
landed at Grand Canyon Airport at about 10am local time, for a four hour visit of the Canyon
by the President and his family.
of 6,609 feet (2,014 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway
designated 3/21 with an asphalt
surface measuring 8,999 by 150 feet (2,743 x 46 m).
For the 12-month period ending April 30, 2010, the airport had 91,695 aircraft operations, an average of 251 per day: 95% air taxi
, 4% general aviation
, <1% scheduled commercial
, and <1% military
. At that time there were 34 aircraft based at this airport: 12% single-engine
, 12% multi-engine and 76% helicopter
.
Tusayan, Arizona
Tusayan is a town in Coconino County, Arizona, United States. Prior to its incorporation in 2010, it was a census-designated place . A resort town near the south entrance to Grand Canyon National Park, Tusayan is served by Grand Canyon National Park Airport...
, a CDP
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
in unincorporated
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
Coconino County
Coconino County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*61.7% White*1.2% Black*27.3% Native American*1.4% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.1% Two or more races*5.2% Other races*13.5% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is near Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon National Park is the United States' 15th oldest national park and is located in Arizona. Within the park lies the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, considered to be one of the Wonders of the World. The park covers of unincorporated area in Coconino and Mohave counties.Most...
, seven miles (11 km) from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park, the 15th national park in the United States...
. The airport is primarily used for scenic tours and charter flights, but there is scheduled commercial service.
As per Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
records, the airport had 294,436 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year
Calendar year
Generally speaking, a calendar year begins on the New Year's Day of the given calendar system and ends on the day before the following New Year's Day. By convention, a calendar year consists of a natural number of days. To reconcile the calendar year with an astronomical cycle , certain years...
2008 and 354,624 enplanements in 2007. According to the FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems
National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems
The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems is an inventory of U.S. aviation infrastructure assets. It is developed and maintained by the Federal Aviation Administration . Its purposes are:* to identify all the airports in the U.S...
for 2009–2013, it is categorized
FAA airport categories
The United States Federal Aviation Administration has a system for categorizing public-use airports that is primarily based on the level of commercial passenger traffic through each facility. It is used to determine if an airport is eligible for funding through the federal government's Airport...
as commercial service - primary.
History
The present day facility incorporates the site of the first official Grand Canyon airport, a landing field authorized by the U.S. Forest Service for commercial flights in 1925. The new airport first opened for business in October 1965. The airport terminal was completed and formally dedicated on October 20, 1967.Today, the airport is the third most active air carrier airport in the Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, following Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located southeast of the central business district of the city of Phoenix, in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States...
and Tucson International Airport
Tucson International Airport
Tucson International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located six miles south of the central business district of Tucson, in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and is the second largest and busiest airport in Arizona, after Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix.- Overview...
. Over 40 air taxi and commuter carriers serve the airport.
On August 16, 2009, Air Force One
Air Force One
Air Force One is the official air traffic control call sign of any United States Air Force aircraft carrying the President of the United States. In common parlance the term refers to those Air Force aircraft whose primary mission is to transport the president; however, any U.S. Air Force aircraft...
, carrying President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
landed at Grand Canyon Airport at about 10am local time, for a four hour visit of the Canyon
Canyon
A canyon or gorge is a deep ravine between cliffs often carved from the landscape by a river. Rivers have a natural tendency to reach a baseline elevation, which is the same elevation as the body of water it will eventually drain into. This forms a canyon. Most canyons were formed by a process of...
by the President and his family.
Facilities and aircraft
Grand Canyon National Park Airport covers an area of 859 acres (347.6 ha) at an elevationElevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
of 6,609 feet (2,014 m) above mean sea level. It has one 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...
designated 3/21 with an 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...
surface measuring 8,999 by 150 feet (2,743 x 46 m).
For the 12-month period ending April 30, 2010, the airport had 91,695 aircraft operations, an average of 251 per day: 95% 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...
, 4% 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
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
, and <1% military
Military aviation
Military aviation is the use of aircraft and other flying machines for the purposes of conducting or enabling warfare, including national airlift capacity to provide logistical supply to forces stationed in a theater or along a front. Air power includes the national means of conducting such...
. At that time there were 34 aircraft based at this airport: 12% single-engine
Aircraft engine
An aircraft engine is the component of the propulsion system for an aircraft that generates mechanical power. Aircraft engines are almost always either lightweight piston engines or gas turbines...
, 12% multi-engine and 76% 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...
.
Airlines and scheduled destinations
- Grand Canyon AirlinesGrand Canyon AirlinesGrand Canyon Airlines is an FAR Part 135 airline headquartered on the grounds of Grand Canyon National Park Airport in the Tusayan census-designated place in unincorporated Coconino County, Arizona, United States. It operates sightseeing tours over the Grand Canyon...
(Boulder City) - Scenic AirlinesScenic AirlinesScenic Airlines is an American regional airline based in Paradise, Nevada, USA. It operates sightseeing flights from Boulder City Airport in Boulder City, Nevada.-History:...
(Boulder City) - Vision AirlinesVision AirlinesVision Airlines, formerly Vision Air, is an airline with its operations headquartered in Suwanee, Georgia. Commercial and charter flights are offered primarily in the southeastern and central portions of the USA. Las Vegas is the farthest western city served by the airline as of April 2011...
(North Las Vegas)
Scenic air tours
- Air Grand CanyonAir Grand CanyonAir Grand Canyon is an airline headquartered on the grounds of Grand Canyon National Park Airport in the Tusayan census-designated place in unincorporated Coconino County, Arizona, United States. Air Grand Canyon an air tour company flying tourists on sight-seeing flights around the Grand Canyon...
- Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters
- Westwind Air Service
External links
- Grand Canyon National Park Airport (GCN) at Arizona DOT airport directory
- Aerial image as of 5 June 1992 from USGS The National Map