Asheville Regional Airport
Encyclopedia
Asheville Regional Airport is a Class C airport
near Interstate 40
and Interstate 26
near the town of Fletcher
, 9 miles (14.5 km) south of the city of Asheville
, in the U.S. state of North Carolina
. It is owned by the city of Asheville. In 2010 it served a total of 735,760 passengers, an increase of 27% over 2009.
designated 16/34 with a 8,001 x 150 ft (2,439 x 46 m) asphalt
surface.
For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2010, the airport had 67,340 aircraft operations, an average of 184 per day: 62% general aviation
, 29% air taxi
, 2% scheduled commercial
and 7% military
. In 2010, there were 124 aircraft based at this airport: 65% single-engine
, 23% multi-engine, 8% jet
and 5% helicopter
.
The airport currently sees the following models of aircraft on a regular basis:
A Concorde
visited AVL during a 1987 promotional tour and was snowed in. Chartered Boeing 747
s (United Airlines
) have also visited, as has an Airbus A340
during the visit of Charles, Prince of Wales
, to the nearby Biltmore Estate
in 1996. AVL's 8001 feet (2,438.7 m) runway allows for the operation of almost any aircraft type. In April 2010, President Barack Obama
and First Lady Michelle Obama
landed in Asheville aboard Air Force One
(Boeing C-32) for a weekend getaway.
In October 2011, President Obama landed in Asheville aboard the larger (Boeing VC-25
) Air Force One to kick off his North Carolina and Virgina bus tour to promote his Jobs Bill and gave a speech at the airport, and made a reference in his speech that the airport needed improvements.
Flight 22
, a Boeing 727
, collided in mid-air with a Cessna
310
just south of the airport in Hendersonville, North Carolina
. The collision happened just moments after the 727 took off from the Asheville Airport. All 82 people on both planes were killed.
On March 14, 2003, a Cessna 177
Cardinal crashed into Old Fort Mountain
after taking off from the airport. It killed author Amanda Davis
, who was on a book tour promoting her first novel Wonder When You'll Miss Me (ISBN 0-688-16781-0), and her parents.
On October 27, 2004, a Beechcraft Duke
crashed approximately 0.8 of a mile off the departure end of Runway 34 after an apparent right engine failure, killing all 4 people on board.
On May 4, 2007, a 1977 Cessna 182
en route to Asheville Regional Airport crashed near the airport, killing three Georgia men. Initial reports said that rapper Jay-Z
was on-board. These reports were false, however.
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...
near Interstate 40
Interstate 40
Interstate 40 is the third-longest major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90 and I-80. Its western end is at Interstate 15 in Barstow, California; its eastern end is at a concurrency of U.S. Route 117 and North Carolina Highway 132 in Wilmington, North Carolina...
and Interstate 26
Interstate 26
Interstate 26 is a nominally east–west main route of the Interstate Highway System in the Southeastern United States. I-26 runs from the junction of U.S. Route 11W and U.S. Route 23 in Kingsport, Tennessee, generally southeastward to U.S. Route 17 in Charleston, South Carolina...
near the town of Fletcher
Fletcher, North Carolina
Fletcher is a town in Henderson County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 4,185 at the 2000 census.Fletcher is home to Asheville Regional Airport, which serves Western North Carolina...
, 9 miles (14.5 km) south of the city of Asheville
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active...
, in the U.S. state of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. It is owned by the city of Asheville. In 2010 it served a total of 735,760 passengers, an increase of 27% over 2009.
Facilities and aircraft
Asheville Regional Airport covers an area of 900 acres (364.2 ha) and has one 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...
designated 16/34 with a 8,001 x 150 ft (2,439 x 46 m) 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.
For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2010, the airport had 67,340 aircraft operations, an average of 184 per day: 62% 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...
, 29% 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...
, 2% 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 7% 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...
. In 2010, there were 124 aircraft based at this airport: 65% 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...
, 23% multi-engine, 8% jet
Jet aircraft
A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...
and 5% 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...
.
The airport currently sees the following models of aircraft on a regular basis:
- Canadair Regional Jet (50 or 70 passengers)
- De Havilland Canada Dash 8 Turboprop (37 or 50 passengers)
- Embraer ERJ (37 or 50 passengers)
- Boeing 717Boeing 717The Boeing 717 is a twin-engine, single-aisle jet airliner, developed for the 100-seat market. The airliner was designed and marketed by McDonnell Douglas as the MD-95, a third-generation derivative of the DC-9. Capable of seating of up to 117 passengers, the 717 has maximum range of...
(117 passengers) - Boeing 737Boeing 737The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
(159 passengers) - Various charter aircraft
A Concorde
Concorde
Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde was a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger airliner, a supersonic transport . It was a product of an Anglo-French government treaty, combining the manufacturing efforts of Aérospatiale and the British Aircraft Corporation...
visited AVL during a 1987 promotional tour and was snowed in. Chartered Boeing 747
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
s (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...
) have also visited, as has an Airbus A340
Airbus A340
The Airbus A340 is a long-range four-engine wide-body commercial passenger jet airliner. Developed by Airbus Industrie,A consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. a consortium of European aerospace companies, which is...
during the visit of Charles, Prince of Wales
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
, to the nearby Biltmore Estate
Biltmore Estate
Biltmore House is a Châteauesque-styled mansion near Asheville, North Carolina, built by George Washington Vanderbilt II between 1889 and 1895. It is the largest privately-owned home in the United States, at and featuring 250 rooms...
in 1996. AVL's 8001 feet (2,438.7 m) runway allows for the operation of almost any aircraft type. In April 2010, President 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...
and First Lady Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is the wife of the 44th and incumbent President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States...
landed in Asheville aboard 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...
(Boeing C-32) for a weekend getaway.
In October 2011, President Obama landed in Asheville aboard the larger (Boeing VC-25
Boeing VC-25
The Boeing VC-25 is the designation of a United States Air Force passenger transportation aircraft, a military version of the Boeing 747 airliner. The A-model is the only variant of the VC-25....
) Air Force One to kick off his North Carolina and Virgina bus tour to promote his Jobs Bill and gave a speech at the airport, and made a reference in his speech that the airport needed improvements.
Airlines and destinations
Top Destinations
| Rank | City | Passengers | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Atlanta, GAHartsfield-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... |
125,000 | Delta |
| 2 |  Charlotte, NCCharlotte/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... |
118,000 | US Airways |
| 3 |  Chicago-O’Hare, IL |
28,000 | United |
| 4 |  Detroit, MIDetroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport , usually called Detroit Metro Airport, Metro Airport locally, or simply DTW, is a major international airport covering in Romulus, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. It is Michigan's busiest airport.... |
22,000 | Delta |
| 5 |  Orlando, FLOrlando 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... |
18,000 | AirTran |
| 6 |  New York-LaGuardia, NYLaGuardia Airport LaGuardia Airport is an airport located in the northern part of Queens County on Long Island in the City of New York. The airport is located on the waterfront of Flushing Bay and Bowery Bay, and borders the neighborhoods of Astoria, Jackson Heights and East Elmhurst. The airport was originally... |
14,000 | Delta, US Airways |
| 7 |  Houston-Intercontinental, TXGeorge Bush Intercontinental Airport George Bush Intercontinental Airport, is a Class B international airport in Houston, Texas, serving the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area, the sixth-largest metropolitan area in the United States. Located north of Downtown Houston between Interstate 45 and U.S. Highway 59... |
13,000 | Continental |
| 8 |  Newark, NJNewark Liberty International Airport Newark Liberty International Airport , first named Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport within the city limits of both Newark and Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States... |
12,000 | Continental |
| 9 | Tampa, FL Tampa International Airport Tampa International Airport is a major public airport located six nautical miles west of the central business district of Tampa, in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. This airport is publicly owned by Hillsborough County Aviation Authority... |
7,000 | AirTran |
| 10 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX |
5,000 | American |
Incidents
On July 19, 1967, Piedmont AirlinesPiedmont Airlines (1948-1989)
Piedmont Airlines was a major airline in the United States which operated from 1948 until its operations were merged into USAir in 1989. Its headquarters were located at One Piedmont Plaza in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, a building which is now part of Wake Forest University.As of April 1989,...
Flight 22
Piedmont Airlines Flight 22
Piedmont Airlines Flight 22 was a Piedmont Airlines Boeing 727-22 on a scheduled airline flight in the United States from Asheville Regional Airport in Asheville, North Carolina to Roanoke Regional Airport in Roanoke, Virginia. Shortly after departure, the flight collided with a twin-engine Cessna...
, a Boeing 727
Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
, collided in mid-air with a Cessna
Cessna
The Cessna Aircraft Company is an airplane manufacturing corporation headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, USA. Their main products are general aviation aircraft. Although they are the most well known for their small, piston-powered aircraft, they also produce business jets. The company is a subsidiary...
310
Cessna 310
The Cessna 310 is an American six-seat, low-wing, twin-engined monoplane that was produced by Cessna between 1954 and 1980. It was the first twin-engined aircraft that Cessna put into production after World War II.-Development:...
just south of the airport in Hendersonville, North Carolina
Hendersonville, North Carolina
Hendersonville is a city in Henderson County, North Carolina, USA, southeast of Asheville. In 1900, 1,917 persons lived in Hendersonville; in 1910, 2,818; and in 1940, 5,381 people lived here. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 12,223, up fivefold in one century. It is the county...
. The collision happened just moments after the 727 took off from the Asheville Airport. All 82 people on both planes were killed.
On March 14, 2003, a Cessna 177
Cessna 177
The Cessna 177 Cardinal is a light, high-wing general aviation aircraft that was intended to replace Cessna's 172 Skyhawk. First announced in 1967, it was produced from 1968 to 1978.-Development:...
Cardinal crashed into Old Fort Mountain
Old Fort, North Carolina
Old Fort is a town in McDowell County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 959 at the 2008 estimated census. The town is well known for its weekly Mountain Music concerts, attracting large audiences and many musicians from the surrounding areas to Old Fort's downtown each Friday at...
after taking off from the airport. It killed author Amanda Davis
Amanda Davis
Amanda Davis was an American writer. She released one collection, Circling the Drain, and one novel, Wonder When You'll Miss Me. Davis died at the age of 32 in a plane crash; the plane was piloted by her father and crashed on Old Fort Mountain in McDowell County, North Carolina. She had just...
, who was on a book tour promoting her first novel Wonder When You'll Miss Me (ISBN 0-688-16781-0), and her parents.
On October 27, 2004, a Beechcraft Duke
Beechcraft Duke
-Military operators:-See also:-References:*Donald, David . The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Leicesrer, UK:Blitz Editions, 1997. ISBN 1-85605-375-X....
crashed approximately 0.8 of a mile off the departure end of Runway 34 after an apparent right engine failure, killing all 4 people on board.
On May 4, 2007, a 1977 Cessna 182
Cessna 182
The Cessna 182 Skylane is an American four-seat, single-engine, light airplane, built by Cessna of Wichita, Kansas. It has the option of adding two child seats, installed in the baggage area....
en route to Asheville Regional Airport crashed near the airport, killing three Georgia men. Initial reports said that rapper Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
was on-board. These reports were false, however.
External links
- Asheville Regional Airport, official web site at NCDOT web site
- Aviation Safety Net ASN Aircraft Accident 27-OCT-2004