Bellingham International Airport
Encyclopedia
Bellingham International Airport is a public airport
located three miles (5 km) northwest of Bellingham
, in Whatcom County, Washington
, USA
. The airport has a single runway
. Due to the close proximity to British Columbia
, the Bellingham International Airport functions somewhat as a reliever airport to the Vancouver International Airport
. On the Allegiant website the airport is referred to as Bellingham
/Vancouver
.
In early 2007, Bellingham International hosted service to three destinations by the short-lived Western Airlines
. Later the same year, Skybus Airlines
provided flights to their hub in Ohio, but shut down quickly like Western Airlines had done earlier. On March 1, 2008, Allegiant Air
opened up their sixth base at Bellingham International Airport. The airline currently bases 4 McDonnell Douglas
MD-80 aircraft in Bellingham, with a fifth expected in the near future, as part of the expansion.
In 1940, the United States Army Corps of Engineers took over the facility and expanded it to three full runways, revetments for parking aircraft, and development of personnel quarters. During World War II
the airport was used by Fourth Air Force
immediately after the Pearl Harbor Attack for air defense of the Pacific Coast. It was later used by Air Transport Command
and Air Technical Service Command as an intermediate ferrying field for Lend-Lease aircraft being flown to Alaska for subsequent transfer to the Soviet Union
.
The USAAF closed the facility in September 1946, and it was turned over to the War Assets Administration for disposal. It slowly was returned to Whatcom County and was redeveloped as a civil airport in the late 1940s. Currently, only the longest of the runways (16/34) is used. The two diagonal runways have fallen into disrepair, their easternmost ends used as taxiways between tarmacs and the sole remaining runway.
In the 1990's homes were purchased to extend the runway in an effort to attract air carriers. The assumption at the time is that there would not be a third runway at SEATAC airport. The airport has seen a high turnover rate.
Since a majority of the passengers are now Canadian, in 2010, the British Columbia government in an effort to retain catchment have frozen landing fees and abolished the fuel tax.
In September 2010, the airport completed a $26 million resurfacing of the runway to allow aircraft up to the size of Boeing 757
s to utilize the airport.
The airport is presently seeking tenders for a $30 million expansion to the terminal which will increase the size of the terminal building from 27000 ft2 to 85000 ft2, as well as replacing modular buildings currently at the site and adding a baggage carousel. The cost of the expansion, to be completed by 2013, accelerated from the original completion date of 2018, is covered by surcharges from passengers and parking fees.
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) northwest of Bellingham
Bellingham, Washington
Bellingham is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington. It is the twelfth-largest city in the state. Situated on Bellingham Bay, Bellingham is protected by Lummi Island, Portage Island, and the Lummi Peninsula, and opens onto the Strait of Georgia...
, in Whatcom County, Washington
Whatcom County, Washington
Whatcom County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. Its name ultimately derives from the Lummi word Xwotʼqom, meaning "noisy water." As of 2010, the population was 201,140. The county seat is at Bellingham, which is also the county's largest city...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The airport has a single 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...
. Due to the close proximity to British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, the Bellingham International Airport functions somewhat as a reliever airport to the Vancouver International Airport
Vancouver International Airport
Vancouver International Airport is located on Sea Island in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, about from Downtown Vancouver. In 2010 it was the second busiest airport in Canada by aircraft movements and passengers , behind Toronto Pearson International Airport, with non-stop flights daily to...
. On the Allegiant website the airport is referred to as Bellingham
Bellingham, Washington
Bellingham is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington. It is the twelfth-largest city in the state. Situated on Bellingham Bay, Bellingham is protected by Lummi Island, Portage Island, and the Lummi Peninsula, and opens onto the Strait of Georgia...
/Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
.
In early 2007, Bellingham International hosted service to three destinations by the short-lived Western Airlines
Western (airline)
Western was an American low-cost airline headquartered in Bellingham, Washington, and operated from a hub at Bellingham International Airport.-History:...
. Later the same year, Skybus Airlines
Skybus Airlines
Skybus Airlines Inc. was a privately held airline based in Columbus, Ohio, United States. It operated as an ultra-low-cost carrier modeled after the European airline Ryanair, and aimed to be the least expensive airline in the United States...
provided flights to their hub in Ohio, but shut down quickly like Western Airlines had done earlier. On March 1, 2008, Allegiant Air
Allegiant Air
Allegiant Air is an American low-cost airline owned by Allegiant Travel Co. that operates scheduled and charter flights. Allegiant Travel Company is a publicly traded company with 1,300 employees and one billion USD market capitalization...
opened up their sixth base at Bellingham International Airport. The airline currently bases 4 McDonnell Douglas
McDonnell Douglas
McDonnell Douglas was a major American aerospace manufacturer and defense contractor, producing a number of famous commercial and military aircraft. It formed from a merger of McDonnell Aircraft and Douglas Aircraft in 1967. McDonnell Douglas was based at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport...
MD-80 aircraft in Bellingham, with a fifth expected in the near future, as part of the expansion.
History
In 1936, Whatcom County obtained 200 acre (0.809372 km²) for an airport at the current airport site. Three runways were planned, but it took almost four years to get the first 5000' x 150' runway cleared and paved. Temporary Port of Entry status was secured early, but the slow construction left it in a continually tenuous state - United Airlines would only base there if the field was safe enough for their DC-3's, and it maintained its Port of Entry status. Ultimately they built a terminal, designed by F. Stanley Piper, and the airport was dedicated in 1940, having employed more than 500 people.In 1940, the United States Army Corps of Engineers took over the facility and expanded it to three full runways, revetments for parking aircraft, and development of personnel quarters. During 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...
the airport was used by Fourth Air Force
Fourth Air Force
The Fourth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve . It is headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California....
immediately after the Pearl Harbor Attack for air defense of the Pacific Coast. It was later used by Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its mission was to meet the urgent demand for the speedy reinforcement of the United States' military bases worldwide during World War II, using an air supply system to supplement surface transport...
and Air Technical Service Command as an intermediate ferrying field for Lend-Lease aircraft being flown to Alaska for subsequent transfer to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
The USAAF closed the facility in September 1946, and it was turned over to the War Assets Administration for disposal. It slowly was returned to Whatcom County and was redeveloped as a civil airport in the late 1940s. Currently, only the longest of the runways (16/34) is used. The two diagonal runways have fallen into disrepair, their easternmost ends used as taxiways between tarmacs and the sole remaining runway.
In the 1990's homes were purchased to extend the runway in an effort to attract air carriers. The assumption at the time is that there would not be a third runway at SEATAC airport. The airport has seen a high turnover rate.
Since a majority of the passengers are now Canadian, in 2010, the British Columbia government in an effort to retain catchment have frozen landing fees and abolished the fuel tax.
In September 2010, the airport completed a $26 million resurfacing of the runway to allow aircraft up to the size of Boeing 757
Boeing 757
The Boeing 757 is a mid-size, narrow-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Passenger versions of the twinjet have a capacity of 186 to 289 persons and a maximum range of , depending on variant and cabin configuration...
s to utilize the airport.
The airport is presently seeking tenders for a $30 million expansion to the terminal which will increase the size of the terminal building from 27000 ft2 to 85000 ft2, as well as replacing modular buildings currently at the site and adding a baggage carousel. The cost of the expansion, to be completed by 2013, accelerated from the original completion date of 2018, is covered by surcharges from passengers and parking fees.
Airlines and destinations
Top Destinations
| Rank | City | Passengers | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Las Vegas, NVMcCarran International Airport McCarran International Airport is the principal commercial airport serving Las Vegas and Clark County, Nevada, United States. The airport is located five miles south of the central business district of Las Vegas, in the unincorporated area of Paradise in Clark County. It covers an area of and... |
187,000 | Alaska, Allegiant |
| 2 |  Seattle, WASeattle-Tacoma International Airport The Seattle–Tacoma International Airport , also known as Sea–Tac Airport or Sea–Tac , is an American airport located in SeaTac, Washington, at the intersections of State Routes 99 and 509 and 518, about west of Interstate 5... |
111,000 | Alaska |
| 3 |  Honolulu, HIHonolulu International Airport Honolulu International Airport is the principal aviation gateway of the City & County of Honolulu and the State of Hawaii and is identified as one of the busiest airports in the United States, with traffic now exceeding 21 million passengers a year and rising.It is located in the Honolulu... |
24,000 | Alaska |
| 4 |  Phoenix-Mesa, AZPhoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport , formerly Williams Gateway Airport and Williams Air Force Base , is a commercial airport located in the southeastern area of the city of Mesa, Arizona, and southeast of Phoenix, in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. The airport is owned and operated by the... |
23,000 | Allegiant |
| 5 |  Palm Springs, CAPalm Springs International Airport Palm Springs International Airport is a public airport located two miles east of the central business district of Palm Springs, California, serving the Inland Empire Metropolitan Area of Southern California. The airport covers and utilizes two runways... |
23,000 | Allegiant |
| 6 | Oakland, CA Oakland International Airport Oakland International Airport , also known as Metropolitan Oakland International Airport, is a public airport located south of the central business district of Oakland, a city in Alameda County, California, United States... |
22,000 | Allegiant |
| 7 | San Diego, CA San Diego International Airport San Diego International Airport , sometimes referred to as Lindbergh Field, is a public airport located northwest of the central business district of San Diego, California and from the Mexico – United States border at Tijuana, Mexico... |
16,000 | Allegiant |
| 8 | Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles International Airport Los Angeles International Airport is the primary airport serving the Greater Los Angeles Area, the second-most populated metropolitan area in the United States. It is most often referred to by its IATA airport code LAX, with the letters pronounced individually... |
16,000 | Allegiant |
| 9 | Long Beach, CA |
15,000 | Allegiant |
| 10 |  Portland, ORPortland International Airport Portland International Airport is a joint civil-military airport and the largest airport in the U.S. state of Oregon, accounting for 90% of passenger travel and more than 95% of air cargo of the state. It is located within Portland's city limits just south of the Columbia River in Multnomah... |
2,000 | - |
See also
- Washington World War II Army AirfieldsWashington World War II Army AirfieldsDuring World War II, the United States Army Air Force established numerous airfields in Washington for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers....
External links
- Bellingham International Airport
- WSDOTWashington State Department of TransportationThe Washington State Department of Transportation , was established in 1905. The agency, led by a Secretary and overseen by the Governor, is a Washington governmental agency that constructs, maintains, and regulates the use of the state's transportation infrastructure...
Pilot's Guide: Bellingham International (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....
69 kb) - WSDOTWashington State Department of TransportationThe Washington State Department of Transportation , was established in 1905. The agency, led by a Secretary and overseen by the Governor, is a Washington governmental agency that constructs, maintains, and regulates the use of the state's transportation infrastructure...
Economic Impacts: Bellingham International