El Paso International Airport
Encyclopedia
El Paso International Airport is a public airport
located four miles (6 km) northeast of the central business district
(CBD) of the City of El Paso
, in El Paso County, Texas
, USA
.
Public transportation to and from the airport is provided by Sun Metro bus #33 and #57.
In 2010 there were 3,065,393 total commercial passengers.
The El Paso International Airport was originally constructed as Standard Airport, constructed by Standard Airlines in 1929 for transcontinental air mail service. Standard Airlines became a division of American Airlines in the 1930s. In 1936, American Airlines "swapped" airports with the city of El Paso, and the El Paso International Airport was born.
In 1934, Varney Speed Lines (now known as Continental Airlines
) operated its service in and out of the old El Paso Municipal Airport (now closed). In 1937, the airline moved to Denver, Colorado
when Robert Six took over the airline.
During World War II
, the airport was used by the United States Army Air Forces
as a training base. Units which trained at El Paso Army Airfield were:
At the end of the war the airfield was determined to be excess by the military and returned to the local government for civil aviation use.
Historically, Continental Airlines had a significant presence at the airport. It provided "Golden Jet" service to such cities as Phoenix, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Albuquerque, Midland-Odessa, Dallas Love Field, Austin, San Antonio and Houston. El Paso was the last stop of the first hijacking of a jetliner, a Boeing 707 owned by Continental Airlines. Before deregulation
in the USA, El Paso was a focus city
for Continental Airlines, however El Paso was soon demoted to a standard station in a hub-and-spoke system under Frank Lorenzo's
leadership of the airline.
Serving General Aviation
at El Paso International Airport, Cutter Aviation established a Fixed Base Operation in 1982 at the airport. Cutter Aviation moved to a new facility on Shuttle Columbia Drive in 2006. Atlantic Aviation also serves general aviation at ELP.
s:
The layout of the terminal at the El Paso International Airport is a pier-satellite layout. The terminal has a central entrance and the gates branch out east to west on the two concourses. The Airport has East and West Concourses. Gates A1–A4 are located on the West Concourse and Gates B1–B11 is located on the East Concourse. The Airport has a total of 15 gates. There is also a lower and upper level. The gates are located on the upper level and the ticketing, baggage claim, rental car, and main entrance are located on the lower level of the terminal. The meeter/greeter area is located on the lower level just behind the escalators that lead to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint leading to the gates. Major terminal renovations have been made over the past several years, designed and managed by the local architectural firm Moore, Nordell, Kroeger Architects.
The Airport access road is Convair Road. Convair Road splits into four lanes with the left two lanes reserved for commercial vehicles and the right two lanes utilized for pickup and drop off of passengers. In between the split road there is a waiting area where passengers can wait for commercial vehicles to arrive.
Gates:
Generally, these gates are used for the following airlines.
Gates A1–A2: American Airlines and American Eagle.
Gates B1–B2: Delta Air Lines and Delta Connection.
Gates B3–B6: Southwest Airlines.
Gate B7: US Airways and US Airways Express.
Gate B9: Continental Airlines and Continental Express.
Gate B11: United Express.
Food Court:
The food court is located between gates B6 and B11. It is currently occupied with Carlos and Mickey's Mexican Express, Pizza Hut Express, Quizno's and Starbucks Coffee.
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 four miles (6 km) northeast 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 the City of El Paso
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
, in El Paso County, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Public transportation to and from the airport is provided by Sun Metro bus #33 and #57.
In 2010 there were 3,065,393 total commercial passengers.
History
The city of El Paso had originally constructed the El Paso Municipal Airport at a location close to the East Side of the Franklin Mountains in 1928. The airport was abandoned by 1965, and in more recent times has been home to the Jobe Concrete Products "Planeport" cement factory.The El Paso International Airport was originally constructed as Standard Airport, constructed by Standard Airlines in 1929 for transcontinental air mail service. Standard Airlines became a division of American Airlines in the 1930s. In 1936, American Airlines "swapped" airports with the city of El Paso, and the El Paso International Airport was born.
In 1934, Varney Speed Lines (now known as 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...
) operated its service in and out of the old El Paso Municipal Airport (now closed). In 1937, the airline moved to Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
when Robert Six took over the airline.
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 the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
as a training base. Units which trained at El Paso Army Airfield were:
- 385th Bombardment Group (Heavy) (B-17 Flying Fortress) December 21, 1942 – February 1, 1943
- Served with the 8th Air Force in England.
- 491st Bombardment Group (Heavy) (B-24 LiberatorB-24 LiberatorThe Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
) November 11, 1943 – January 1, 1944- Served with the 8th Air Force in England.
- 497th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) (B-29 SuperfortressB-29 SuperfortressThe B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
) November 20 – December 1, 1943- Served with the 20th Air Force at Saipan.
At the end of the war the airfield was determined to be excess by the military and returned to the local government for civil aviation use.
Historically, Continental Airlines had a significant presence at the airport. It provided "Golden Jet" service to such cities as Phoenix, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Albuquerque, Midland-Odessa, Dallas Love Field, Austin, San Antonio and Houston. El Paso was the last stop of the first hijacking of a jetliner, a Boeing 707 owned by Continental Airlines. Before deregulation
Airline Deregulation Act
The Airline Deregulation Act is a United States federal law signed into law on October 24, 1978. The main purpose of the act was to remove government control over fares, routes and market entry from commercial aviation...
in the USA, El Paso was a focus city
Focus city
In the airline industry, a focus city is a location that is not a hub, but from which the airline has non-stop flights to several destinations other than its hubs...
for Continental Airlines, however El Paso was soon demoted to a standard station in a hub-and-spoke system under Frank Lorenzo's
Frank Lorenzo
Francisco Anthony "Frank" Lorenzo is an American businessman and philanthropist. He is most famous for his leadership of Texas International Airlines and its successor holding company Texas Air Corporation between 1972 and 1990, through which he formed or acquired a number of major U.S...
leadership of the airline.
Serving 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...
at El Paso International Airport, Cutter Aviation established a Fixed Base Operation in 1982 at the airport. Cutter Aviation moved to a new facility on Shuttle Columbia Drive in 2006. Atlantic Aviation also serves general aviation at ELP.
Facilities
El Paso International Airport covers 6800 acres (2,752 ha) and has three 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 4/22: 12020 by 150 ft (3,663.7 by 45.7 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 8R/26L: 9025 by 150 ft (2,750.8 by 45.7 m), Surface: Asphalt
- Runway 8L/26R: 5493 by 75 ft (1,674.3 by 22.9 m), Surface: Asphalt
The layout of the terminal at the El Paso International Airport is a pier-satellite layout. The terminal has a central entrance and the gates branch out east to west on the two concourses. The Airport has East and West Concourses. Gates A1–A4 are located on the West Concourse and Gates B1–B11 is located on the East Concourse. The Airport has a total of 15 gates. There is also a lower and upper level. The gates are located on the upper level and the ticketing, baggage claim, rental car, and main entrance are located on the lower level of the terminal. The meeter/greeter area is located on the lower level just behind the escalators that lead to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint leading to the gates. Major terminal renovations have been made over the past several years, designed and managed by the local architectural firm Moore, Nordell, Kroeger Architects.
The Airport access road is Convair Road. Convair Road splits into four lanes with the left two lanes reserved for commercial vehicles and the right two lanes utilized for pickup and drop off of passengers. In between the split road there is a waiting area where passengers can wait for commercial vehicles to arrive.
Gates:
Generally, these gates are used for the following airlines.
Gates A1–A2: American Airlines and American Eagle.
Gates B1–B2: Delta Air Lines and Delta Connection.
Gates B3–B6: Southwest Airlines.
Gate B7: US Airways and US Airways Express.
Gate B9: Continental Airlines and Continental Express.
Gate B11: United Express.
Food Court:
The food court is located between gates B6 and B11. It is currently occupied with Carlos and Mickey's Mexican Express, Pizza Hut Express, Quizno's and Starbucks Coffee.
Airlines and destinations
El Paso International Airport has a total of 15 gates on 2 concourses: Concourse A consists of gates A1–A4, and Concourse B has gates B1–B11.Accidents and incidents
- On July 20, 1982, Douglas C-47D N102BL of Pronto Aviation Services was damaged beyond repair in a crash landing near El Paso International Airport following an engine failure shortly after take-off. The aircraft was on a domestic non-scheduled passenger flight to Tucson International AirportTucson International AirportTucson 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...
, ArizonaArizonaArizona ; 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...
when the engine failed and the decision was made to return to El Paso. A single engine go-around was attempted following an unsafe landing gear warning.
- On February 19, 1988, Don McCoy, a private pilot, the owner of El Paso Sand and Gravel, took off in a newly acquired Rockwell Aero Commander 680 in a snowstorm (an aircraft he was not properly rated to fly), and attempted to land again after encountering mechanical trouble in instrument meteorological conditionsInstrument meteorological conditionsInstrument meteorological conditions is an aviation flight category that describes weather conditions that require pilots to fly primarily by reference to instruments, and therefore under Instrument Flight Rules , rather than by outside visual references under Visual Flight Rules . Typically, this...
(IMC). The aircraft crashed, killing the owner and two acquaintances. Some attempted to attribute the accident to US Senator Phil GrammPhil GrammWilliam Philip "Phil" Gramm is an American economist and politician, who has served as a Democratic Congressman , a Republican Congressman and a Republican Senator from Texas...
, as McCoy was due to testify against Senator Gramm's shakedown of campaign contributions made by the El Paso Small Business Administration office.
- On January 16, 2006, a mechanic employed by a contractor of Continental Airlines was killed when he was sucked into the right engine of a Boeing 737-500 while investigating an oil leak. The aircraft was preparing to depart as Continental Airlines Flight 1515 to George Bush Intercontinental AirportGeorge Bush Intercontinental AirportGeorge 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...
in Houston.
See also
- Texas World War II Army AirfieldsTexas World War II Army AirfieldsIn today's United States Air Force, many personnel have spent some of their military service being trained in Texas during World War II. Be it basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, technical training, officer training, or flight training at other facilities across the state...