Jacksonville International Airport
Encyclopedia
Jacksonville International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport
located 13 miles (21 km) north of downtown
Jacksonville
, a city in Duval County, Florida
. This airport is owned and operated by the Jacksonville Aviation Authority
.
in the region. The Jacksonville International Airport was dedicated on September 1, 1968, replacing Imeson Field
.
Imeson Field had to be replaced because of the advent of commercial jet travel and the longer takeoff runs required by jet airliner
s. The terrain prohibited lengthening the runways at Imeson Field. A new idea that was tried in the construction of the Jacksonville International Airport was separating departing and arriving passengers on different sides of the terminal (as can be seen in the photo on this page). This is no longer the case, and the airport (which has been greatly expanded since the picture was taken) now utilizes the more typical configuration whereby departing passengers are served on an upper level, accessed via an elevated roadway, while arriving passengers utilize the lower level of the terminal.
Initially, Jacksonville International Airport was slow to expand, only serving two million passengers a year by 1982. However, additional airline service in the late 1980s and early 1990s increased the need for space in the complex. The airport served over five million passengers annually by 1999, and an expansion plan was approved in 2000. The first phase, which included rebuilding the landside terminal, the central square and main concessions area, as well as consolidating the security checkpoints in a single location, and adding more parking capacity was completed in 2004-2005. In 2007, 6,319,016 passengers were processed.
Concurrent with the closure of Imeson Airport, the 125th Fighter-Interceptor Group
(125 FIG) of the Florida Air National Guard
(FANG) relocated to Jacksonville International Airport. Military Construction (MILCON) funds provided for the establishment of Jacksonville Air National Guard Base in the southwest quadrant of the airport and placement of USAF-style emergency arresting gear
on the JAX runways. Jacksonville ANGB is literally a small air force base
, albeit without the military housing, military hospital or other infrastructure of major U.S. Air Force installations. The Air National Guard
provides a fully equipped USAF Crash Fire Rescue station to augment the airport's own fire department for both on-airport structural fires and aircraft rescue and fire fighting (ARFF) purposes. The base employs approximately 300 full-time and 1,000 part-time military personnel.
The host unit at Jacksonville ANGB, now known as the 125th Fighter Wing
(125 FW), is an Air Combat Command
(ACC)-gained organization that has historically been assigned fighters in the intercept and continental air defense mission for the region. Since establishing Jacksonville ANGB at the airport, the unit has operated F-102 Delta Dagger
s, F-106 Delta Darts, F-16 Fighting Falcons and now flies the F-15C and F-15D version of the F-15 Eagle
. During the Cold War
, at least two armed fighters were kept on quick-reaction alert at Jacksonville ANGB, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, their pilots able to get airborne within minutes. The 125 FW maintains a 24/7 Air Superiority Alert posture at Homestead ARB, FL in support of Operation Noble Eagle
. In addition to its F-15 Eagle
s, the 125 FW also operates other support aircraft at Jacksonville ANGB, to include a single C-130H Hercules
and RC-26 Metroliner
in multiple air and ground support roles. In addition to its Alert Facility, the base also maintains a wide range of operational, maintenance, administrative and support facilities, to include a USAF Clinic (with a flight medicine facility) and separate military fuel farm and refueling vehicles for JP-8
fuel. Jacksonville ANGB also routinely hosts transient USAF aircraft and military aircraft from other services and components.
http://www.1af.acc.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/photos/050519-F-1279W-035.jpg
The economic downturn of 2009 resulted in a significant decrease in passengers and flights. The presence of fewer airplanes prompted the JAA to commence the demolition of Concourse B in June, 2009 because it was safer and easier for the contractor. The remains of the structure will eventually become part of an airline club lounge. After the debris was removed, asphalt was laid down for airline ground equipment parking. The concourse itself will be rebuilt when passenger traffic increases, which the JAA projects in 2013.
Also included is a further expansion of the parking system and a new automated baggage screening system.
Both of the newer concourses house ten gates each and have moving walkways.
Future plans call for expanding the newly built concourses by 2020 and possibly adding a people mover
system to the airport, and connecting the airport with the onsite Clarion Hotel via a moving walkway.
Joshua Newsteder, a former U.S. Navy pilot and commercial pilot, is hoping to start a Jacksonville-based airline. The airline would operate 50-seat passenger jets to eight destinations, including Puerto Rico and the Bahamas, beginning in 2010. The Aviation Authority has been talking with airlines for years about direct flights between Jacksonville and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Newsteder's company, City Link Air
, would satisfy that goal. However, financial backing for his proposed airline is a daunting challenge in the current economic climate. On May 19, 2011, JetBlue Airways
began service to San Juan.Jacksonville and Puerto Rico have business ties because Puerto Rico is the main destination for cargo exported through the port of Jacksonville.
runway
s: 7/25 measuring 10,000 x 150 ft (3,048 x 46 m) and 13/31 measuring 7,701 x 150 ft (2,347 x 46 m). In December 2011 the runway numbers will change to 8/26 and 14/32 due to magnetic variation.
The airport's two runways are laid out in "V" configuration (with the bottom tip of the "V" pointing West). A long-range plan exists to build two additional runways, each paralleling one of the existing runways. A new runway alongside the existing southern runway will be built first. No date has been set for implementing the runway expansion plan (the expectation is that construction of the third runway would take place around 2015).
For the 12-month period ending August , 2009, the airport had 94,614 aircraft operations, an average of 260 per day: 58% scheduled commercial, 23% air taxi
, 13% general aviation
, and 6% military. There are 54 aircraft based at the airport: 15% single-engine, 13% multi-engine, 35% jet and 37% military.
, connects the Jacksonville international airport to downtown Jacksonville.
Jacksonville International Airport's terminal has two concourses (A and C). Concourse B demolished on June 13, 2009. A newly erected concourse B is slated to open in 2013.City Link Air
plans to begin operations sometime in 2011. Jacksonville is planned to be its main hub.
crashed on takeoff, killing all 11 passengers and 2 crew onboard.
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 13 miles (21 km) north of downtown
Downtown
Downtown is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's core or central business district ....
Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
, a city in Duval County, Florida
Duval County, Florida
Duval County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2010, the population was 864,263. Its county seat is Jacksonville, with which the Duval County government has been consolidated since 1968...
. This airport is owned and operated by the Jacksonville Aviation Authority
Jacksonville Aviation Authority
The Jacksonville Aviation Authority is the independent government agency that owns and operates the four airports of Jacksonville, Florida. It was established in 2001 after being branched off of the Jacksonville Port Authority...
.
History
Construction of the airport started in 1965, in order for the city to accommodate a more cosmopolitan populace which was introduced with the sizable naval basesNaval Air Station Jacksonville
Naval Air Station Jacksonville or NAS Jacksonville is a military airport located four miles south of the central business district of Jacksonville...
in the region. The Jacksonville International Airport was dedicated on September 1, 1968, replacing Imeson Field
Imeson Field
Imeson Field, also known as Jacksonville Imeson Airport, was the original airport serving Jacksonville, Florida from 1927 until its closing in 1967...
.
Imeson Field had to be replaced because of the advent of commercial jet travel and the longer takeoff runs required by jet airliner
Airliner
An airliner is a large fixed-wing aircraft for transporting passengers and cargo. Such aircraft are operated by airlines. Although the definition of an airliner can vary from country to country, an airliner is typically defined as an aircraft intended for carrying multiple passengers in commercial...
s. The terrain prohibited lengthening the runways at Imeson Field. A new idea that was tried in the construction of the Jacksonville International Airport was separating departing and arriving passengers on different sides of the terminal (as can be seen in the photo on this page). This is no longer the case, and the airport (which has been greatly expanded since the picture was taken) now utilizes the more typical configuration whereby departing passengers are served on an upper level, accessed via an elevated roadway, while arriving passengers utilize the lower level of the terminal.
Military facilities
125th Fighter Wing
The United States Air Force's 125th Fighter Wing is a unit of the Florida Air National Guard, operationally-gained by the Air Combat Command . Its primary installation is Jacksonville Air National Guard Base at Jacksonville International Airport, Florida...
(125 FIG) of the Florida Air National Guard
Florida Air National Guard
The Florida Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Florida. It is, along with the Florida Army National Guard, an element of the Florida National Guard...
(FANG) relocated to Jacksonville International Airport. Military Construction (MILCON) funds provided for the establishment of Jacksonville Air National Guard Base in the southwest quadrant of the airport and placement of USAF-style emergency arresting gear
Arresting gear
Arresting gear, or arrestor gear, is the name used for mechanical systems designed to rapidly decelerate an aircraft as it lands. Arresting gear on aircraft carriers is an essential component of naval aviation, and it is most commonly used on CATOBAR and STOBAR aircraft carriers. Similar systems...
on the JAX runways. Jacksonville ANGB is literally a small air force base
Air Force Base
An Air Force Base is a military airbase of any of a number of air forces, such as the United States Air Force or South African Air Force ....
, albeit without the military housing, military hospital or other infrastructure of major U.S. Air Force installations. The Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
provides a fully equipped USAF Crash Fire Rescue station to augment the airport's own fire department for both on-airport structural fires and aircraft rescue and fire fighting (ARFF) purposes. The base employs approximately 300 full-time and 1,000 part-time military personnel.
The host unit at Jacksonville ANGB, now known as the 125th Fighter Wing
125th Fighter Wing
The United States Air Force's 125th Fighter Wing is a unit of the Florida Air National Guard, operationally-gained by the Air Combat Command . Its primary installation is Jacksonville Air National Guard Base at Jacksonville International Airport, Florida...
(125 FW), is an Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. ACC is one of ten major commands , reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force ....
(ACC)-gained organization that has historically been assigned fighters in the intercept and continental air defense mission for the region. Since establishing Jacksonville ANGB at the airport, the unit has operated F-102 Delta Dagger
F-102 Delta Dagger
The Convair F-102 Delta Dagger was a US interceptor aircraft built as part of the backbone of the United States Air Force's air defenses in the late 1950s. Entering service in 1956, its main purpose was to intercept invading Soviet bomber fleets...
s, F-106 Delta Darts, F-16 Fighting Falcons and now flies the F-15C and F-15D version of the F-15 Eagle
F-15 Eagle
The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
. During the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, at least two armed fighters were kept on quick-reaction alert at Jacksonville ANGB, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, their pilots able to get airborne within minutes. The 125 FW maintains a 24/7 Air Superiority Alert posture at Homestead ARB, FL in support of Operation Noble Eagle
Operation Noble Eagle
Operation Noble Eagle is the name given to military operations related to homelandsecurity and support to federal, state, and local agencies...
. In addition to its F-15 Eagle
F-15 Eagle
The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
s, the 125 FW also operates other support aircraft at Jacksonville ANGB, to include a single C-130H Hercules
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
and RC-26 Metroliner
C-26 Metroliner
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Donald, David, general editor. Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Etobicoke, ON: Prospero Books, 1997. ISBN 1-85605-375-X....
in multiple air and ground support roles. In addition to its Alert Facility, the base also maintains a wide range of operational, maintenance, administrative and support facilities, to include a USAF Clinic (with a flight medicine facility) and separate military fuel farm and refueling vehicles for JP-8
JP-8
JP-8, or JP8 is a jet fuel, specified and used widely by the US military. It is specified by MIL-DTL-83133 and British Defence Standard 91-87, and similar to commercial aviation's Jet-A....
fuel. Jacksonville ANGB also routinely hosts transient USAF aircraft and military aircraft from other services and components.
http://www.1af.acc.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/photos/050519-F-1279W-035.jpg
Current expansion activities
The second phase of the expansion program is being carried out over three years, commencing in mid-2006 and is projected to cost about $170 million. The new Concourse A and Concourse C are now open; the former concourses have been demolished. Work on Concourse B was given a low priority because the capacities of Concourses A & C were more than adequate for existing demand.The economic downturn of 2009 resulted in a significant decrease in passengers and flights. The presence of fewer airplanes prompted the JAA to commence the demolition of Concourse B in June, 2009 because it was safer and easier for the contractor. The remains of the structure will eventually become part of an airline club lounge. After the debris was removed, asphalt was laid down for airline ground equipment parking. The concourse itself will be rebuilt when passenger traffic increases, which the JAA projects in 2013.
Also included is a further expansion of the parking system and a new automated baggage screening system.
Both of the newer concourses house ten gates each and have moving walkways.
Future plans call for expanding the newly built concourses by 2020 and possibly adding a people mover
People mover
A people mover or automated people mover is a fully automated, grade-separated mass transit system.The term is generally used only to describe systems serving relatively small areas such as airports, downtown districts or theme parks, but is sometimes applied to considerably more complex automated...
system to the airport, and connecting the airport with the onsite Clarion Hotel via a moving walkway.
Joshua Newsteder, a former U.S. Navy pilot and commercial pilot, is hoping to start a Jacksonville-based airline. The airline would operate 50-seat passenger jets to eight destinations, including Puerto Rico and the Bahamas, beginning in 2010. The Aviation Authority has been talking with airlines for years about direct flights between Jacksonville and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Newsteder's company, City Link Air
City Link Air
City Link Air is an airline that plans to begin operations sometime in 2011-12 from Jacksonville, Florida. It plans to operate a Base from Jacksonville International Airport.City Link Air is a supporter of the 2009 passenger bill of rights.-Routes:...
, would satisfy that goal. However, financial backing for his proposed airline is a daunting challenge in the current economic climate. On May 19, 2011, JetBlue Airways
JetBlue Airways
JetBlue Airways Corporation is an American low-cost airline. The company is headquartered in the Forest Hills neighborhood of the New York City borough of Queens. Its main base is John F. Kennedy International Airport, also in Queens....
began service to San Juan.Jacksonville and Puerto Rico have business ties because Puerto Rico is the main destination for cargo exported through the port of Jacksonville.
Facilities and aircraft
Jacksonville International Airport covers an area of 7911 acres (3,201.5 ha) which contains two concreteConcrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
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...
s: 7/25 measuring 10,000 x 150 ft (3,048 x 46 m) and 13/31 measuring 7,701 x 150 ft (2,347 x 46 m). In December 2011 the runway numbers will change to 8/26 and 14/32 due to magnetic variation.
The airport's two runways are laid out in "V" configuration (with the bottom tip of the "V" pointing West). A long-range plan exists to build two additional runways, each paralleling one of the existing runways. A new runway alongside the existing southern runway will be built first. No date has been set for implementing the runway expansion plan (the expectation is that construction of the third runway would take place around 2015).
For the 12-month period ending August , 2009, the airport had 94,614 aircraft operations, an average of 260 per day: 58% scheduled commercial, 23% 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...
, 13% 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...
, and 6% military. There are 54 aircraft based at the airport: 15% single-engine, 13% multi-engine, 35% jet and 37% military.
Public transportation
The CT3 "AirJTA" bus, operated by the Jacksonville Transportation AuthorityJacksonville Transportation Authority
The Jacksonville Transportation Authority is the independent agency responsible for public transit in the city of Jacksonville, Florida, and roadway infrastructure that connects northeast Florida. However, they do not maintain any roadways.-History:...
, connects the Jacksonville international airport to downtown Jacksonville.
Airlines and destinations
City Link Air
City Link Air is an airline that plans to begin operations sometime in 2011-12 from Jacksonville, Florida. It plans to operate a Base from Jacksonville International Airport.City Link Air is a supporter of the 2009 passenger bill of rights.-Routes:...
plans to begin operations sometime in 2011. Jacksonville is planned to be its main hub.
Top destinations
| Rank | City | Passengers | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | .svg.png) 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... |
686,000 | AirTran, 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... |
249,000 | US Airways |
| 3 |  Dallas/Fort Worth, TX |
163,000 | American |
| 4 |  Baltimore, MD |
152,000 | AirTran, Southwest |
| 5 |  Philadelphia, PAPhiladelphia International Airport Philadelphia International Airport is a major airport in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, and is the largest airport in the Delaware Valley region and in Pennsylvania... |
134,000 | Southwest, US Airways |
| 6 |  Chicago, IL (ORD)O'Hare International Airport Chicago O'Hare International Airport , also known as O'Hare Airport, O'Hare Field, Chicago Airport, Chicago International Airport, or simply O'Hare, is a major airport located in the northwestern-most corner of Chicago, Illinois, United States, northwest of the Chicago Loop... |
114,000 | American, United |
| 7 |  Fort Lauderdale, FLFort Lauderdale – Hollywood International Airport Fort Lauderdale – Hollywood International Airport is an international commercial airport located in unincorporated Broward County, Florida, three miles southwest of the central business district of Fort Lauderdale... |
104,000 | Southwest |
| 8 |  Washington, DCRonald Reagan Washington National Airport Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is a public airport located south of downtown Washington, D.C., in Arlington County, Virginia. It is the commercial airport nearest to Washington, D.C. For many decades, it was called Washington National Airport, but this airport was renamed in 1998 to... (DCA)] |
102,000 | Delta, US Airways |
| 9 |  Nashville, TNNashville International Airport Nashville International Airport is a joint civil-military airport in southeastern Nashville, Tennessee. The IATA Airport Code BNA is derived from the early name of the facility—Berry Field, NAshville. Berry Field was the name of the airport until 1988, when the name was changed to reflect... |
99,000 | Southwest |
| 10 |  New York City, NY (JFK)John F. Kennedy International Airport John F. Kennedy International Airport is an international airport located in the borough of Queens in New York City, about southeast of Lower Manhattan. It is the busiest international air passenger gateway to the United States, handling more international traffic than any other airport in North... |
97,000 | JetBlue |
Incidents and accidents
On December 6, 1984, PBA Flight 1039PBA Flight 1039
PBA Flight 1039 was a scheduled passenger flight from Jacksonville, Florida, to Tampa, Florida. Operated by an Embraer 110 Bandeirante, on December 6, 1984, it crashed upon takeoff at Jacksonville, killing all 13 passengers and crew.-Synopsis:...
crashed on takeoff, killing all 11 passengers and 2 crew onboard.
External links
- Jacksonville International Airport page at the Jacksonville Aviation Authority website
- official site of the Jacksonville International Airport Arts Commission brochure from CFASPP (April 2005)
- JIA ARFF Fire Department (unofficial site)
- Microtel Inn & Suites at Jacksonville Airport
- Clarion Hotel & Conference Center @ JIA