Key West International Airport
Encyclopedia
Key West International Airport is a county-owned public airport
located two miles (3 km) east of the central business district
of Key West
, in Monroe County
, Florida
, United States
.
The IATA code starts from the second letter of the name (Key West) because initial "K" is a reserved block; the ICAO code restores the K in the identification as "K" is the first position ICAO code used for airports located in the Continental United States. Flights departing from EYW often have strict weight or baggage restrictions due to the short length of the runway.
and the main Naval Air Station
for fixed-wing and lighter-than-air (i.e., blimp
) aircraft on Boca Chica Key
. After the war, control of the runway was returned to the city and the civilian facility was eventually called the Key West Municipal Airport. In January 1953, the city gave Monroe County clear title to Meacham Field, allowing the county to apply for CAA
grants. It was at this time that the name changed to the Key West International Airport.
Key West International Airport covers an area of 255 acres (103.2 ha) which contains one asphalt
paved runway
(9/27) measuring 4,801 x 100 ft (1,463 x 30 m). For the year 2006, the airport had 94,408 aircraft operations—an average of 258 per day. This included 51% general aviation
, 29% air taxi
, 14% military and 6% scheduled commercial. There are 45 aircraft based at this airport: 30 single-engine and 15 multi-engine.
The airport has two terminals designed by Mark Mosko/Dwane Stark of URS; Mosko also did work on the Baltimore/Washington International Airport. The older one opened in 1957 and now serves arriving passengers. The newer terminal opened in February 2009 and serves departing passengers. With an area of approximately 30000 square feet (2,787.1 m²), it more than doubled the size of the airport. Parking for 300 vehicles is located at ground level beneath the newer terminal—150 spaces for rental cars and 150 for the public.
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 two miles (3 km) east 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"...
of Key West
Key West, Florida
Key West is a city in Monroe County, Florida, United States. The city encompasses the island of Key West, the part of Stock Island north of U.S. 1 , Sigsbee Park , Fleming Key , and Sunset Key...
, in Monroe County
Monroe County, Florida
Monroe County is a county located in the state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 79,589. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county was 74,737....
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The IATA code starts from the second letter of the name (Key West) because initial "K" is a reserved block; the ICAO code restores the K in the identification as "K" is the first position ICAO code used for airports located in the Continental United States. Flights departing from EYW often have strict weight or baggage restrictions due to the short length of the runway.
History
Key West's aviation history begins with a 1913 flight to Cuba by Augustin Parla. In 1928, Pan American Airlines began scheduled flights from Key West. Meacham Field was the primary runway for Key West. It was initially pressed into Army use after the Pearl Harbor bombing, and then later during World War II by the Navy as an adjunct runway to the Trumbo Point Seaplane BaseTrumbo Point
Trumbo Point is a section of the northwest corner of the island of Key West, Florida in the lower Florida Keys. It is one of several bases comprising the Key West Naval Air Station.Trumbo Point is inaccessible to civilians without US Navy clearance....
and the main Naval Air Station
Naval Air Station Key West
Naval Air Station Key West , is a naval air station and military airport located on Boca Chica Key, four miles east of the central business district of Key West, Florida, United States....
for fixed-wing and lighter-than-air (i.e., blimp
Blimp
A blimp, or non-rigid airship, is a floating airship without an internal supporting framework or keel. A non-rigid airship differs from a semi-rigid airship and a rigid airship in that it does not have any rigid structure, neither a complete framework nor a partial keel, to help the airbag...
) aircraft on Boca Chica Key
Boca Chica Key
Boca Chica Key is an island in the lower Florida Keys approximately 3 miles east of the island of Key West.U.S. 1 crosses the key at approximately mile markers 6.5—8, east of Key West....
. After the war, control of the runway was returned to the city and the civilian facility was eventually called the Key West Municipal Airport. In January 1953, the city gave Monroe County clear title to Meacham Field, allowing the county to apply for CAA
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...
grants. It was at this time that the name changed to the Key West International Airport.
Facilities and aircraft
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...
paved 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...
(9/27) measuring 4,801 x 100 ft (1,463 x 30 m). For the year 2006, the airport had 94,408 aircraft operations—an average of 258 per day. This included 51% 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...
, 14% military and 6% scheduled commercial. There are 45 aircraft based at this airport: 30 single-engine and 15 multi-engine.
The airport has two terminals designed by Mark Mosko/Dwane Stark of URS; Mosko also did work on the Baltimore/Washington International Airport. The older one opened in 1957 and now serves arriving passengers. The newer terminal opened in February 2009 and serves departing passengers. With an area of approximately 30000 square feet (2,787.1 m²), it more than doubled the size of the airport. Parking for 300 vehicles is located at ground level beneath the newer terminal—150 spaces for rental cars and 150 for the public.
Scheduled passenger service
Accidents and incidents
- On April 25 1959, a Vickers ViscountVickers ViscountThe Vickers Viscount was a British medium-range turboprop airliner first flown in 1948 by Vickers-Armstrongs, making it the first such aircraft to enter service in the world...
of Cubana de AviaciónCubana de AviaciónCubana de Aviación S.A., commonly known as Cubana, is Cuba's largest airline and flag carrier. The airline was founded on 8 October 1929, and has its corporate headquarters in Havana. Its main base is at José Martí International Airport...
was hijacked on a flight from Varadero to HavanaJosé Martí International AirportJosé Martí International Airport , sometimes known by its former name Rancho-Boyeros Airport, is located southwest of Havana, Cuba, and is a hub for Cubana de Aviación, Aerogaviota and Aero Caribbean, and former Latin American hub for Aeroflot Soviet Airlines...
. The aircraft landed at Key West. - On 19 March 2003, AerotaxiAerotaxiAerotaxi is a charter airline based at Cayo Largo and Varadero, state-owned Aerotaxi operates basic services within Cuba and some Caribbean charters.-Fleet:Aerotaxi's fleets consists of**Douglas DC-3**Let L-410 Turbolet**Antonov An-2**Cessna Skymaster...
Flight 882 operated by Douglas DC-3CDouglas DC-3The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
CU-T1192 was hijacked on a flight from Rafael Cabrera AirportRafael Cabrera AirportRafael Cabrera Airport or Rafael Cabrera Mustelier Airport is an airport serving Nueva Gerona, the capital city of the Isla de la Juventud special municipality in Cuba.-Facilities:The airport resides at an elevation of above mean sea level...
, Nueva GeronaNueva GeronaNueva Gerona is the capital city of the Isla de la Juventud special municipality of Cuba. The city is located between the hills of Caballos and Casas, about 3 km up the Río Casas, which provides a navigable waterway to the Caribbean Sea....
, CubaCubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
to José Martí International AirportJosé Martí International AirportJosé Martí International Airport , sometimes known by its former name Rancho-Boyeros Airport, is located southwest of Havana, Cuba, and is a hub for Cubana de Aviación, Aerogaviota and Aero Caribbean, and former Latin American hub for Aeroflot Soviet Airlines...
, HavanaHavanaHavana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, Cuba. The aircraft landed at Key West International Airport, where the six hijackers were detained.
External links
- Key West International Airport page at Monroe County website brochure from CFASPP (April 2005)