South Bend Regional Airport - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

South Bend Regional Airport is a public airport

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 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 South Bend

South Bend, Indiana

The city of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total of 101,168 residents; its Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 316,663...

, a city in St. Joseph County

St. Joseph County, Indiana

As of the census of 2000, there were 265,559 people, 100,743 households, and 66,792 families residing in the county. The population density was 581 people per square mile . There were 107,013 housing units at an average density of 234 per square mile...

, Indiana

Indiana

Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. This airport is publicly owned by St. Joseph County Airport Authority. It is the state's second busiest airport in terms of commercial traffic after Indianapolis International Airport

Indianapolis International Airport

Indianapolis International Airport is a public airport located seven miles southwest of the central business district of Indianapolis, a city in Marion County, Indiana, United States. It is owned and operated by the Indianapolis Airport Authority...

.

The airport has been known in the past as Bendix Field, St. Joseph County Airport and Michiana Regional Transportation Center. The airport was renamed South Bend Regional Airport to help identify the airport's location since many travelers were unaware of the meaning or location of Michiana

Michiana

Michiana is a region in northern Indiana and southwestern Michigan centered on the city of South Bend, Indiana. The Chamber of Commerce of St. Joseph County, Indiana defines Michiana as "counties that contribute at least 500 inbound commuting workers to St. Joseph County daily." Those counties...

(taken from MICHigan and IndIANA).

Administration

South Bend Regional Airport is one of only a few multi-modal transportation facilities in America that provides air, interstate bus and interstate rail service from one multi-modal terminal facility. The St. Joseph County Airport Authority claims the airport was the first truly multi-modal airport in the country.

The St. Joseph County Airport Authority is the administrative body over the airport and also provides police, fire and medical protection to the airport and its occupants. The members of the airport safety department are cross-trained as State-certified law enforcement officers, State-certified paramedics/EMTs and State-certified firefighters. The airport has been directed by John C. Schalliol for more than 25 years.

Facilities

Runway 18/36 re-opened in 3rd quarter 2007 at a new length of 7100 feet (2,164.1 m). Also, runway connector N3 was reopened after over a decade of being closed.

The terminal has two concourses, A and C. Concourse A has 6 gates, 3 of which have ground-level boarding bridges. Concourse C has 5 gates, one of which as a ground-level boarding bridge. All boarding bridges are full-size and capable of accommodating most commercial aircraft today. Gate A-6 had a ground-level boarding bridge in the 1990s, but it has since been removed.

The airport's concourses have what are known as hold rooms. These vary slightly from some airports that have seating areas specific to a gate. Hold Room A serves all gate areas in Concourse A, and Hold Room C serves all gate areas in Concourse C.

South Bend Regional Airport has an in-terminal viewing area with live air traffic control transmissions from South Bend Air Traffic Control Tower/TRACON. The viewing area is located on the second level of the terminal's atrium.

Airport Expansion

In a press release issued in March 2008 the St. Joseph County Airport Authority announced plans for a 2 story, 45000 square feet (4,180.6 m²), 11.8-million dollar expansion of Concourse A that will include 5 new jet bridges (bringing to total number of gates post-expansion to 9), a Dining Room, a concession area/lounge, gift shops, children’s play area as well as a business center. The Dining Room and Lounge will feature deli meals, snacks and drinks similar to the existing airport services as well as beverages and snacks already screened to take along on outbound flights. The current Concourse C will be demolished and all passenger screening will be consolidated into one location at the existing Concourse A. Construction on the expansion will begin in late 2009 with completion by 2011. When the expansion is complete each gate will have a jetway except A1 as well have its own dedicated seating area.
This will "make people feel better about where they are when they're here," John Schalliol, executive director of the airport, said. "We want to make your experience the best it can be."

Ground was broken on the 22000 square feet (2,043.9 m²) building about a year ago. The new concourse represents Phase One of a three-phase, $15.5 million expansion project at the airport.

Amenities in the soon-to-open building include:

a restaurant featuring grab-and-go meals for travelers in a hurry and a sports bar for passengers who have more time to relax before their flight.
a gift shop with Michiana-themed products.
a business center with computer recharging stations.
free Wi-Fi throughout the terminal.
a playroom where children can burn off energy before their flights leave.
a water fountain as a decorative feature.
loading bridges installed at each gate which will enable passengers to board quickly and eliminate the existing elevators.

"I am just so pleased with the way it came out," Schalliol said while standing amid the construction. "It's just wonderful."

He is hopeful the expansion will convince more passengers to fly into and out of South Bend instead of Chicago and Fort Wayne. And although he notes new facilities do not usually attract new airlines, the local airfield will continue to court American Airlines, which closed its ticket counter about 2007, and AirTran, which is being acquired by Southwest Airlines.

Airport operations

Within the state of Indiana, the airport is second only to Indianapolis by means of passenger movements and air carrier service. In fact, according to the airport authority, South Bend is ranked in the top 25 percent of small-to-medium sized airports in terms of air service. The airport falls to third place behind Indianapolis and Fort Wayne in cargo operations, and fifth in the state for overall take-offs and landings. Due to South Bend's proximity to Chicago, South Bend air traffic controllers work closely with Chicago Center and Chicago Approach Control to sequence aircraft into and out of Chicago's terminal airspace. These efforts make South Bend's Tower/TRACON the second busiest terminal air traffic facility in the state.

Air service

South Bend Regional Airport’s four air carriers provide non-stop flights to 10 cities: Atlanta, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Las Vegas, Phoenix-Mesa, Minneapolis, Orlando/Sanford, and Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg. South Bend Airport’s multi-modal terminal serves over one million air, rail and bus passengers each year. According to the 2007 Economic Impact Report from the Aviation Authority of Indiana, the South Bend Regional Airport's total annual economic impact on South Bend and surrounding communities was in excess of $433.7 million. SBN’s annual indirect and direct contribution to the Indiana economy is estimated at more than $5.2 billion.

Allegiant Air announced in March 2008 interest in providing direct international service between South Bend and Cancun

Cancún

Cancún is a city of international tourism development certified by the UNWTO . Located on the northeast coast of Quintana Roo in southern Mexico, more than 1,700 km from Mexico City, the Project began operations in 1974 as Integrally Planned Center, a pioneer of FONATUR Cancún is a city of...

, Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

. The airport authority told the public in a press release that now is the time to prepare for the service, not later, due to the amount of time it will take to get the customs facility operational, which could be a few years.

This is not the first time an airline has expressed interest in bringing international flights to South Bend. In the early 2000s Air Canada

Air Canada

Air Canada is the flag carrier and largest airline of Canada. The airline, founded in 1936, provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and cargo to 178 destinations worldwide. It is the world's tenth largest passenger airline by number of destinations, and the airline is a...

's Air Georgian

Air Georgian

Air Georgian Limited is an airline based in the Shell Aerocentre in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. It was established and started operations in 1994 and operates as a charter and airline carrier. It once had a C208 Amphib in the UAE which was the first in the region. It had a long time cargo...

announced plans for international (trans-border) service between South Bend and Toronto

Toronto

Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

. That service never took off due to South Bend not being able to obtain a customs facility.

Airlines and destinations

Top Destinations

**Top ten busiest domestic routes out of SBN**
(July 2010 - June 2011)
Rank	City	Passengers	Carriers
1	Chicago-O’Hare, IL	77,000	United
2	Detroit, MI Detroit 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....	73,000	Delta
3	Atlanta, GA Hartsfield-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...	34,000	Delta
4	Cincinnati, OH Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport , sometimes called the Greater Cincinnati Airport is located in Hebron, unincorporated Boone County, Kentucky, United States and serves the Greater Cincinnati metropolitan area. Despite being located in Boone County, the airport operations are...	24,000	Delta
5	Minneapolis, MN Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport is the largest and busiest airport in the five-state upper Midwest region of Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin.-Overview:...	21,000	Delta
6	Orlando-Sanford, FL Orlando Sanford International Airport Orlando-Sanford International Airport is a public commercial air service airport in Sanford, Florida, near Orlando. It was originally constructed as a military installation known as Naval Air Station Sanford that was in operation as a Master Jet Base for carrier-based attack and reconnaissance...	20,000	Allegiant
7	St. Petersburg, FL St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport is a joint civil-military airport located in unincorporated Pinellas County, Florida, north of St. Petersburg, serving St...	19,000	Allegiant
8	Las Vegas, NV McCarran 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...	15,000	Allegiant
9	Phoenix-Mesa, AZ Phoenix-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...	14,000	Allegiant
10	Cleveland, OH Cleveland Hopkins International Airport Cleveland Hopkins International Airport is a public airport located nine miles southwest of the central business district of Cleveland, a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. The airport lies just within the city limits of Cleveland...	13,000	Continental

Cargo airlines

Incidents

On April 6, 2011, a pilot flying from Chicago Executive Airport attempted to land a rented Cirrus SR22
Cirrus SR22
The Cirrus SR22 is a single-engine, four-seat, composite aircraft, built by Cirrus Aircraft starting in 2001. It is a more powerful version of the Cirrus SR20, with a larger wing, higher fuel capacity, and a 310 horsepower engine...

, but was hit by a gust of wind on approach. The plane landed on the left wing, cart-wheeled, and came to a stop 250 feet (76.2 m) from the runway. He was hospitalized in critical condition, with no one else onboard. The accident remained under investigation as of May 2011. Airport officials said no wind advisory was issued that day.

External links

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