Pensacola International Airport
Pensacola International Airport (IATA: PNS, ICAO: KPNS), historically known as Hagler Field, is a regional public airport located 3 miles (5 km) northeast of Downtown Pensacola. The airport is owned by the City of Pensacola, and is located wholly within the city limits, east of 12th Avenue/Tippin Avenue and north of Summit Boulevard.
According to the Airport's web site, Pensacola International Airport is the "fastest growing airport between New Orleans and Jacksonville". The airport served 1,958,000 passengers from August 2020 to August 2021.
Despite its name, the airport doesn’t offer scheduled international flights, but it does offer chartered international flights.
Contents
History[edit]
In 1933, Lee Conner Hagler and Harry Blanchard purchased 504 acres of wooded land northeast of the city. The two cleared space for two grass airstrips and erected a surplus Navy hangar. On April 7, 1934 the first commercial flight landed in Pensacola — a 14-passenger tri-motor Stinson from Atlantic and Gulf Coast Airlines. In 1935, the City of Pensacola purchased the airfield for $50,000 and made Blanchard manager.[1] With the help of the Works Progress Administration, the City of Pensacola developed Hagler Field into a permanent municipal airport. National Airlines began regular commercial service to Pensacola on November 1, 1938.[1]
The Navy took over command of the airport from 1942-1945, although civilian air service continued. The Navy constructed two new airfields and lengthened the existing two. A terminal and control tower were built in the 1950s. The first commercial jet plane — an Eastern Airlines Boeing 727 — landed at Pensacola's airport on August 25, 1965.
Facilities[edit]
Pensacola Regional Airport covers 1,211 acres and has two runways:
- Runway 17/35: 7,004 x 150 ft. (2,135 x 46 m), Surface: Asphalt
- Runway 8/26: 7,000 x 150 ft. (2,134 x 46 m), Surface: Asphalt
The airport terminal currently has 12 gates.
Regular Aircraft and Air Service[edit]
The most common aircraft at Pensacola International is the Embraer ERJ145, used by American Eagle and United Express. Other common aircraft include the Airbus A300 (operated by UPS and the only widebody to regularly serve the airport), the Airbus A319/A320 (used by American Airlines, Frontier Airlines, and Delta Air Lines), the Boeing 737-700/800 (used by Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines), the Boeing 757-200 (used by Delta Air Lines), the Bombarider CRJ200/700/900 (used by American Eagle and United Express), the McDonnell Douglas MD-80/MD-90 (used by American Airlines and Delta Air Lines), and the Saab 340 (used by Silver Airways).
Delta Air Lines carries more passengers out of Pensacola than any other airline. Atlanta is the No. 1 destination, followed by Dallas/Fort Worth (American), Charlotte (American), Houston Intercontinental (United), Nashville (Southwest), Miami (American), Houston Hobby (Southwest), Chicago Midway (Southwest), Orlando (Silver), Tampa (Silver), and Chicago O'Hare (United).
Airlines and Gate Assignments[edit]
The following airlines fly these non-stop flights to Pensacola International Airport:
- American Airlines
- Dallas/Fort Worth (seasonal)
- Gate 5, 7
- American Eagle
- Charlotte, Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami, Washington D.C. Douglas, Philadelphia
- Gate 5, 7, 9
- Delta Air Lines
- Atlanta
- Gates 2, 4
- Silver Airways
- Orlando, Tampa
- Gate 11
- Southwest Airlines
- Chicago Midway, Dallas Love, Houston Hobby, Kansas City, Nashville, St. Louis
- Gate 8, 10
- United Express
- Chicago O'Hare, Houston Intercontinental
- Gate 1,3
- Frontier Airlines
- Denver, Chicago O’Hare
- Gate 6
- Boutique Air
- Mussel Shoals
- Gate 11
Cargo Airlines[edit]
- UPS Airlines (Louisville)
Airport personnel[edit]
- Matt Coughlin, Airport Director,after the retirement of Dan Flynn
- Andrea Kvech - Asst. Airport Director - Finance
- Michael Laven, CPA, A.A.E. - Airport Administration & Contracts Manager
- Lewis Garvin - Airport Marketing Manager
- Rhonda Deaton - Air Service Development Manager
- Rob Weber - Airport Operations Manager
- Law enforcement within the airport grounds is operated by Pensacola Police.
Incidents[edit]
On May 8, 1978 National Airlines Flight 193 landed in Escambia Bay due to pilot error.
On July 6, 1996, Delta Air Lines flight 1288, an MD-88, experienced an uncontained engine failure during takeoff. Fragments from the number one (left) Pratt & Whitney JT8D-200 turbofan engine penetrated the fuselage, killing two and seriously injuring one of the 148 people on board.
Rebrandings[edit]
Previously known as Pensacola Regional Airport, the airport rebranded itself in 2008 as Pensacola Gulf Coast Regional Airport, in an attempt to position itself as the premier airport destination "serving Mobile, Gulf Shores, Pensacola, Fort Walton, and Destin." It would later rebrand itself again to Pensacola International Airport, which is its current name.
External links[edit]
- Pensacola International Airport (official site)
