Gainesville Regional Airport

Gainesville Regional Airport
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner City of Gainesville
Operator Gainesville-Alachua County Regional Airport Authority
Serves Gainesville, Florida
Elevation AMSL 151 ft / 46 m
Coordinates 29°41′24″N 082°16′18″W / 29.69000°N 82.27167°W / 29.69000; -82.27167Coordinates: 29°41′24″N 082°16′18″W / 29.69000°N 82.27167°W / 29.69000; -82.27167
Website gainesville-airport.com
Map
GNV
Location of airport in Florida / United States
GNV
GNV (the US)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
11/29 7,504 2,287 Asphalt
7/25 4,158 1,267 Asphalt
Statistics (2017)
Total passengers 436,184 Increase 3%
Total enplanements 217,486 Increase 3%
Aircraft operations 61,074 Decrease 2%
Based aircraft 155 Decrease 14%

Gainesville Regional Airport (IATA: GNV[2], ICAO: KGNV, FAA LID: GNV) is a public airport three miles northeast of Gainesville, in Alachua County, Florida. It is owned by Gainesville-Alachua Co. Auth.[1] The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a primary commercial service airport (more than 10,000 enplanements per year).[3]

Gainesville Regional Airport had 177,282 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2011 and 159,499 enplanements in 2010.[4] They also had 217,355 passenger boardings (enplanements) in 2015, more than 2% higher than 2014.[5]

History

Alachua Army Airfield in 1949
Aerial view of Gainesville Regional Airport from the east in 2010.

Construction of the airport began in April 1940 as a Works Project Administration project. In 1941 initial construction was completed. Upon conclusion of the construction by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the facility was known as the Alachua Army Airfield and was used by the Army Air Corps and the Army Air Forces.

The airfield was declared surplus in September 1945 and turned over to the Army Corps of Engineers on October 1, 1946. The War Assets Administration deeded the facility to the city of Gainesville in 1948 as a civil airport. The field was known as John R. Alison Airport or Gainesville Municipal Airport; the city operated, maintained, and improved the airport, which was renamed the Gainesville Regional Airport in October 1977. The airline terminal was dedicated to John R. Alison in 1979.

Eastern Airlines served Gainesville beginning in the 1950s, with flights to Tallahassee, Jacksonville and Ocala,[6] eventually offering nonstop flights to Atlanta and Miami by the 1970s.[7] Air Florida served Gainesville in the late 1970s and early 1980s, with flights to Miami, Tampa and Ocala.[8][9]

In 1986 the State Legislature passed a bill that established the Airport as the Gainesville-Alachua County Regional Airport Authority. The Airport Authority has nine board members, five selected by the City of Gainesville, three by the Governor and one by Alachua County, and continues to oversee the Airport.

On October 31, 2004 Gainesville Regional Airport hosted Air Force One[10] during George W. Bush's re-election campaign. 17,000 people attended the event. [11][12]

In recent years the Airport has substantially completed several projects: the refurbishment of its primary runway (11/29), piping of an open ditch parallel to that runway, and completion of two phases of the Terminal Renovation project. Three passenger boarding bridges have been installed.

Eclipse Aviation, maker of the Eclipse 500, operated its first factory service center in Gainesville until the company declared bankruptcy in 2009.[13][14] In 2012 Silver Airways moved its maintenance facilities from Ft. Lauderdale into the existing Eclipse Aviation facility.[15] Silver provides commercial airline service to several destinations around Florida and Bahamas. In April 2015 Silver airways moved its maintenance to Orlando International.

The control tower operates during daylight hours.

After the passing of Gainesville native Tom Petty on October 2, 2017, a change.org petition was started to have the airport renamed "Tom Petty - Gainesville Regional Airport".[16]

Facilities

The airport covers 1,650 acres (670 ha) and has two asphalt runways: 11/29 is 7,504 by 150 feet (2,287 x 46 m) and 7/25 is 4,158 by 100 feet (1,267 x 30 m).[1]

In the year ending September 30, 2011 the airport had 70,876 aircraft operations, average 366 per day: 73% general aviation, 8% air taxi, 8% military and 1% airline. 185 aircraft are based at the airport: 83% single-engine, 9% multi-engine, 4% jet and 4% helicopter.[1]

Gainesville Regional Airport has one full service FBO, University Air Center. There were two, Gulf Atlantic Airways and Flight Line. Flight Line's contract with the airport authority expired and Gulf Atlantic became University Air Center. University Air Center has a pilots lounge with TV, snack machines, aircraft rentals and charters, flight instruction, and fuel.

Gainesville Regional Airport's terminal has 3 gates. Gates 1 and 2 are used by American Eagle. Gate 3 is used by Delta Air Lines and Delta Connection. The airport terminal has a snack bar and a gift shop, operated by Tailwind. The airport's ground transportation is served by taxis; rental car companies; an RTS bus stop serving routes 25, 26, and 39; and hotel shuttle buses.

Airlines and destinations

Airport Interior, West Lobby
AirlinesDestinations
American Eagle Charlotte, Dallas/Fort Worth (begins March 3, 2019)[17], Miami
Delta Air Lines Atlanta
Delta Connection Atlanta

Top destinations

Busiest domestic routes from Gainesville (FL)
(July 2017 – June 2018)[18]
Rank City Passengers
1 Atlanta, Georgia 124,000
2 Charlotte, North Carolina 74,000
3 Miami, Florida 21,000

References

http://www.expressjet.com/wp-content/uploads/routemaps/2015/ExpressJet_DeltaSystem(Apr15).pdf

  1. 1 2 3 4 FAA Airport Master Record for GNV (Form 5010 PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. Effective November 15, 2012.
  2. ↑ "IATA Airport Code Search (GNV: Gainesville Regional)". International Air Transport Association. Retrieved December 24, 2012.
  3. ↑ "2011–2015 NPIAS Report, Appendix A" (PDF). National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems. Federal Aviation Administration. October 4, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF, 2.03 MB) on 2012-09-27. External link in |work= (help)
  4. ↑ "Primary, Non-primary Commercial Service, and General Aviation Airports (by State)" (PDF, 1.7 MB). CY 2011 Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data. Federal Aviation Administration. October 9, 2012. External link in |work= (help)
  5. ↑ "Gainesville Regional Airport - Passengers Set GNV Record". www.gra-gnv.com. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  6. ↑ "Eastern timetable, December 1, 1958". Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  7. ↑ "Eastern Airlines route map, September 6, 1972". Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  8. ↑ "Air Florida timetable, February 1, 1979". Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  9. ↑ "Air Florida timetable, January 15, 1984". departedflights.com. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  10. ↑ "17,000 greet President Bush on brief stop in Gainesville". Gainesville Sun. November 1, 2004.
  11. ↑ "Monthly Meeting Highlights" (DOC). Gainesville-Alachua County Regional Airport Authority. November 18, 2004.
  12. ↑ "The Travels of President George W. Bush". GWU.edu. October 2004.
  13. ↑ "Gainesville Airport gets new tenants". Gainesville Sun. April 28, 2009.
  14. ↑ "Turbulent times". Gainesville Sun. January 9, 2010.
  15. ↑ "Silver Airways bringing maintenance facility to Gainesville". Gainesville Sun. January 19, 2012.
  16. ↑ http://www.gainesville.com/news/20171003/city-leaders-want-ideas-for-ways-to-honor-tom-petty
  17. ↑ https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2018/10/02/american-airlines-dfw-airport.html
  18. ↑ "RITA | BTS | Transtats". Bureau of Transportation Statistics. January 2017. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  • Gainesville Regional Airport (official site)
  • "Gainesville Regional Airport". brochure from CFASPP
  • FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective October 11, 2018
  • FAA Terminal Procedures for GNV, effective October 11, 2018
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