Spokane International Airport

Spokane International Airport
Geiger Army Airfield
Spokane International Airport in 2010, viewed from the south
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner Spokane County & City of Spokane
Operator Spokane Airport Board
Serves Inland Northwest
Location Spokane, Washington, USA
Hub for
Elevation AMSL 2,385 ft / 727 m
Coordinates 47°37′12″N 117°32′02″W / 47.62000°N 117.53389°W / 47.62000; -117.53389
Website SpokaneAirports.net
Map
GEG
Location of airport in Washington / United States
GEG
GEG (the US)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
3/21 11,002 3,353 Asphalt/Concrete
7/25 8,199 2,499 Asphalt
Statistics
Aircraft operations (2016) 62,439
Based aircraft (2017) 58
Total Passengers Served (12 months ending Jan 2017) 3,145,000
Cargo handled (12 months ending Jan 2017) 170,000,000 lbs.
Source: Federal Aviation Administration;[1] Spokane International Airport[2]

Spokane International Airport (IATA: GEG, ICAO: KGEG, FAA LID: GEG) is a commercial airport approximately 5 miles (8 km) west of downtown Spokane, Washington. It is the primary airport serving the Inland Northwest, which consists of 30 counties and includes areas such as Spokane and the Tri-Cities, both in Eastern Washington, and Coeur d'Alene in North Idaho. The airport's code, GEG, is derived from its airfield's namesake, Major Harold Geiger.

As of 2015, Spokane International Airport (GEG) ranks as the 70th-busiest airport in the United States in terms of passenger enplanements.[3] At 3,234,095 total passengers served in 2016, it is also the second busiest airport in Washington. GEG is served by five airlines with non-stop service to 13 airports in 12 markets.

It is included in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2017–2021, in which it is categorized as a small-hub primary commercial service facility.[4]

History

Origins

World War II Geiger Field Postcard
Geiger Field in 1943

Known as Sunset Field before 1941, it was purchased from the county by the War Department and renamed Geiger Field after Major Harold Geiger, an Army aviation pioneer who died in a crash in 1927.

During World War II, Geiger Field was a major training base by Second Air Force as a group training airfield for B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombardment units, with new aircraft being obtained from Boeing near Seattle. It was also used by Air Technical Service Command as an aircraft maintenance and supply depot; Deer Park Airport and Felts Field were auxiliaries.

In 1943, General Hap Arnold established the first formal fire protection training course at Geiger Field, Washington. It was used until 1946.

Geiger Field was served by a rail connection to the Great Northern Railway.[5]

Geiger was closed in late 1945 and turned over to War Assets Administration (WAA), then transferred to Spokane County and developed into a commercial airport. The airport hosted USAF Air Defense Command interceptor units during the Cold War for air defense of Hanford Nuclear Reservation and Grand Coulee Dam. Built in 1942 as the Spokane Air Depot, Fairchild Air Force Base is four miles (7 km) to the west.

It became Spokane's municipal airport in 1946, replacing Felts Field, and received its present name in 1960, after the City of Spokane was allotted Spokane Geiger Field by the Surplus Property Act.[6] The airport code is still GEG, for Geiger Field.

Modern era

Concourse A and B complex originally opened in 1965

The current Concourse A and B complex opened in 1965 and was designed by Warren C. Heylman and William Trogdon.[7]

Occasional non-stop flights to southern California since the 1970s have been among the first to be suspended during economic downturns.

Growth and expansion

A second level was added to Concourse A and Concourse B in 1974.[8]

The airport has a Master Plan,[9] which includes a third runway and gates added to Concourse C.

A new control tower has been built south of the airport, replacing the one near Concourse C. The new control tower is the tallest one in the State. The Terminal, Rotunda, and Concourse C Enhancement Project (TRACE) was recently completed, designed by Bernardo/Wills Architects, P.C.[10] The project, which concluded in November 2006, added retail space and expanded security checkpoints in the airport's three concourses, and gave the Rotunda an aesthetic renovation. In 2010, 2000 feet was added to Runway 3–21, and parallel taxiways 'A' and 'G' enabling heavier aircraft departures in summer months.

The airport plans to add another concourse in the next 5–10 years and looks to add more direct flights to the east coast; the Spokane market has been hosting big events and attracting business to the area.

Facilities

Runways and terminals at Spokane International Airport

Airfield

The airport covers 6,140 acres (2,480 ha) and operates two paved runways:[1]

  • Runway 3/21: 11,002 ft × 150 ft (3,353 m × 46 m), Asphalt/Concrete
  • Runway 7/25: 8,199 ft × 150 ft (2,499 m × 46 m), Asphalt

Terminals

Terminals at Spokane International Airport

The passenger terminal facility at Spokane International Airport has three main structures; Concourse A and B in the center, Concourse C to the southwest, and the Ground Transportation Center to the north. The three structures are immediately adjacent and connected, however the two concourse structures are not linked with an airside connector on the sterile side; as such, connecting passengers need to transit between Concourse A-B and Concourse C through the landside, non-sterile circulation.

Concourse A-B

Entrance to the Concourse A-B ticketing area.
View of the Rotunda in Concourse A-B

The 1965 Concourse A-B complex includes the two concourses linked by a central rotunda area with dining and shopping vendors. The 37,000 sq ft (3,400 m2) rotunda is supported entirely along its perimeter and features no obstructions.[11] Concourse A houses 5 gates (11-15), while Concourse B houses 8 gates (1–8).

The Concourse A-B complex originally opened on April 1, 1965 and was designed by Warren C. Heylman and William Trogdon.[12] The new terminal cost a reported US$4,600,000 (equivalent to $35,720,000 in 2017) and was dedicated on May 8, 1965,[13] in a ceremony attended by Senator Warren Magnuson and Civil Aeronautics Board chair Alan Boyd.[11] Designed to the Neo-Expressionism style, the building's architecture prominently features exposed concrete as well as distinct sculpted and monolithic architectural shapes and forms.

However, as the airport has continued to incrementally expand, some of the original architectural intent of the Concourse A-B complex has been lost. While several expansions to the concourse extended the building's original architectural style, other additions have altered it. In 1974, a second floor was added to both Concourses A and B to allow for the implementation of passenger boarding bridge access to aircraft. The new floors, while sharing some material commonality with the original Heylman and Trogdon concourse, lacked the same curvy and sculpted neo-expressionistic forms. The later additions of the ground transportation facility and Concourse C to the ends of the concourse building further altered the architecture by replacing its distinct bookend elevations and entrances with corridors to the adjacent buildings. Interior renovations in the mid-2000s also replaced many of Concourse A-B complex's original sculpted forms and monolithic materials with more rectilinear forms and contemporary finish materials. Despite this, many of the original architectural elements remain integral to the space (such as the exposed concrete roof trusses and concrete columns), creating a juxtaposition between the newer elements and the original architecture.

Under the proposed Terminal Renovation and Expansion (TREX) program to accommodate projected growth, the separate baggage claim areas in Concourse A-B and Concourse C would be consolidated into a single baggage claim with five carousels, and A-B would receive a renovation. Ultimately, operations at A-B would wind down under long-term plans to construct a new terminal in 2030, at the earliest.[14]

Southwest Airlines is the current primary occupant operating in and out of Concourse A. Delta and United Airlines both operate in and out of Concourse B. American Airlines operated in and out of Concourse B before relocating to Concourse C in March 2016.

Concourse C

Concourse C

Concourse C houses 9 gates, both upper (30-32) and lower (21a, 21b, 22-26). The lower level gates house regional turboprop jets, while the upper-level gates house narrow-body aircraft. The current iteration of Concourse C opened in 2000 after a $20 million redevelopment and expansion project, designed by Bernardo-Wills Architects.[15] The project, which broke ground in 1998 added 80,000 square feet (7,400 m2) to the concourse including a new baggage claim and two-story passenger facility. The 11,000-square-foot (1,000 m2) concourse was remodeled into service and operations functions.[16] The new Concourse C has a more contemporary architectural style, contrasting the appearance of the Concourse A and B complex, by employing a large use of metal cladding and large curtain window walls on its exterior building envelope. However, it draws inspiration from its neo-expressionist neighbor by architecturally expressing a modular, repetitive, and exposed structural grid through its façade and interior lobby areas.

Alaska Airlines and its sister carrier Horizon Air were the primary occupants operating in and out of Concourse C after Frontier Airlines ceased operations to Spokane in January 2015.[17] However, that changed once American Airlines relocated to Concourse C in March 2016. Alaska and American operate in and out of the upper-level gates, while Horizon operates in and out of the lower level gates.

Airlines and destinations

Spokane International Airport is served by 6 carriers. These carriers serve 13 markets through non-stop service to 15 airports.

Passenger

Delta Connection Bombardier CRJ-700 taxis to Concourse B Gate B6.
United Express Embraer 170 begins taxiing for departure.
Delta Air Lines Boeing 757 seen at Concourse B Gate B8.
AirlinesDestinations
Alaska Airlines Boise, Portland (OR), San Diego,[18] Seattle/Tacoma
American Airlines Dallas/Fort Worth, Phoenix–Sky Harbor
Delta Air Lines Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Salt Lake City, Seattle/Tacoma
Frontier Airlines Las Vegas
Seasonal: Denver
Southwest Airlines Boise, Denver, Las Vegas, Oakland, Phoenix–Sky Harbor, Sacramento, San Jose (CA)
Seasonal: Chicago–Midway, San Diego
United Airlines Chicago–O'Hare, Denver, San Francisco

Cargo

AirlinesDestinations
AirPac Airlines[19] Seattle–Boeing
Ameriflight Ephrata, Lewiston, Portland (OR), Seattle–Boeing, Tri-Cities (WA), Wenatchee, Yakima
FedEx Express La Grande, Lewiston, Memphis, Moses Lake, Pendleton, Tri-Cities (WA), Wenatchee, Yakima
UPS Airlines Dallas/Fort Worth, Des Moines, Louisville, Ontario, Portland (OR), Seattle–Boeing, Vancouver
Western Air Express Boise, Portland (OR)

Statistics

Top destinations

Busiest domestic routes from GEG (July 2017 - June 2018)[20]
Rank City Passengers Carriers
1 Seattle/Tacoma, Washington 541,000 Alaska, Delta
2 Denver, Colorado 200,000 Southwest, United
3 Portland, Oregon 152,000 Alaska
4 Salt Lake City, Utah 136,000 Delta
5 Phoenix–Sky Harbor, Arizona 127,000 American, Southwest
6 Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota 117,000 Delta
7 Boise, Idaho 87,000 Alaska, Southwest
8 Las Vegas, Nevada 84,000 Southwest
9 Oakland, California 82,000 Southwest
10 San Francisco, California 52,000 United

Airline market share

Largest Airlines at GEG (July 2017 - June 2018)[21]
Rank Airline Passengers Share
1 Southwest Airlines 874,000 24.69%
2 Horizon Air 744,000 21.02%
3 Delta Air Lines 454,000 12.82%
4 Alaska Airlines 392,000 11.06%
5 SkyWest Airlines 353,000 9.96%

Annual traffic

Annual passenger traffic (enplaned + deplaned) at GEG, 1990 through 2017[22][23]
Year Passengers Year Passengers Year Passengers
19901,619,88020003,068,89020103,181,616
19911,589,12320012,880,18620113,072,572
19921,855,95420022,745,78820123,005,664
19932,329,95320032,789,49920132,926,858
19942,687,48220043,059,66720142,986,652
19952,988,57520053,197,44020153,133,342
19963,258,76220063,224,42320163,234,095
19973,043,23820073,471,90120173,550,912
19982,949,83320083,422,110
19993,041,62620093,055,081

Ground transportation

Spokane Transit operates two stops at Spokane International Airport, with bus route 60 connecting the airport to Downtown Spokane. Transfer opportunities are available in downtown to the rest of the STA system. The airport is also served by the WSDOT's Travel Washington Gold Line, which provides twice-daily bus service to cities north of Spokane, including Deer Park, Chewelah, Colville, and Kettle Falls.

A consolidated rental car facility is located adjacent to the Ground Transportation Center on the north end of the main terminal. The consolidated facility opened in November 2008, replacing several satellite operations, and is intended to meet passenger growth at the airport for 20 years after its opening.[24]

Accidents and incidents

  • On January 21, 1981, a Beechcraft Model 99A, Cascade Airways flight 201, crashed into a hill 4.5 miles from the runway. The accident was caused by an incorrect distance measuring equipment frequency and premature descent to minimum descent altitude. Of the nine people on board, seven were killed (including both pilots), and the other two passengers were seriously injured. The airline ceased operations about five years later.[25][26]
  • On March 18, 1994, Douglas DC-3C N3433Y of Salair crashed shortly after take-off on a cargo flight to Portland International Airport. The starboard engine failed shortly after take-off. The engine that failed had previously been in long-term storage and had been overhauled the previous year and fitted to the aircraft on February 21, replacing an engine that developed a misfire and loss of power. It had accumulated 15 hrs flight time at the time of the accident. The aircraft was destroyed in the subsequent fire and both crew members were killed.[27][28]

See also

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

  1. 1 2 FAA Airport Master Record for GEG (Form 5010 PDF), effective May 25, 2017.
  2. ↑ "Spokane Intl Airport – Home" (PDF).
  3. ↑ "Calendar Year 2015 Passenger Boardings at Commercial Service Airports" (PDF). Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Retrieved 27 February 2017.
  4. ↑ "List of NPIAS Airports" (PDF). FAA.gov. Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
  5. ↑ Staff, "Align Rail Route To Air Depot", The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Washington, Wednesday 13 May 1942, Volume 59. Number 364, page 6.
  6. ↑ "Spokane Intl Airport – Home".
  7. ↑ "Historic Preservation: Mid-Century Modern Architecture".
  8. ↑ "Terminal Roof Bid Accepted". The Spokesman-Review. Spokane. August 25, 1977. p. 7. Retrieved January 22, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Spokane Intl Airport – Home".
  10. ↑ "Spokane Intl Airport – Home".
  11. 1 2 "New Airport Dedication Will Feature Alan Boyd". Cheney Free Press. 9 April 1965. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  12. ↑ Deshais, Nicholas (10 July 2016). "Warren Heylman's architectural vision 'all over' Spokane". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  13. ↑ "New Terminal for Airport Opens Today". The Spokesman-Review. 1 April 1965. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  14. ↑ Prager, Mike (19 July 2017). "Spokane Airport eyeing major improvements". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  15. ↑ "Concourse C Addition & Remodel, Spokane International Airport". Bernardo-Wills Architects. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  16. ↑ Cain, Chad (9 April 1998). "Airport projects set to take off". Spokane Journal of Business. Retrieved January 15, 2016.
  17. ↑ "Frontier Airlines ending service at Spokane International Airport". Spokesman Review. Retrieved March 30, 2016.
  18. ↑ "Alaska Airlines announces new nonstop service between San Diego and Spokane, Washington". Puget Sound Business Journal. American City Business Journals. 14 June 2018. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  19. ↑ AirPac Airlines
  20. ↑ "RITA - BTS - Transtats". Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Retrieved 28 Sept 2018. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  21. ↑ "Spokane, WA: Spokane International(GEG)". Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Retrieved Sept 2018. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  22. ↑ "Spokane Intl Airport – Passenger Data".
  23. ↑ Historic Passenger & Cargo Data. Retrieved on Mar 28, 2015.
  24. ↑ Prager, Mike (2008-11-12). "Car rental a short walk away". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved 2016-01-14.
  25. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on December 1, 2010. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
  26. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 8, 2011. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
  27. ↑ "N3433Y Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved June 25, 2010.
  28. ↑ "SEA94FA085". National Transportation Safety Board. Retrieved June 28, 2010.
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