Piedmont Triad International Airport
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| Piedmont Triad International Airport | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| IATA: GSO - ICAO: KGSO | |||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Public | ||
| Operator | Piedmont Triad Airport Authority | ||
| Serves | Greensboro, North Carolina | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 926 ft (282.2 m) | ||
| Coordinates | |||
| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 5/23 | 10,000 | 3,048 | Asphalt |
| 14/32 | 6,380 | 1,945 | Asphalt |
Piedmont Triad International Airport (IATA: GSO, ICAO: KGSO) (commonly referred to as "PTIA" or just "PTI") is an airport just west of Greensboro, serving Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem in North Carolina. The airport currently has 2 runways, but a third is being constructed. The airport is located just off Bryan Boulevard.
The Combined Statistical Area of Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point (Piedmont Triad) has a 2004 population estimate of 1,473,679
Source: US Bureau of the Census Released January 2006
Contents |
[edit] History
An antecedent of PTI Airport, one of the first commercial airports in the South, Maynard Field was dedicated on December 6, 1919, in an area east of Winston-Salem near the community of Oak Ridge. With its two intersecting runways measuring 1890 feet and 1249 feet, hangar space, and even an early day equivalent of a Fixed Base Operator that made sure the torches were lit at dusk, Maynard Field was named to honor a young North Carolinian pilot named Lt. Belvin Maynard. It was located , but by 1922 it had competition to the west with Miller Field in Winston-Salem, and Charles Field, a single airstrip that was used mainly for barnstorming, and to drill take-offs and landings for the Charles' family.
Piedmont Triad International Airport had its start in 1927, when the Tri-City Airport Commission selected 112 acres of land near the community of Friendship for an airport, and filed a petition to become a stop along the congressionally authorized airmail route from New York to New Orleans. Friendship, near Greensboro, was selected over neighboring Winston-Salem, which subsequently denied contributing funds for airport construction and nullified the Tri-City Airport Authority collaborative effort.[1]
Greensboro and Guilford County jointly purchased the Friendship property from Paul C. and Helen G. Lindley, and christened it Lindley Field in May 1927 with 12,000 people in attendance. No runways, no lights, no hangar, and no passenger station existed at the time. Charles Lindbergh stopped at Lindley Field with the "Spirit of St. Louis" on his cross-country tour celebrating the advances of aviation on October 14, 1927. Regular mail service was established in 1928. [2]
Pitcairn Aviation, Incorporated was given the contract to fly the authorized airmail route; recognized as the second official airmail route in the United States, and the first designated airmail stop in North Carolina. After a brief closure during the Great Depression, the airport reopened on May 17, 1937 with two all-weather runways. In time, Pitcairn Aviation built a hangar; Greensboro built a passenger station; the United States government established a weather bureau; and the Department of Commerce set up a radio tower. Passenger service was inaugurated by Dixie Flying Service on November 6, 1930, with a route to Washington, DC. Pitcairn Aviation took over the route under its new name Eastern Air Transport, which later became Eastern Airlines.[3]
In July, 1942, responsibility for the airport was given to the Greensboro-High Point Airport Authority, with appointed representatives from Greensboro, High Point, and the Sedgefield community. Shortly thereafter, the Army Air Corps requisitioned the airport and its facilities for war use, and airmail and passenger service was discontinued. The Corps improved the facility by lengthening the runways and constructing a new passenger terminal. Civilian service resumed at the close of the war, though growth was moderated due to the success of nearby Smith Reynolds Airport in Winston-Salem.
Greensboro-High Point Regional Airport opened its new passenger terminal in 1958, replacing the temporary facility that had served the airport since World War II. The new terminal was a modern glass paneled structure with a single enclosed pier, along which aircraft parked. At the time of the terminal's opening, Greensboro was served by Eastern, Piedmont, Delta and Capital (which merged with United in 1961.)
By 1975, airport officials began to plan for construction of a new terminal. Piedmont Airlines, which for years had served both GSO and Smith Reynolds Airport in nearby Winston-Salem, announced its intention to consolidate its operations at Greensboro Regional Airport. It became apparent that a larger facility would be needed.
The airport was renamed Greensboro-High Point Airport. The name was later changed to Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point Airport.
Work on the new (and current) facility began in 1978. The new airport terminal and concourse complex was completed in 1982 and the facility was renamed Piedmont Triad International in 1987.
In the mid-1990s, Continental Airlines developed a hub operation at the airport (its fifth largest), largely to support its new Continental Lite low-fare product. By 1995, then incoming CEO Gordon Bethune cancelled the Continental Lite program, and closed the airline's Greensboro hub.
[edit] Airlines and destinations
Gates 40-51
- US Airways
- US Airways Express operated by Air Wisconsin (Philadelphia, Washington-Reagan)
- US Airways Express operated by Chautauqua Airlines (Charlotte, New York-LaGuardia, Philadelphia)
- US Airways Express operated by Mesa Airlines (Charlotte)
- US Airways Express operated by Piedmont Airlines (Philadelphia, Washington-Reagan)
- US Airways Express operated by PSA Airlines (Charlotte)
- United Airlines (Chicago-O'Hare)
- United Express operated by Mesa Airlines (Chicago-O'Hare, Washington-Dulles)
- United Express operated by Chautauqua Airlines (Chicago-O'Hare, Washington-Dulles)
- American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth)
- American Eagle (Chicago-O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami)
Gates 20-34
- Continental Airlines
- Continental Express operated by ExpressJet Airlines (Houston-Intercontinental, Newark)
- Northwest Airlines
- Northwest Airlink operated by Pinnacle Airlines (Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis St Paul)
- Delta Air Lines (Atlanta)
- Delta Connection operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines (Atlanta, Orlando)
- Delta Connection operated by Comair (Boston, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, New York-LaGuardia)
- Delta Connection operated by Freedom Airlines (Orlando)
[edit] Airport Terminal Information
Completed in 1985, the terminal currently has 25 passenger gates; 11 on the south concourse, and 14 on the north concourse. It has undergone many renovations and expansions. The north concourse has just undergone an expansion; it is now technically the same size as the south concourse, despite the different gate numbers. In addition, TSA screeners used to screen checked bags in front of the airline ticket counters, because there was limited space available. Now, they're located at each ends of the main terminal. Also, a new bag belt system will carry luggage from the upper to the lower level. The renovations added another 40,000 square feet to the terminal; at a cost of $5 million. Delta Air Lines, the airport's largest carrier, is now operating from the new concourse area. In addition, it is believed that the airport is trying to bring in low-fare airlines, such as Southwest Airlines, Allegiant Airlines and JetBlue.
[edit] Airline lounges
- US Airways operates a US Airways Club across from Gate 45.
[edit] Cargo Operators and Destinations
- DHL (Wilmington, OH x1)
- FedEx Express (Memphis x3, Indianapolis x2, Newark x1, Miami x1)
- Mountain Air Cargo (Hickory x1, Roanoke x1, Norfolk x1, New Bern x1, Wilmington, NC x1)
- Mid-Atlantic Freight
- Tradewinds Airlines (Aguadilla Borinquen x1)
- UPS (Louisville, Roanoke)
[edit] FedEx future hub
FedEx Express ("FedEx") chose Piedmont Triad International Airport for its new Mid-Atlantic hub in 1998 over competing proposals from airports in Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham, Columbia, Greenville-Spartanburg and Kinston, NC. This will be the 5th major FedEx hub.
A third runway will be constructed to accommodate the hub operation. It will parallel the current 5/23. The hub is expected to open in 2009. This date has been pushed back considerably, amid complaints of noise from homeowners in the area, since most of the FedEx flights are expected to take place at night.
[edit] Fixed Base Operators (FBOs)
- Landmark Aviation (formerly Piedmont Hawthorne)
- Atlantic Aero
- Cessna Citation Service Center
- Greensboro Aviation (Aircraft Rental and Flight Instruction)
- Honda Aircraft Company (Headquarters, Prototype, Manufacturing)
- TIMCO (Triad International Maintenance Company)
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Piedmont Triad International Airport (official site)
- FAA Airport Diagram (PDF)
- NCDOT Airport Information (PDF)
- Resources for this airport:
- AirNav airport information for KGSO
- ASN Accident history for KGSO
- FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
- NOAA/NWS current and historical weather observations
- SkyVector aeronautical chart for KGSO
- FAA current GSO delay information
