Arcata–Eureka Airport


California Redwood Coast – Humboldt County Airport, also known as Arcata–Eureka Airport and Arcata Airport, is in Humboldt County, California, north of Arcata and north of Eureka, in McKinleyville, California.
The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a Nonhub primary commercial service airport. The airport is a federally designated port of entry for civil aircraft arriving in the United States. The airport is the site of the command center for and primary facilities of the United States Coast Guard Air Station Humboldt Bay, which provides rescue and law enforcement for the region north of the San Francisco Bay Area.

History

The airport was built by the United States Navy during World War II to test defogging systems. It operated in support of the Naval Air Station Alameda as the Arcata Naval Auxiliary Air Station and was headquarters for the Eureka section of naval local defense forces for the 12th Naval District.
In December 1947 a Southwest Airways Douglas DC-3 made the world's first blind landing by a scheduled commercial airliner using Ground-Controlled Approach radar, Instrument Landing System and Fog Investigation and Dispersal Operation oil-burners next to the runway. By the following year the airline had made 1,200 routine instrument landings at the often fog-shrouded airport.

Facilities

The airport covers at an elevation of. It has two asphalt runways: 14/32 is and 1/19 is.
The airport is under the jurisdiction of the California Coastal Commission and major changes to the airport such as rezoning or fencing in the airport require its approval.
The approach path for runway 32 passes over Central Avenue. The glare of the strobe lights that direct planes to the runway were a hazard for drivers, especially during rain when the strobes' intensity increased and the road reflected the blinking lights. Baffles were installed on the strobes which block the lights from shining on the road while still guiding aircraft.

Airline and destinations

Passenger

Statistics

Current airline service

Scheduled flights are on SkyWest Airlines with 3 or 4 flights per day to SFO on CRJ-200s and Embraer 175s and 2 flights per day to LAX using the CRJ-200.
Daily nonstop service to Denver International Airport began on June 7, 2019.
Service has increased over the last five years, with two new destinations ; passenger departures have increased 56% since 2015.

Past airline service

ACV was served by Eureka Aero , Air Oregon , American Eagle, Pacific Air Lines and predecessor Southwest Airways, Pacific Southwest Airlines , Horizon Air , Delta Connection operated by SkyWest Airlines, Hughes Airwest and predecessor Air West ; Republic Airlines ; United Airlines, WestAir operating as United Express, and Arcata Flying Service . In 2016 and part of 2017, PenAir offered service to Portland International and Redding with 30 passenger Saab 340Bs.

Past jet service

The first jets scheduled to ACV were Pacific Air Lines Boeing 727-100s in 1967; Pacific also served ACV with Fairchild F-27s.

Ground transportation