Lancaster Airport (Pennsylvania)


Lancaster Airport is a public use airport four nautical miles north of the central business district of Lancaster, in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is owned by the Lancaster Airport Authority. It is served by one commercial airline and one charter airline.
As per the Federal Aviation Administration, this airport had 1,673 passenger boardings in calendar year 2008, 4,333 in 2009, and 6,410 in 2010. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a general aviation airport based on enplanements in 2008, however it qualifies as a non-primary commercial service airport based on yearly enplanements in 2009 and 2010.

History

The Lancaster Airport was formed over 75 years ago as a private airport. In 1933 the Lancaster Joint Aviation Committee was formed and the decision made to operate a municipal airport. Using War Relief Funds and knowing that the airport would benefit the local unemployed constructors the Lancaster Joint Aviation Committee moved forward on modernizing the airport. They purchased 180 acres of farmland in southern Lititz and constructed the airport. In 1936 Lancaster became the second airport in Pennsylvania to two hard surface runways and was certified for both night and daytime operations. After World War II the airport was becoming obsolete so using government funds the airport was expanded and modernized with 22% of the funds needed for the update being raised by the community. On June 18, 1949 the airport was dedicated after upgrades were completed. Over the years the airport continued to improve; the terminal was renovated and expanded in the mid-1990s. Most recently runway 8/26 was expanded in length bringing it to 6,934 feet long and 150 feet wide.

Facilities and aircraft

Lancaster Airport covers an area of 850 acres at an elevation of 403 feet above mean sea level. It has two asphalt paved runways: 8/26 is 6,934 by 150 feet and 13/31 is 4,101 by 100 feet.
For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2009, the airport had 90,096 aircraft operations, an average of 246 per day: 89% general aviation, 6% military, and 5% air taxi. At that time 142 aircraft were based at this airport: 73% single-engine, 14% multi-engine, 5% jet, 7% helicopter, and 1% glider.
In addition to hosting general aviation aircraft, Lancaster Airport is host to a variety of businesses: flight schools, planes for charter, aircraft rides, helicopter rides, hot air balloon rides, aircraft maintenance shops, a restaurant, and a gift shop. It serves the pilots who call Lancaster their home airport and the community.

Flight schools

The following airline offers scheduled passenger service:
Destinations map

Statistics

RankCityPassengersCarriers
1Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania3,420Southern Airways Express
2Baltimore, Maryland1,170Southern Airways Express