Orlando Vacation Guide. Genuine And Important Information For Getting The Best Holiday In Orlando Florida. Best Accommodation, Flight Details And Car Hire At The Cheapest Prices Guaranteed
Coordinates: 39°59′53″N 082°53′31″W / 39.99806°N 82.89194°W / 39.99806; -82.89194
Port Columbus International Airport (IATA: CMH , ICAO: KCMH , FAA LID: CMH ), commonly shortened to Port Columbus , is an international airport located 6 miles (10 kilometers) east of downtown Columbus, Ohio, USA. It is managed by the Columbus Regional Airport Authority, which also oversees operations at Rickenbacker International Airport and Bolton Field. The airport code 'CMH' stands for "Columbus Municipal Hangar," though that name is no longer used today.
Port Columbus is primarily a passenger airport, providing over 190 non-stop flights to 44 airports via 15 airlines daily. Traffic reached 7,719,340 passengers in 2007, a 14.6% increase over the previous year. The airport saw a 13.4% increase in traffic in the first seven months of 2007 and a 23% increase in passengers for the month of July, due to an increase in flights by established carriers as well as the addition of JetBlue and Skybus Airlines (which ceased operations in April 2008). Port Columbus was expected to top 8 million travellers by the end of 2007. In addition, the airport also handles freight and US mail, with 10,411,920 units of freight and 8,537,279 units of mail passing through in 2006.
Today, Port Columbus provides commercial air service to most all major airport hubs across the United States, with one notable exception being LAX. The airport is the largest passenger airport in the central Ohio region and is the second busiest in the state after Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. Port Columbus was also the 52 nd busiest airport in the United States in 2006.
Accessing Port Columbus by road is possible by either of two bordering interstate highways: I-270 to the northeast and I-670 to the west. The main airport roadway, International Gateway, connects directly to I-670, making navigating to the airport relatively simple from anywhere in the area.
Port Columbus is also known for displaying a large amount of community artwork, including children's drawings, a photographic timeline, and other donated items. Most recognized is Brushstrokes in Flight , a sculpture located directly in front of the Concourse B security checkpoint and designed by Roy Lichtenstein.
History
Early History
The airport opened July 8, 1929, on a site originally selected by Charles Lindbergh, as the eastern air terminus of the Transcontinental Air Transport air-rail New York to Los Angeles intercontinental route. Passengers traveled overnight on the Pennsylvania Railroad's luxury Airway Limited from New York to Columbus; by air from Columbus to Waynoka, Oklahoma; by rail again from Waynoka to Clovis, New Mexico; and finally by air from Clovis to Los Angeles. The original terminal building and hangars still exist and are in use; the former terminal has been restored and is used for rental office space, while the original hangars are still used for airport operations.
By 1939, Port Columbus was handling fourteen flights per day. Ten of these flights were Transcontinental and Western Airlines (predecessor of Trans World Airlines), while the other four were American Airlines. TWA averaged twenty-one passengers per day at this time.
Recent improvements
A $70 million renovation of airport facilities was completed in 1979 for the airport's 50th anniversary. This upgraded the airport's capacity to 250 flights per day and added fully enclosed jetways at every gate. Ten years later in 1989, a second, $15.5 million, seven-gate concourse was dedicated. The concourse was used exclusively by US Airways at the time. A third concourse was completed in 1995, which is now Concourse C.
Between 1998 and 2000, numerous airport expansion and renovation projects were completed, including a $25 million terminal renovation in 1998 that included additional retail shops, new flight information displays, enhanced lighting, upgraded flooring, and a new food court. Also, new hangars and office spaces were completed for NetJets in 1999, as well as a $92 million parking garage including an underground terminal entrance, new rental car facilities, dedicated ground transportation area, improved eight-lane terminal access on two levels, and a new atrium and entrances in 2000.
On April 25, 2004, a new 195-foot (59 m) control tower directed its first aircraft, ushering in the beginning of several major facility enhancements to be constructed through 2025.
Infrastructure
On-site facilities
Port Columbus International Airport has two fixed-based operators on site, Lane Aviation and Million Air. In 2001, Executive Jet Aviation (now known as NetJets Inc.) opened up a 200,000-square-foot (18,580 m²) operational headquarters at Port Columbus International Airport.
In November 2006, Skybus Airlines began leasing 100,000 square feet (9,290 m²) of office and hangar facilities at the Columbus International AirCenter adjacent to Port Columbus.
Airfield
The original 1929 layout for the airport covered 524 acres (212 ha), with two runways extending 2,500 feet (760 m) and 3,500 feet (1,070 m) in length. Since then, the runways have been expanded significantly. In 1952 the current south runway was lengthened to 8,000 feet (2,400 m), making it the longest runway in the midwest at the time. The north runway was also extended to 8,000 feet (2,400 m) in 1997, though the south runway has since been extended to 10,125 feet (3,086 m).
Port Columbus international Airport covers 2,185 acres (884 ha) and has two runways:
- Runway 10R/28L: 10,125 x 150 ft (3,086 x 46 m), air carrier runway, ILS equipped.
- Runway 10L/28R: 8,000 x 150 ft (2,438 x 46 m), air carrier runway, ILS equipped.
Runway 10L/28R lies immediately north of the 40th Parallel North, and the line of latitude also goes through the northern edge of the terminal building.
Aircraft
For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2005, the airport had 216,724 aircraft operations, an average of 593 per day: 46% air taxi, 29% general aviation, 24% scheduled commercial, and 1% military. There are 93 aircraft based at this airport: 46% single engine, 16% multi-engine, 37% jet aircraft, and 1% helicopters.
Airlines and destinations
The first major airline to fly into Port Columbus was TWA, and it kept a presence at Columbus over seventy years during the era of airline regulation. TWA offered a club for exclusive passengers up until 2000 when America West took over a gate held by TWA and the club itself due to financial problems.
Port Columbus International Airport was formerly a hub of America West Airlines in the 1990s, but the company closed the hub in 2003. America West eliminated the Columbus hub as result of financial losses at the hub, overall financial losses at the airline, and a weak airline market after September 11, 2001.
The airport was the home base of short-lived Skybus Airlines, which began operations from Port Columbus on May 22, 2007. The airline touted themselves as the cheapest airline in the United States, offering a minimum of ten seats for $10 each on every flight. Skybus ceased operations April 4, 2008.
Port Columbus has 3 concourses containing a total of 44 gates.
Concourse A
Concourse A has 7 Gates A1 - A7
Concourse B
Concourse B has 25 Gates: B15 - B18A, B18B, B19 - B30A, B30B, B31 - B34A, B34B, B35, B36
Note: Northwest Airlines will be moving to Concourse C on June 8, 2009 as part of their merger with Delta Airlines
Concourse C
Concourse C has 12 Gates: C46 - C53A, C53B, C54 - C56
Note: Concourse C handles all international arrivals at Port Columbus (excluding airports with border preclearance) as well as the following departing flights:
Incidents and Accidents
June 27, 1954
An American Airlines Convair CV-240 (N94263) from Dayton International Airport was on approach to Runway 27 at 300 feet when the left side of the plane collided with a US Navy Beechcraft S
Cheapest Flight To Orlando
Find cheap flights to Orlando at dealchecker. Compare prices between the major operators to see for yourself who’s got the best deal.
Cheapest Flights Orlando
Our site is here to offer you a great opportunity for shopping cheap air flights. How many times you ended up in a situation when a person flying next to you got his ticket for ...
Cheapest Interstate Flights?
A couple of American friends have found out that I would like to head to Orlando, and they're trying to arrange to meet up. Some of them are loaded,
Flights To Orlando
While I can’t promise you the cheapest flight to Orlando, Florida, there are a number of car and flight holidays to be found to Orlando Florida on the internet.
Cheap flights to Orlando - Orlando flights | Book a flight to MCO ...
The cheapest flights to Orlando mean spare cash to spend at the classy Mall at Millenia, home to big names like Tiffany’s and Bloomingdale’s.
Cheapest Flights to Orlando, Florida
Cheap flights to Florida and fly drives (flydrives) to Orlando.
Flights - Cheap flights to Orlando, FL
Search for the cheapest flights to Orlando, Florida. Orlando is thoroughly modern, clean, efficient and eminently civilized, with uniformly excellent tourist facilities. The ...
Cheap flights to Orlando from UK Airports by Just the Flight
Cheap air tickets online and flight reservations to Orlando at bargain ... departure information for the above Cheapest business class fares to Orlando More Business class flights to ...
Cheap flights to Orlando | Book Orlando flights from £185
Book flights to Orlando with DialAFlight™, the award winning Orlando flights specialist. All calls answered live in less than 5 secs! From £185.
Flights to Orlando, Florida from the UK
Cheap Flights to Orlando and Flights to Florida locations. ... Flights to Florida - Cheap Flights to Orlando. see our current specials! If you are looking for the cheapest flights ...