Gainesville Regional Airport

Gainesville Regional Airport (IATA: GNV[2], ICAO: KGNV, FAA LID: GNV) is a public airport three miles northeast of Gainesville, in Alachua County, Florida, United States. It is owned by Gainesville-Alachua Co. Auth.[1] The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a primary commercial service airport (more than 10,000 enplanements per year).[3]

Gainesville Regional Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerCity of Gainesville
OperatorGainesville-Alachua County Regional Airport Authority
ServesGainesville, Florida
Locationwithin Gainesville municipal boundary
Elevation AMSL151 ft / 46 m
Coordinates29°41′24″N 082°16′18″W
Websitewww.flygainesville.com
Map
GNV
Location of airport in Florida / United States
GNV
GNV (the United States)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
11/29 7,504 2,287 Asphalt
7/25 4,158 1,267 Asphalt
Statistics (2019)
Total passengers (2018)468,973 7.5%
Total enplanements273,253 16.8%
Aircraft operations72,385 15.1%
Based aircraft7,814 36%

Gainesville Regional Airport had 177,282 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2011 and 159,499 enplanements in 2010.[4] They also had 217,355 passenger boardings (enplanements) in 2015, more than 2% higher than 2014.[5]

Gainesville Regional Airport had 558,246 passengers in 2019.[6]

The airport annually hosts the Gator Fly In at the general aviation facilities. The event includes military aircraft displays, a classic car show, food trucks, live music, and aircraft rides aboard a Ford Tri-motor, a Cessna 172, and on helicopters.

History
Alachua Army Airfield in 1949
Control Tower
Aerial view of Gainesville Regional Airport from the east in 2010.

Construction of the airport began in April 1940 as a Works Project Administration project. In 1941 initial construction was completed. Upon conclusion of the construction by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the facility was known as the Alachua Army Airfield and was used by the Army Air Corps and the Army Air Forces.

The airfield was declared surplus in September 1945 and turned over to the Army Corps of Engineers on October 1, 1946. The War Assets Administration deeded the facility to the city of Gainesville in 1948 as a civil airport. The field was known as John R. Alison Airport or Gainesville Municipal Airport; the city operated, maintained, and improved the airport, which was renamed the Gainesville Regional Airport in October 1977. The airline terminal was dedicated to John R. Alison in 1979.

Eastern Airlines served Gainesville beginning in the 1950s, with flights to Tallahassee, Jacksonville and Ocala,[7] eventually offering nonstop flights to Atlanta and Miami by the 1970s.[8] Air Florida served Gainesville in the late 1970s and early 1980s, with flights to Miami, Tampa and Ocala.[9][10]

In 1986 the State Legislature passed a bill that established the Airport as the Gainesville-Alachua County Regional Airport Authority. The Airport Authority has nine board members, five selected by the City of Gainesville, three by the Governor and one by Alachua County, and continues to oversee the Airport.

On October 31, 2004 Gainesville Regional Airport hosted Air Force One[11] during George W. Bush's re-election campaign. 17,000 people attended the event. [12][13]

In recent years the Airport has substantially completed several projects: the refurbishment of its primary runway (11/29), piping of an open ditch parallel to that runway, and completion of two phases of the Terminal Renovation project. Three passenger boarding bridges have been installed.

Eclipse Aviation, maker of the Eclipse 500, operated its first factory service center in Gainesville until the company declared bankruptcy in 2009.[14][15] In 2012 Silver Airways moved its maintenance facilities from Ft. Lauderdale into the existing Eclipse Aviation facility.[16] Silver provides commercial airline service to several destinations around Florida and Bahamas. In April 2015 Silver airways moved its maintenance to Orlando International.

The control tower operates during daylight hours.

After the passing of Gainesville native Tom Petty on October 2, 2017, a change.org petition was started to have the airport renamed "Tom Petty - Gainesville Regional Airport".[17]

In 2019 Gainesville Regional Airport received a 12.1 million dollar grant from the FAA to expand the terminal adding two gates, additional bathrooms, a pet relief area, a mother lactation room, a kids area, and additional shops and restaurants. A portion of the grant will go towards overall renovations of the airport, while the project as a whole will add 15,200 square feet to the airport.[18] Plans to add a parking structure are currently in discussion, with immediate plans to construct a temporary parking lot to alleviate capacity issues. [19]

Facilities

The airport covers 1,650 acres (670 ha) and has two asphalt runways: 11/29 is 7,504 by 150 feet (2,287 x 46 m) and 7/25 is 4,158 by 100 feet (1,267 x 30 m).[1]

In the year ending September 30, 2011 the airport had 70,876 aircraft operations, average 366 per day: 73% general aviation, 8% air taxi, 8% military and 1% airline. 185 aircraft are based at the airport: 83% single-engine, 9% multi-engine, 4% jet and 4% helicopter.[1]

Gainesville Regional Airport has one full service FBO, University Air Center. There were two, Gulf Atlantic Airways and Flight Line. Flight Line's contract with the airport authority expired and Gulf Atlantic became University Air Center. University Air Center has a pilots lounge with TV, snack machines, aircraft rentals and charters, flight instruction, and fuel.

The Terminal

Gainesville Regional Airport's terminal has 3 gates. Gates 1 and 2 are used by American Eagle. Gate 3 is used by Delta Air Lines and Delta Connection. The airport terminal has a snack bar and a gift shop, operated by Tailwind. The airport's ground transportation is served by taxis; rental car companies; an RTS bus stop serving routes 25, 26, and 39; and hotel shuttle buses. Renovations slated to be completed by 2021 will add 2 additional gates to the facility, in addition to a large baggage screening area, and additional parking.

Airlines and destinations
Airport Interior, West Lobby
AirlinesDestinations
American Eagle Charlotte, Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami
Delta Air Lines Atlanta
Delta Connection Atlanta

Statistics
Annual Passenger Enplanements at GNV, 2000 - 2018[20]
Year Passengers Year Passengers
2000144,9962010164,977
2001121,1522011183,091
2002135,1062012196,840
2003124,7472013204,924
2004141,2132014208,262
2005173,3262015217,358
2006159,9582016206,330
2007148,5012017218,578
2008141,0772018236,019
2009134,6142019273,253

Total Passengers
Annual passenger traffic (enplaned + deplaned) at GNV, 2009 to present.
Year Passengers Growth
2009268,70001.9%
2010298,505011.2%
2011359,826021%
2012381,58406.2%
2013401,65105.1%
2014410,56802.3%
2015433,11305.5%
2016421,70002.7%
2017436,18403.5%
2018476,396 6%0
2019558,246017.2%

Top destinations
Busiest domestic routes from Gainesville (FL)
(January 2019 – December 2019)[21]
Rank City Passengers (nearest 1,000)
1 Atlanta, Georgia 149,000
2 Charlotte, North Carolina 79,000
3 Dallas, Texas 21,000
4 Miami, Florida 20,000

Accidents and Incidents

On May 31, 2018, Allegiant Air flight 1304 made an emergency landing due to a medical emergency involving the pilot. On the flight from Cincinnati to Punta Gorda the pilot had a seizure and the flight diverted to Gainesville. The pilot was immediately brought to the hospital. No other injuries or deaths.

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References

https://web.archive.org/web/20150407100148/http://www.expressjet.com/wp-content/uploads/routemaps/2015/ExpressJet_DeltaSystem(Apr15).pdf

  1. FAA Airport Master Record for GNV (Form 5010 PDF).
  2. "IATA Airport Code Search (GNV: Gainesville Regional)". International Air Transport Association. Retrieved December 24, 2012.
  3. "2011–2015 NPIAS Report, Appendix A" (PDF). National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems. Federal Aviation Administration. October 4, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF, 2.03 MB) on 2012-09-27. External link in |work= (help)
  4. "Primary, Non-primary Commercial Service, and General Aviation Airports (by State)" (PDF, 1.7 MB). CY 2011 Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data. Federal Aviation Administration. October 9, 2012. External link in |work= (help)
  5. "Gainesville Regional Airport - Passengers Set GNV Record". gra-gnv.com. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  6. "GNV Sets Another All-time Record for Passenger Traffic in 2019". Gainesville Regional Airport. January 22, 2020. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  7. "Eastern timetable, December 1, 1958". Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  8. "Eastern Airlines route map, September 6, 1972". Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  9. "Air Florida timetable, February 1, 1979". Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  10. "Air Florida timetable, January 15, 1984". departedflights.com. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  11. "17,000 greet President Bush on brief stop in Gainesville". Gainesville Sun. November 1, 2004.
  12. "Monthly Meeting Highlights" (DOC). Gainesville-Alachua County Regional Airport Authority. November 18, 2004.
  13. "The Travels of President George W. Bush". GWU.edu. October 2004.
  14. "Gainesville Airport gets new tenants". Gainesville Sun. April 28, 2009.
  15. "Turbulent times". Gainesville Sun. January 9, 2010.
  16. "Silver Airways bringing maintenance facility to Gainesville". Gainesville Sun. January 19, 2012.
  17. http://www.gainesville.com/news/20171003/city-leaders-want-ideas-for-ways-to-honor-tom-petty
  18. admin (2019-09-23). "GNV receives FAA Grant for its 15,200-square foot terminal expansion". Gainesville Regional Airport. Retrieved 2019-10-19.
  19. "Gainesville Airport Authority Meeting Notes September 2019".
  20. "Passenger Boarding (Enplanement) and All-Cargo Data for U.S. Airports". Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved August 6, 2016.
  21. "RITA | BTS | Transtats". Bureau of Transportation Statistics. March 23, 2020. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
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