Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport

Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (IATA: CHA, ICAO: KCHA, FAA LID: CHA) (Lovell Field) is 5 miles (8 km) east of downtown Chattanooga, in Hamilton County, Tennessee. The airport is owned and operated by the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority.[2] It is a Class C airport serviced by the Chattanooga Airport Traffic Control Tower. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2019–2023 categorized it as a small-hub primary commercial service facility.[3]

Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport

Lovell Field
Logo
Passenger Terminal
Summary
Airport typePublic
Owner/OperatorChattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority
ServesChattanooga, Tennessee
Elevation AMSL683 ft / 208 m
Coordinates35°02′07″N 85°12′14″W
Websitewww.chattairport.com
Map
CHA
Location
CHA
CHA (the United States)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
2/20 7,400 2,256 Asphalt
15/33 5,575 1,699 Asphalt
Statistics (2019)
Aircraft operations61,446
Based aircraft89
Passengers (12 months ending Dec 2019)1,094,000
Source:[1]

History

The first scheduled airline flight in Tennessee took place in Chattanooga in 1928 at Marr Field, dedicated in December 1919, named for Walter L. Marr, off present-day Amnicola Highway.[4] Chattanooga was a stopover on the Contract Air Mail route served by Interstate Airlines between Atlanta and Chicago. Charles Lindbergh, the world-famous aviator who had piloted the Spirit of St. Louis over the Atlantic Ocean in May 1927, flew into Marr Field on October 5, 1927.[4]

In 1930, due to the interest and foresight of John Lovell, a new Chattanooga Airport opened with an unpaved runway at its present location and was named Lovell Field in his honor.[5] In 1936, the landing area was expanded and runways paved as a part of the New Deal's Works Progress Administration (WPA). The original terminal building was built at that time.

During World War II Lovell Field was a military training facility. Growth in aviation in the 1950s led to a transfer of airport operations to the City of Chattanooga and airport expansion with a new runway, the primary runway today. The original terminal building, dating from the 1930s, was expanded in 1950 and 1955 by the city before being replaced by a new terminal in 1964.

The Airport's ownership was transferred from Chattanooga to the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority (CMAA) in July 1985.[6]

The current passenger terminal, designed by Gensler, opened in 1992.[7]

In 2011, a 1 megawatt solar farm located on the southwest corner of the airfield was constructed.[8] An additional 1.1 megawatts were added to the solar farm in the summer of 2013.[9] By 2017, the farm was providing approximately 90% of the airport's electricity.[10]

Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport was home to the 241st Engineering Installation Squadron (241 EIS) of the Tennessee Air National Guard until late 2010, when the squadron moved to a Bonny Oaks facility near the airport.[11]

Facilities
Runway 2-20

Runways

Lovell Field covers 950 acres (380 ha) and has two asphalt runways: 2/20 is 7,400 x 150 ft (2,256 x 46 m) and 15/33 is 5,575 x 150 ft (1,699 x 46 m).[2]

Terminal

Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport has one concourse with five gates. Airline service is provided by United Express, Delta Air Lines, American Eagle, and Allegiant Air. The largest aircraft currently serving the airport are the A319/A320 and MD-80 series operated by Allegiant Air and Delta Air Lines respectively. Delta had flown a mainline service from 1947 until withdrawing in 1995 after 48 years in favor of affiliates like Atlantic Southeast Airlines operating smaller regional jets, such as the CRJ-200. Delta subsequently decided to resume its mainline service flights, including DC-9s, to Chattanooga in September 2012.[12][13]

Other

General aviation is serviced by Wilson Air Center FBO. The general aviation ramp is in two locations, one on the South side of the main terminal and the other to the North. The locations are referred to as "Air North" and "Air South." General aviation can find service at either location. In August 2011, Wilson Air Center opened a facility on the west side of the field.[14]

Airlines and destinations

Passenger
AirlinesDestinationsRefs
Allegiant Air Orlando/Sanford, St. Petersburg/Clearwater [15]
American Eagle Charlotte, Chicago–O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Philadelphia, Washington–National [16]
Delta Air Lines Atlanta [17]
Delta Connection Atlanta, Detroit, New York–LaGuardia [17]
United Express Chicago–O'Hare, Houston-Intercontinental (begins October 1, 2020) [18]

Cargo
AirlinesDestinations
FedEx Express Memphis

Statistics

Top Destinations
Busiest domestic routes from CHA (August 2017 – July 2018)[19]
Rank City Passengers Carriers
1 Atlanta, Georgia 212,370 Delta
2 Charlotte, North Carolina 99,850 American
3 Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas 45,670 American
4 Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois 41,930 American, United
5 Newark, New Jersey 23,090 United
6 Detroit, Michigan 19,550 Delta
7 Orlando–Sanford, Florida 16,360 Allegiant
8 St. Petersburg/Clearwater, Florida 15,900 Allegiant
9 Washington–National, D.C. 11,720 American
10 New York–LaGuardia, New York 1,290 Delta

Airline market share
Largest Airlines at CHA (August 2017 – July 2018)[19]
Rank Airline Passengers Share
1 Delta Air Lines 183,000 18.93%
2 SkyWest Airlines 162,000 16.77%
3 ExpressJet 159,000 16.39%
4 PSA Airlines 140,000 14.46%
5 Endeavor Air 111,000 11.48%
6 Other 213,000 21.97%

Accidents and incidents
  • On November 11, 1972, Southern Airways Flight 49, a hijacked McDonnell Douglas DC-9 with 31 passengers and 3 crew members aboard, landed at Lovell Field from Knoxville's McGhee Tyson Airport to pick up $10 million that the three hijackers had demanded. After picking up the ransom money, which actually amounted to between $2 million and $2.5 million, the plane took off, bound for Havana, Cuba.[20][21][22]
  • On November 27, 1973, Delta Air Lines Flight 516, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9, crashed short of the runway in severe weather on approach to the airport from Atlanta's William B. Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport. The airliner burst into flames that were quickly extinguished in part by torrential rains and deep standing water where the aircraft ended up. 38 passengers and 4 crew were injured in the incident and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.[23][24]

References
  1. "Bureau of Transportation Statistics". BTS. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  2. FAA Airport Master Record for CHA (Form 5010 PDF), effective October 11, 2018
  3. "NPIAS Report 2019-2023 Appendix A" (PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. October 3, 2018. p. 109. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  4. Jolley, Harmon (July 20, 2009). "Marr Field Preceded Lovell Field as Chattanooga's Airport". Chattanoogan.com. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  5. Pare, Mike (April 26, 2009). "Lovell Field naming rights could boost airport revenues". Chattanooga Times Free Press. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  6. "Master Plan Update" [Background] (PDF). Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority. July 2010. pp. 2–1. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 20, 2011. Retrieved February 7, 2013.
  7. Pickering, Andrew; Steinert, Ron (2004). The Passenger Experience: Gensler Airports. New York City: Edizioni Press, Inc. p. 62. ISBN 1-931536-14-7. Retrieved February 7, 2013.
  8. "Suniva Powers 1 MW Solar Farm at Chattanooga Airport". Business Wire. San Francisco, California. February 2, 2012. Retrieved 2018-12-11.
  9. Madewell, John (December 6, 2018). "Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport expands solar, almost ready to "go off grid"". WTVC News Channel 9. Chattanooga, Tennessee. Retrieved 2018-12-11.
  10. Pare, Mike (April 25, 2017). "Chattanooga Airport eyes growing its solar farm". Chattanooga Times Free Press. Chattanooga, Tennessee. Retrieved 2018-12-11.
  11. Pare, Mike (August 18, 2011). "Vintage Jet Rides to New Home". Chattanooga Times Free Press. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
  12. Pare, Mike (September 6, 2012). "Delta's Big Jets Return for Atlanta Flights". Chattanooga Times Free Press. Retrieved February 2, 2013.
  13. Caldwell, Carla (June 12, 2012). "Delta Returns Daily [Mainline] Flight to Chattanooga After 17 Years". Atlanta Business Chronicle. Retrieved February 2, 2013.
  14. "New Lovell Field terminal is 'front door' to Chattanooga". timesfreepress.com. Retrieved 2020-02-09.
  15. "Allegiant Air Route Map". www.allegiantair.com. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  16. "Flight schedules and notifications". Retrieved 27 March 2017.
  17. "FLIGHT SCHEDULES". Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  18. "Timetable". Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  19. "OST_R BTS Transtats - CHA". www.transtats.bts.gov. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
  20. "1972 Plane Hijacker, Co-Pilot Recount Ordeal". KTHV. May 25, 2011. Archived from the original on February 5, 2013. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
  21. Welsch, Anthony (May 25, 2011). "Convicted Hijacker Shares Story, Details 1972 Threat to Oak Ridge". WBIR. Archived from the original on February 9, 2013. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
  22. Derner, Jr., Philip (November 10, 2011). "On This Day in Aviation History: November 10th". NYC.Aviation.com. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
  23. Accident description for N3323L at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 2018-10-23.
  24. https://www.fss.aero/accident-reports/dvdfiles/US/1973-11-27-US.pdf
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