Jackson Hole Airport

Jackson Hole Airport (IATA: JAC, ICAO: KJAC, FAA LID: JAC) is a United States public airport located seven miles (11 km) north of Jackson, in Teton County, Wyoming. In 2015, it was the busiest airport in Wyoming by passenger traffic with 313,151 passengers.[3] During peak seasons, Jackson Hole has nonstop airline service from 13 destinations throughout the United States including New York–JFK, Chicago–O'Hare, and Los Angeles International Airport. During shoulder seasons, airline service is limited to the hubs of Salt Lake City, Denver and Dallas/Fort Worth. The airport is served year-round by American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express, and seasonally by mainline American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines and United Airlines.

Jackson Hole Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerJackson Hole Airport Board
ServesJackson Hole
Elevation AMSL6,451 ft / 1,966 m
Coordinates43°36′26″N 110°44′16″W
Websitewww.JacksonHoleAirport.com
Map
JAC
Location of airport in Wyoming / United States
JAC
JAC (the United States)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
1/19 6,300 1,920 Asphalt
Statistics (2017)
Aircraft operations28,989
Based aircraft21
Sources: airport web site[1] and Federal Aviation Administration[2]

Jackson Hole Airport is the only commercial airport in the United States located inside a national park, in this case Grand Teton.[4] (The Provincetown Municipal Airport in Massachusetts is on land leased from the National Park Service, but it is not in a national park.)

History

The airport was created in the 1930s as the best place to put an airport in Teton County. The airport was declared a national monument in 1943, and merged with Grand Teton National Park in 1950. The runway was extended to its current length in 1959. In the 1960s and 1970s a runway extension to 8,000 feet (2,400 m) to allow jets was considered; the National Park Service successfully opposed it. In the late 1970s jets began using the existing runway. The area is noise sensitive and the airport allows no jets louder than stage III. The airport is a popular mating ground for the rare sage grouse.[5]

Airlines that previously served Jackson Hole include Horizon Air, Frontier Airlines, Western Airlines, Continental Airlines, Big Sky Airlines, and Northwest Airlines. Southwest Airlines served the airport in the 1985-1986 winter season.

Facilities
Ramp at Jackson Hole Airport

Jackson Hole Airport covers 533 acres (216 ha); its one runway, 1/19, is 6,300 x 150 ft (1,920 x 46 m) asphalt.[2] Jackson Hole Airport is noise sensitive and bans older, noisier aircraft with stage-II engines.

The airport once had an unusual terminal resembling a pioneer log cabin. The terminal was completely rebuilt between 2009 and 2014. The new terminal, designed by Gensler,[6] still blends with the unique surroundings of the national park with exposed wood, fireplaces, and nature photography throughout. The park limited the height of the terminal building to 18 feet.[7] The terminal design received an American Institute of Architects Honor Award in 2014. The airport currently has nine hard stand gates and three baggage carousels. Jackson Hole Airport does not have jet bridges so passengers board aircraft via airstairs. The airport terminal has three cafes and two gift shops.

Jackson Hole Airport is one of 16 airports that uses private screeners under contract with the Transportation Security Administration's Screening Partnership Program. Security screeners are employed by the Jackson Hole Airport Board rather than the TSA.

The largest aircraft seen regularly is the Boeing 757-200 operated by United Airlines and Delta Air Lines. Other aircraft typically seen include the Airbus A319 and A320, Boeing 737-700, Embraer 175, and the Bombardier CRJ-700 regional jet. Due to its high altitude and short runway, Jackson Hole Airport does not typically see stretched versions of aircraft such as the Airbus A321 or Boeing 737-900ER.

Airlines and destinations
AirlinesDestinations
American Airlines Dallas/Fort Worth
Seasonal: Boston (begins December 11, 2020), Chicago–O'Hare, New York–LaGuardia
American Eagle Seasonal: Los Angeles, Phoenix–Sky Harbor
Delta Air Lines Seasonal: Atlanta, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York–JFK, Salt Lake City
Delta Connection Salt Lake City
Seasonal: Los Angeles, Seattle/Tacoma
Frontier Airlines Denver[8]
United Airlines Seasonal: Chicago–O'Hare, Denver, Houston–Intercontinental, Newark
United Express Chicago–O'Hare, Denver
Seasonal: Houston–Intercontinental, Los Angeles, San Francisco

Statistics

In the year ending December 31, 2017 the airport had 28,989 aircraft operations, average 79 per day: 45% general aviation, 28% air taxi, 26% airline and 1% military.[2] 21 aircraft at the time were based at the airport: 17 single-engine, 2 multi-engine, and 2 jet.[2]

Top destinations
Busiest domestic routes from JAC
(August 2018 - July 2019)[9]
Rank City Passengers Carriers
1 Salt Lake City, Utah 116,080 Delta
2 Denver, Colorado 108,890 Frontier, United
3 Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois 68,130 American, United
4 Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas 55,090 American
5 Los Angeles, California 16,860 American, Delta, United
6 Atlanta, Georgia 15,520 Delta
7 San Francisco, California 12,640 United
8 Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota 11,070 Delta
9 Newark, New Jersey 8,320 United
10 Houston–Intercontinental, Texas 4,890 United

Accidents and incidents
  • On August 17, 1996, a U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft assigned to the 317th Airlift Group at Dyess AFB, Texas was unable to clear Sheep Mountain, crashing into it and killing all nine aboard. The aircraft was supporting the United States Secret Service as part of a POTUS visit to the area.[10]
  • On December 20, 2000, actress and resident Sandra Bullock survived the crash of a chartered business jet at Jackson Hole Airport. The aircraft hit a snowbank instead of the runway, shearing off the nose gear and nose cone and damaging the wings.[11]
  • On June 27, 2005, John T. Walton died when his CGS Hawk Arrow homebuilt aircraft (registered as an "experimental aircraft" under FAA regulations) that he was piloting crashed in Jackson, Wyoming. Walton's plane crashed at 12:20 p.m. local time (1820 GMT) shortly after taking off from Jackson Hole Airport.[12]
  • On December 29, 2010, An American Airlines Boeing 757 Flight 2253 from Chicago–O'Hare overran the runway. There were no injuries.[13]
  • Aerial photo of airport
  • Map showing the airport
  • Closeup of airport map
  • View of the Tetons from the ramp
  • An American A319 approaching the airport with the Teton range in view

References
  1. Jackson Hole Airport, official web site
  2. FAA Airport Master Record for JAC (Form 5010 PDF), effective 2010-11-18
  3. "Jackson Hole Airport has record 2014" (PDF). The Washington Times.
  4. Jackson Hole Airport web site. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
  5. "Airport Administration - Jackson Hole Airport (JAC), Jackson Hole, Wyoming".
  6. "Jackson Hole Airport Terminal Expansion / Gensler". Architecture Lab. Archived from the original on 2011-10-01.
  7. "Jackson Hole Airport". APA – The Engineered Wood Association. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  8. http://www.ccenterdispatch.com/news/state/article_d7fdaba3-ce01-5166-b85f-8019246f30b9.html%5B%5D
  9. http://www.transtats.bts.gov/airports.asp?pn=1&Airport=JAC&Airport_Name=Jackson, WY: Jackson Hole&carrier=FACTS
  10. Jones II, Roy A. (18 August 1996). "Dyess C-130 crashes; no survivors". Abilene Reporter-News. Archived from the original on 14 June 2011. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
  11. "Plane Crash Involving Actress Sandra Bullock". AirSafe.com. 16 November 2007. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
  12. "DEN05FA100". NTSB. 31 October 2006. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
  13. "American Airlines Flight 2253". Aviation Week. 6 June 2012. Retrieved 6 June 2012.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.