Harrisburg International Airport

History

19th century

Harrisburg International Airport has been serving south-central Pennsylvania since the late 19th century. Beginning in 1898, the Signal Corps of the U.S. Army was stationed there. This was followed by the first military airplanes landing in 1918 at what had become Olmsted Field of the fledgling U.S. Army Air Service.

20th century

The Middletown Air Depot, later renamed Middletown Air Materiel Area at Olmsted, provided logistical and maintenance support of military aircraft until it closed in 1969. In 1968, airline flights moved from Capital City Airport to the former U.S. Air Force base, renamed as Olmsted State Airport. The airport was renamed Harrisburg International Airport in 1973. Architect William Pereira designed the new terminals, completed in 1973.

Main article: American Flyers Airline

From April 1969 through the completion of its May 1971 acquisition by Universal Airlines, American Flyers Airline, a supplemental air carrier, was based at Olmsted State Airport. American Flyers flew charter flights, including to Europe.

In the mid 1970s, the airport was a leading center for exporting cattle by air. In 1974, 33 flights departed the airport with Holstein cattle to countries such as France, Italy, Kuwait, Japan, Turkey and Uganda, on "stretch" Douglas DC-8s from airlines such as Flying Tiger, Seaboard World and Airlift International.

Prior to deregulation, Harrisburg was served by Allegheny Airlines with flights to several Northeast destinations, Trans World Airlines with flights to Chicago, and Altair Airlines with commuter flights within Pennsylvania.

In 1998, the Commonwealth transferred ownership to the Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority (SARAA). The Authority board consists of community volunteers appointed to staggered, five-year terms by the elected officials from Cumberland, Dauphin, and York counties, the cities of Harrisburg and York, and Fairview and Lower Swatara townships.

21st century

A new 360,000 square-foot terminal was completed in 2004. It cost $120 million and was designed by the Sheward Partnership.

As of 2008, about 1,400 people work in the system of Harrisburg International Airport.

Facilities and aircraft

Harrisburg International Airport covers 680 acre at an elevation of 310 ft above mean sea level. It has one asphalt runway, 13/31, 10001 by.

Runway 13 has a CAT III approach allowing operations down to 600 ft RVR (Runway Visual Range). The airport has a Surface Movement Guidance Control System (SMGCS) that allows aircraft and vehicle ground movements during reduced visibility (below 1200 ft RVR down to 600 ft RVR).

The airfield also boasts a 140-foot control tower and associated approach control staffed and operated by FAA air traffic controllers.

In the year ending December 31, 2021, the airport had 48,788 aircraft operations, an average of 134 per day: 26% air taxi, 29% general aviation, 27% scheduled commercial and 18% military. 29 aircraft were then based at this airport: 6 single-engine, 4 multi-engine, 11 jet, and 8 military.

The terminal has 12 gates and is a pier finger layout near the middle of the airfield, almost parallel to the runway. Delta Air Lines uses A1 and A3. United Airlines uses B1 and B3. Allegiant Air uses B6. American Airlines uses B2, and C1–C3. Frontier Airlines uses Gate B4. Gate A2, and B5 are currently unused.

Ground transportation

Built in 2004, and attached to the new terminal building via a climate-controlled sky bridge, the Multi-Modal Transportation Facility (MMTF) is a four-story facility that handles all ground transportation. The top three levels have 2,504 parking places for Short-Term Hourly, Daily, and Long-Term public parking. The first level accommodates all limos, taxis, hotel shuttles, public and charter buses, plus the rental car ready/return lot.

In the first floor lobby area are six rental car counters, restrooms, flight and bus information displays, and a seating area. On the second floor of the lobby area, climate-controlled moving sidewalks connect to the aerial walkway to the terminal.

Route 7 of the Capital Area Transit System runs to downtown Harrisburg and surrounding communities. The Middletown Amtrak Station, about 3 mi east of the terminal, has Amtrak service via the Keystone Corridor. There had been a proposal to construct a new rail terminal adjacent to the MMTF, but the final location chosen for the new station is about 2 mi east, in Middletown.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger Destinations

| Allegiant Air | Jacksonville (FL), Orlando/Sanford, Punta Gorda (FL), Sarasota, St. Petersburg/Clearwater Seasonal: Fort Lauderdale, Myrtle Beach, Nashville | | American Airlines |Charlotte, Dallas/Fort Worth| | American Eagle | Boston, Charlotte, Chicago–O'Hare, Philadelphia Seasonal: Miami| | Delta Air Lines | Atlanta | | Delta Connection | Detroit Seasonal: Atlanta | | Frontier Airlines | Orlando (ends April 13, 2026) | | United Airlines | Chicago–O'Hare | | United Express | Chicago–O'Hare, Washington–Dulles |

Cargo

Harrisburg International Airport has freight-forwarding capability. The airport is next to I-76 (Pennsylvania Turnpike), I-83, and I-81, allowing fast transfer of goods. Three major air cargo shippers maintain air service at the east end of the airport in an apron area next to the runway: | FedEx Express|Indianapolis, Memphis|UPS Airlines| Chicago/Rockford, Louisville}}

Statistics

Top destinations

Airline market share

Annual traffic

Pennsylvania Air National Guard use

Despite the closure of Olmsted AFB in 1969, the US Air Force continues an Air National Guard presence at Harrisburg in the form of Harrisburg Air National Guard Station and the Pennsylvania Air National Guard's 193rd Special Operations Wing (193 SOW), an Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC)-gained unit flying the EC-130J Commando Solo aircraft. The 193 SOW is the sole operator of this critical aircraft asset for the entire US Air Force and in 2001 transitioned from the EC-130E to the new EC-130J variant. The wing has seen extensive federal service in recent years in support of Operations Just Cause, Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

The Air Force Presidential Airlift Squadron uses MDT as a practice airport for a number of reasons: its runway is long enough for a loaded 747, relatively low traffic, close proximity to Andrews Air Force Base, and the presence of the Air National Guard at MDT.

References

References

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