Destin – Fort Walton Beach Airport
| Destin – Fort Walton Beach Airport | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Characteristics | |
| ICAO code | KVPS |
| IATA code | VPS |
| Coordinates | |
| Height above MSL | 27 m (89 ft ) |
| Transport links | |
| Distance from the city center | 12 km northeast of Fort Walton Beach , 15 km northwest of Destin |
| Street | FL 85 / FL 123 / FL 189 |
| Basic data | |
| opening | 1957 |
| operator | United States Air Force |
| Terminals | 1 |
| Passengers | 1,673,226 (2019) |
| Flight movements |
17,629 (2018/19) |
| Runways | |
| 01/19 | 3048 m × 91 m asphalt |
| 12/30 | 3654 m × 91 m asphalt / concrete |
The Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport ( IATA code : VPS , ICAO code : KVPS ) is the commercial airport of American small towns Destin and Fort Walton Beach in the US state of Florida .
The specialty of the airport is its location within the Eglin Air Force Base .
Location and transport links
Destin – Fort Walton Beach Airport is located 12 kilometers northeast of downtown Fort Walton Beach and 15 kilometers northwest of downtown Destin. It is located within Eglin Air Force Base, which in turn is largely in the area of Valparaiso . The official airport codes are also derived from this location. The airport is located on Florida State Road 85 . Florida State Route 123 runs west of the airport and Florida State Route 189 runs south .
Other airports nearby include Pensacola International Airport, some 60 km to the west, and Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport, some 75 km to the east .
The airport is not involved in local public transport. Passengers have to use rental cars and taxis.
history
In 1957, the Northwest Florida Air Terminal was opened on the premises of Eglin Air Force Base. In the beginning, only Southern Airways offered two daily flights. The passengers had to use the Air Force Base gate to reach the terminal. In 1968, Southern Airways offered four daily flights with Douglas DC-9 , and Air New Orleans was the second airline with two daily flights to New Orleans .
On March 13, 1975, the first passenger terminal was opened on Florida State Route 85, this was called the Okaloosa County Air Terminal . It cost about 1.7 million USD . Part of the cost was borne by the county, Southern Airways, and grants. Southern Airways was once again the sole user of the airport, with twelve flights a day. 185,000 passengers were handled in the first year.
In November 2004 the Okaloosa Regional Airport opened with a new passenger terminal. In the first year it was used by 800,000 passengers. In July 2005, American Eagle began flying to Dallas / Fort Worth International Airport five times a day. It used Embraer ERJ 145 regional airliners for this . In September 2008, the airport was renamed Northwest Florida Regional Airport . In April 2009 US Airways followed with three daily flights to Charlotte . Were used Bombardier CRJ200 . The next month, the car rental companies were relocated to a shared building east of the terminal.
In May 2010 , a Bell UH-1 was set up in front of the terminal in honor of Michael J. Novosel , a Medal of Honor holder . In December 2010, Vision Airlines began using the airport as a hub. At this point in time two different destinations were flown to, in March 2011 the offer was expanded by 15 destinations. Aircraft of the types Boeing 737 and Dornier 328 were used . However, within a year Vision Airlines suspended all flights. In March 2012, US Airways started flights to Washington, DC . At the beginning the flight was carried out once a day with a Bombardier CRJ200, later the frequency was increased to two daily flights.
On February 17, 2015 it was decided to rename the airport Destin – Fort Walton Beach Airport . From March 2016, GLO Airlines offered seasonal flights with Saab 340 B, but the airline ceased operations the following year. Allegiant Air started using the airport in May 2016 . On January 10, 2017, Allegiant Air announced that it would set up a base at the airport and significantly expand its offering.
Airport facilities
Runways
The civil airport uses the runways of Eglin Air Force Base. Runway 12/30, which is closest to the terminal, is 3,654 m long and 91 m wide. The Air Force Base also has runway 01/19, which is 3,048 m long and 91 m wide.
terminal
The airport has a passenger terminal with a size of around 10,000 m². It's on the northwest end of the Air Force Base. It is equipped with eight boarding gates equipped, seven of which are equipped with passenger boarding bridges . Allegiant Air uses gates A-1 to A-3, gate A-3 does not have a boarding bridge. Gates B-1 and B-2 are used by Delta Air Lines . United Airlines uses gate B-3, American Airlines uses gates B-5 and B-6. It is also planned to expand the terminal to include Pier B-4.
Others
The civil flights are handled through the military control tower , which is located on the southern side of the Air Force Base.
Airlines and Destinations
Destin – Fort Walton Beach Airport is used by the four passenger airlines Allegiant Air , American Airlines , Delta Air Lines and United Airlines . American Airlines flights are mostly operated by American Eagle , while United Airlines has its flights operated exclusively by United Express .
Only domestic American destinations are served. The three remaining legacy carriers only fly to their hubs , while Allegiant Air flies to numerous different destinations.
Airline market shares
| airline | 2007 | 2019 | comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allegiant Air | 0.00% | 32.98% | |
| American Airlines | 15.89% | ||
| Atlantic Southeast Airlines | 28.71% | 0.00% | Merged with ExpressJet Airlines in 2012 |
| Delta Air Lines | 14.99% | 29.54% | |
| Envoy Air | 19.83% | until 2014 American Eagle | |
| ExpressJet Airlines | 7.47% | ||
| Mesa Airlines | 3.95% | ||
| Northwest Airlines | 21.85% | 0.00% | Acquired by Delta Air Lines in 2008, ceased operations in 2010 |
| PSA Airlines | 11.86% | ||
| Others | 7.15% | 5.77% |
Traffic figures
| year | Passenger volume |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 1,673,226 |
| 2018 | 1,413,843 |
| 2017 | 1,175,894 |
| 2016 | 915,650 |
| 2015 | 776.767 |
| 2014 | 751.363 |
| 2013 | 744.489 |
Busiest routes
| rank | city | Passengers | airline |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atlanta , Georgia | 243,950 | delta |
| 2 | Dallas / Fort Worth , Texas | 150,890 | American / American Eagle |
| 3 | Charlotte , North Carolina | 87,480 | American / American Eagle |
| 4th | Cincinnati , Ohio | 46,440 | Allegiant |
| 5 | St. Louis – Belleville , Illinois | 41,190 | Allegiant |
| 6th | Houston-Bush , Texas | 38,920 | United Express |
| 7th | Washington – National , Washington, DC | 18,510 | American Eagle |
| 8th | Oklahoma City , Oklahoma | 17,520 | Allegiant |
| 9 | Fayetteville , Arkansas | 16,470 | Allegiant |
| 10 | Newark , New Jersey | 14,860 | Allegiant |
Web links
- Airport website (Engl.)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c History of Destin - Fort Walton Beach Airport (VPS). FlyVPS.com, accessed October 3, 2018 .
- ↑ a b c d Passenger Statistics. FlyVPS.com, accessed March 28, 2020 .
- ↑ AirportIQ 5010: Eglin Air Force Base / Destin Fort Walton Beach. GCR1.com, accessed March 28, 2019 .
- ^ Rental Cars: Destin - Fort Walton Beach Airport (VPS). FlyVPS.com, accessed October 3, 2018 .
- ↑ Taxis and Shuttle Service: Destin - Fort Walton Beach Airport (VPS). FlyVPS.com, accessed October 3, 2018 .
- ^ Vision Airlines charged with grand theft. USAToday.com , February 21, 2013, accessed October 3, 2018 .
- ^ New signs aim to fix airport confusion. NwFDailyNews.com , October 4, 2016, accessed October 3, 2018 .
- ^ Allegiant Kicks Off the New Year Announcing 17 New Routes, a New Base of Operations and Service From One New City. AllegiantAir.com , January 10, 2017, accessed October 3, 2018 .
- ↑ Airlines' assigned gates & apron. FlyVPS.com, accessed October 3, 2018 .
- ↑ a b Airlines & Route Map. FlyVPS.com, accessed March 28, 2020 .
- ↑ a b Valparaiso, FL: Eglin AFB Destin Fort Walton Beach (VPS). Transtats.BTS.gov , accessed March 28, 2020 .
Apalachicola | Collier County | Daytona Beach | Destin – Fort Walton | Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood | Fort Myers | Gainesville | Jacksonville (Craig) | Jacksonville (Cecil) | Jacksonville (Herlong) | Jacksonville (International) | Key West | Kissimmee | Miami (Executive) | Miami (Homestead) | Miami (International) | Melbourne | Grandpa-locka | Orlando (Executive) | Orlando (International) | Orlando (Sanford) | Palm Beach (International) | Palm Beach (Lantana) | Palm Beach (North) | Palm Beach (Pahokee) | Panama City | Pensacola | Punta Gorda | Sarasota | Sebring | St. Augustine | St. Petersburg-Clearwater | Tallahassee | Tampa | Vero Beach
Military: Eglin | Homestead | Hurlburt | MacDill | Patrick | Pensacola | St. Petersburg-Clearwater | Tyndall
Officially used: Opa-locka | Shuttle Landing Facility