Grand Junction Regional Airport (IATA: GJT, ICAO: KGJT, FAA LID: GJT) is a public airport three miles northeast of Grand Junction, in Mesa County, Colorado. Owned by the Grand Junction Regional Airport Authority, it is the largest airport in western Colorado and third largest in the state, behind Denver International Airport and Colorado Springs Airport.
Federal Aviation Administration records show 212,588 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2008, 228,850 in 2009 and 219,358 in 2010. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011-2015 called it a primary commercial service airport (more than 10,000 enplanements per year).
The airport opened in 1930 as Grand Junction Municipal Airport. In 1942 it was renamed Walker Field for Walter Walker, a former publisher of The Daily Sentinel newspaper who helped obtain funds and business support for the airport. The airport and the airport authority were renamed on May 15, 2007. Grand Junction Regional Airport is undergoing a $20 million renovation, of which $700,000 will pay for signs with the new name. The airport's terminal and fire building will continue to be named for Walker and a new $19 million roadway under construction will be called Walter Walker Blvd. In June 2010, a new Subway Cafe opened and serves passengers on both sides of the security checkpoint, and has sandwiches, coffee and alcoholic drinks. A new runway will be built 200 feet north of the existing one, with a target year of 2019. The present 10,501-foot runway will become a taxiway. Outside the security checkpoint there is a play area for kids. Inside the terminal, there is a gift shop and TV monitors in the waiting area for passengers. The terminal has two gates with jet bridges for regional jets; four other gates use outdoor airstairs.
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Facilities
The airport covers 2,357 acres (954 ha) at an elevation of 4,858 feet (1,481 m). It has two asphalt runways: 11/29 is 10,501 by 150 feet (3,201 x 46 m) and 4/22 is 5,502 by 75 feet (1,677 x 23 m).
In 2011 the airport had 50,987 aircraft operations, average 139 per day: 60% general aviation, 30% air taxi, 7% military and 3% airline. 102 aircraft were then based at this airport: 84% single-engine, 9% multi-engine, 4% jet, and 3% helicopter.
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Airlines and destinations
Passenger
Top domestic destinations
The first airliners at Grand Junction were Monarch Douglas DC-3s in 1946-47; successor Frontier Airlines (1950-1986) served Grand Junction until the 1980s. United Airlines Douglas DC-4 propliners started flying LAX-LAS-GJT-DEN in 1947 and United continued that route until 1977. Nonstops from Grand Junction never reached beyond Denver, Salt Lake and Las Vegas until United started Saturday-only nonstops during the winter ski season to Los Angeles in 1969-70 and to Chicago in 1970-71 (GJT's runway had been extended from 5400 to 7500 feet around 1965). Until the 1980s GJT was the only Colorado airport west of Denver to see airline jets. In 1974-75 United Douglas DC-8 jets flew nonstop to Los Angeles and Chicago while Boeing 727-100s flew to San Francisco; in 1976-77 United tried nonstop 727s to Detroit and Milwaukee and in 1978-79 to Omaha and Kansas City. United also operated the Boeing 727-200 from the airport. In winter 1980-81 Grand Junction finally got a weekday United Boeing 737-200 nonstop to LAX; however, United then ceased all mainline service to GJT a few months later.
The first jets at Grand Junction were Frontier Boeing 727-100s flying DEN-GJT-SLC and back starting Oct-Nov 1966. Some Frontier 727 flights also provided direct service to and from Kansas City and St. Louis. Boeing 737-200s later replaced Frontier's 727s, and their Convair 580 turboprops remained into the 1980s. In 1975-76 Frontier started weekend only 737 jets to DFW during the ski season.
Other jet airlines at Grand Junction included Continental Airlines to Denver during the 1980s and early 1990s flying Boeing 727-100s, 727-200s and 737-200s as well as Douglas DC-9-10s and DC-9-30s during those years when Continental operated a hub at Denver, Western Airlines Boeing 737-200s nonstop to SFO in winter of 1975-76, and America West Airlines Boeing 737-200s nonstop to Phoenix in the 1980s. In the mid 1990s, Air 21 flew nonstop to Colorado Springs and Las Vegas and direct to Los Angeles with Fokker F28 Fellowship twin jets.
The only mainline jets at Grand Junction now are Allegiant Air McDonnell Douglas MD-80s several days a week nonstop to Las Vegas and Los Angeles; all other airlines use regional jets or smaller propeller planes.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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