|
Norfolk International Airport is a public use airport located three nautical miles (6 km) northeast of the central business district of Norfolk, an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia.〔 It is owned by the city of Norfolk and operated by the Norfolk Airport Authority: a bureau under the municipal government. The airport serves the entire Hampton Roads metropolitan area of southeast Virginia (along with Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport in Newport News) as well as northeast North Carolina. This airport is included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015, which categorized it as a ''primary commercial service'' airport since it has over 10,000 passenger boardings (enplanements) per year.〔 〕 As per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 1,606,695 enplanements in calendar year 2011, a decrease of 3.4 percent from 1,663,294 in 2010.〔 〕 In 2012, Norfolk Airport served 3,299,728 total passengers (arriving and departing), a 3.33 percent increase compared to the previous year, which saw a total passenger count of 3,193,388.〔 〕 Earlier annual passenger numbers included 3,332,466 (2010) 3,409,456 (2009); 3,549,204 (2008); and 3,714,323 (2007).〔(【引用サイトリンク】 Press Room )〕 , Norfolk International offered nearly 80 departures daily to major cities throughout the United States,〔 〕 making it the third-busiest airport in Virginia and is ranked as the country's 66th largest airport in terms of passengers served annually.〔 Southwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and American Airlines are the predominant users of the airport. == History == Commercial aviation began in the Norfolk area about 1926, when Norfolk citizens flew commercially for the first time on the Mitten Line, operated by Philadelphia Rapid Transit Air Service, Inc. Norfolk International Airport was established in 1938 when the city-owned Truxton Manor Golf Course was converted to Norfolk Municipal Airport, complete with a runway. The first permanent terminal was complete by 1940. With World War II, Norfolk Municipal Airport became a vital resource to the war effort. The United States Army Air Corps assumed control of airport operations between 1942–1947, extending the runway and adding two more to handle the vastly increased number of flights with larger and larger aircraft. The Norfolk Fighter Wing was established by the AAF in August 1942, providing an air defense umbrella for the Norfolk area's numerous defense facilities. The 52d Fighter Group was stationed at the airport however immediately after the Pearl Harbor attack in December 1941. Various squadrons were assigned to Norfolk Airport during the early years of the war for the air defense mission, the last being the 373d Fighter Group. The air defense mission ended at the end of July 1944. As the troops returned from the war, the Army Air Corps returned the airport to the city's domain at the end of 1945, and commercial travel took off with two new airlines providing regular flights. In 1948, Piedmont Airlines initiated flights. That same year, ground was broken for a larger, more modern terminal building. In 1950, responsibility for the airport was turned over to the newly established Norfolk Port and Industrial Authority (NPIA) which could proudly call Norfolk Municipal Airport one of the finest in the nation and one of the busiest. In 1951, the new terminal was officially dedicated. In the 1960s, the transition from propeller driven aircraft to jets gathered full steam. Norfolk Municipal Airport took on the new demands for longer and stronger runway and taxiway facilities easily, and jetliners here became the rule, not the exception. As a result, in 1968, the airport was officially recognized as the air transportation center for the entire Hampton Roads region, and became known as Norfolk Regional Airport. To prepare for exponential growth over the next three decades, NPIA developed a comprehensive master plan that would move the airport into the 21st century in full stride. In 1974, the airport dedicated its new, state-of-the-art terminal and additional land was secured for further expansion. In 1976, the airport's name was changed to Norfolk International Airport with the addition of federal customs facilities. New outbuildings housing the fire station, maintenance depot, ATC tower and more were also planned and came on line as needed. However, one of the challenges in expanding was capitalizing on the location of the airport's neighboring Botanical Garden, creating a beautiful buffer zone between the airport and the outside world. Norfolk International Airport, surrounded by year-round beauty, has become a national role model for reconciling expanding air facilities and a delicate ecological sanctuary. In the 1980s, many changes were taking place. A new general aviation facility opened and a new air cargo terminal was completed for all operations. Parking facilities were also expanded. Even the name of the supervising body changed in 1988 – from Norfolk Port and Industrial Authority to Norfolk Airport Authority. Changes continued throughout the 1990s as Norfolk International prepared for growth. The air cargo terminal and parking facilities expanded and public areas of the passenger terminal were renovated. In 1991, Norfolk International completed a new concourse extension providing 10 additional gates, for a total of 24 gates. A new state-of-the-art fire station and new FAA air traffic control tower facility also began operation. The airport's largest capital improvement project, Arrival 2002, was completed in June 2002. The $133 million project included a new arrivals building with an automated baggage handling system; a 2,850-space covered parking garage; runway and taxiway rehabilitation and upgrades; main terminal lobby refurbishment; and a new food/beverage and retail concession program. The terminal building, the 1991 concourse expansion, and the Arrival 2002 project were all designed by Shriver & Holland Associates〔(Projects – Shriver and Holland Associates )〕 In 2013, Norfolk International Airport will recognize and celebrate its 75th anniversary of offering air travel services to passengers. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Norfolk International Airport」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|