Connecticut's Airport: Does It Exist?

Connecticut has several airports within the state, including Bradley International Airport, which is the only airport with national and international traffic. The airport is located in Windsor Locks, a short distance north of Hartford, the state capital. It is the second-busiest airport in the New England region, serving major cities and vacation destinations in New England. Other airports in Connecticut include Tweed-New Haven Airport, Danbury Municipal Airport, Hartford–Brainard Airport, and Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Airport. These airports offer general aviation services and scheduled charter flights.

Bradley International Airport

The airport covers 2,432 acres of land at an elevation of 173 feet. It has two asphalt runways and one terminal, Terminal A, with two concourses: the East Concourse and the West Concourse. The East Concourse has 12 gates, while the West Concourse has 10. A 2024 expansion project will add two additional gates to the West Concourse and relocate an existing gate to the expanded area, resulting in a total of three additional gates.

The airport has a rich history, dating back to 1940 when the state of Connecticut acquired 1,700 acres of land in Windsor Locks. The land was turned over to the US Army in 1941 as the country prepared for World War II. The airfield was named after Lt. Eugene M. Bradley, a 24-year-old pilot who died in a training drill crash in 1941. Civil use of the airport began in 1947, and it was officially named Bradley International Airport.

Tweed-New Haven Airport

Connecticut has its own airport, with Bradley International Airport and Tweed-New Haven Airport being the two largest airports in the state.

The airport was originally known as New Haven Municipal Airport until 1961 when it was renamed for its first airport manager, John H. Tweed. The groundbreaking ceremony for the airport took place on November 11, 1929, and it was officially dedicated and opened for traffic on August 29, 1931. On June 25, 1961, the airport was renamed in honour of John H. "Jack" Tweed.

The airport has a long history of airline service, with Li-Con Airways, Inc. being the first airline to serve New Haven in 1933, followed by American Airlines in 1934, and Eastern Airlines in 1948. Over the years, various airlines have come and gone, with mergers, acquisitions, and changes in service routes. Today, the airport is served by Avelo Airlines, which operates a fleet of Boeing 737-700 aircraft with initial routes to Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Orlando, and Tampa. The airport has also received grants for the construction of a new terminal and runway expansion, with the project expected to cost between $70,000,000 and $100,000,000.

Danbury Municipal Airport

The airport accommodates a variety of aircraft operations, including local and transient general aviation, air taxi, and military flights. In the year ending December 31, 2021, the airport recorded 53,524 aircraft operations, averaging 147 per day. There were 209 aircraft based at Danbury Municipal Airport, including single-engine, multi-engine, jet, and helicopter categories. The Connecticut Wing Civil Air Patrol 399th Composite Squadron (NER-CT-042) also operates from this airport, with their hangar located next to runway 35.

Hartford–Brainard Airport

Connecticut has its own airport, with Bradley International Airport being the state's only airport with national and international traffic. However, this response will focus on the Hartford–Brainard Airport.

The airport offers a full range of FBO aviation business services, including concierge, fuelling, ground support, aircraft repair, avionics, and flight school training. Other business services include T-hangar and corporate aircraft storage, private air charter, aircraft sales and rental, car rental, and an on-airport restaurant.

Historically, the site of the airport was a 350-acre cow pasture that became the country's first municipal airport in 1921. The airfield was named after Hartford Mayor Newton C. Brainard. Its status was enhanced in 1927 when Charles A. Lindbergh stopped at Brainard on a national victory tour after his solo transatlantic flight. During World War II, the airport served as a major training centre for pilots and aircrews of the United States Army Air Forces. With the development of Bradley International Airport in the 1950s, commercial jets moved their operations from Brainard, and by 1958, all commercial carriers had relocated. Today, Hartford–Brainard Airport continues to serve as a reliever airport for Bradley International Airport.

Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Airport

The Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Airport (IATA: BDR, ICAO: KBDR, FAA LID: BDR) is a public airport in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The airport is owned by the city of Bridgeport and is located in Stratford, three miles (6 km) southeast of downtown Bridgeport. Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Airport is a non-commercial airport that provides services to private aviation companies, restaurants, and flight schools.

The airport was originally known as Avon Field, a racetrack with aircraft landing on the grass infield. It was the site of the country's first air show in 1911 and became known as Mollison Field after Captain Jim Mollison's crash landing in 1933 during an attempt to fly across the Atlantic. The City of Bridgeport purchased the airport in 1937 and it became the Bridgeport Municipal Airport. In 1972, it was renamed the Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Airport to honour Igor Sikorsky, who selected Stratford as the site for his Sikorsky Aviation Corporation in 1929.

The airport covers 800 acres (324 ha) of land and has two asphalt runways. It is composed of a passenger terminal, a general aviation terminal, and private hangars. The passenger terminal includes airline check-in counters, arrival and departure gates, rental car desks, and a restaurant. The airport averaged 136 aircraft operations per day in the year ending February 28, 2019, with 94% general aviation, 6% air taxi, and less than 1% military.

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