Pensacola's Air Travel: Airport Accessibility In Florida

Pensacola International Airport (IATA: PNS, ICAO: KPNS, FAA LID: PNS) is located in Pensacola, Florida, in the United States. The airport is a public use airport situated around six miles from the city centre and is one of five major airports in North Florida. Pensacola International Airport offers domestic flights and does not currently offer scheduled international flights, although chartered international flights are available. The airport is owned by the City of Pensacola and operated as a self-funding department of the city government.

Pensacola International Airport overview

Pensacola International Airport, formerly Pensacola Gulf Coast Regional Airport and Pensacola Regional Airport (Hagler Field), is a public airport in Pensacola, Florida. The airport is located three nautical miles (or six kilometres) northeast of Pensacola's central business district, in Escambia County. It is owned by the City of Pensacola and operated as a self-funding department of the city government.

Despite its name, Pensacola International Airport does not offer scheduled international flights, although chartered international flights are not uncommon. It is one of five major airports in North Florida, and the second-largest by passenger count, behind only Jacksonville International Airport. The other four airports in North Florida are: Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport, Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport, Tallahassee International Airport, and Jacksonville International Airport.

Pensacola International Airport covers an area of 1,211 acres, at an elevation of 121 feet above mean sea level. It has two runways: Runway 17/35, which is 7,004 feet long with a concrete surface, and Runway 08/26, which is 7,000 feet long with an asphalt surface. Runway 17 is equipped with an instrument landing system and approach lights, while Runway 26 has a localizer approach. The airport also had two war-era diagonal runways that were decommissioned in the 1960s.

The airport has a single passenger terminal, built in the early 1990s and expanded in 2011 at a cost of $35 million. The terminal has 12 gates, with Gates 1 through 10 located on the second floor and Gates 11 and 12 on the ground floor. In 2022, the city of Pensacola announced plans for a $70 million concourse and parking expansion to accommodate the increasing number of passengers and flights.

Pensacola International Airport has a varied history. It began as a passenger terminal in 1935, with airline service commencing in 1937. From 1940 to 1945, the airport served as a U.S. Navy training facility, and in 1947, Eastern Air Lines began service to the airport. In 1952, a modern terminal replaced the original one, and it was dedicated to L.C. Hagler, the former mayor of Pensacola. In 1968, Eastern Air Lines introduced the first scheduled jet service from the airport. In 1978, a National Airlines Boeing 727 crashed into Escambia Bay, marking the first fatal airline accident in the area.

Pensacola airport history

Pensacola International Airport has a long history, with its origins dating back to the 1920s and 1930s. The airport has undergone several name changes and expansions over the years, reflecting the development of aviation and the needs of the local community. Today, it is a bustling airport, serving millions of residents and adapting to new technologies and markets.

In the early 1930s, Lee Conner Hagler and Harry Blanchard, along with local businessmen Francis Taylor and Attorney J. McHenry Jones, recognised the need for an airport in Pensacola. In 1933, they purchased 500 acres of wooded land northeast of the city and began clearing space for two grass airstrips and erecting a surplus Navy hangar. The City of Pensacola leased the land from Taylor and, with funds from the Civil Work Administration, developed the site. The airport's first terminal and three paved runways were constructed, and in 1936, Blanchard was appointed airport manager. On April 7, 1934, the first commercial flight, operated by Atlantic and Gulf Coast Airlines, landed in Pensacola.

In 1938, National Airlines began regular commercial service to Pensacola, inaugurating the city's first scheduled airmail service. During World War II, the U.S. Navy controlled the airport, building a fourth runway and leasing the airport for training purposes. Civilian flights continued during this time, and in 1947, Eastern Air Lines began service to Pensacola. In 1952, a modern terminal replaced the original, and the airport was dedicated to former mayor L.C. Hagler, becoming Hagler Field.

In the 1960s, Pensacola's air traffic was among the densest in the country, and the airport became Florida's ninth busiest. The commercial jet age arrived in Pensacola in 1965, with the touchdown of an Eastern Air Lines Boeing 727. In 1972, the airport was renamed Pensacola Regional Airport to reflect its service to a large surrounding area. In 1978, after the airline industry's deregulation, several new airlines began serving Pensacola, including Continental and Delta.

In 2011, the airport was renamed Pensacola International Airport to reflect its status as a major gateway to the Gulf Coast region. The airport continues to undergo expansions and improvements to accommodate its rapid increase in passenger numbers and flights. Today, Pensacola International Airport is one of five major airports in North Florida and is the second largest by passenger count. It offers a range of commercial and private air services and is an essential hub for the region.

Pensacola airport runways

Pensacola International Airport, formerly Pensacola Gulf Coast Regional Airport and Pensacola Regional Airport (Hagler Field), is located in Escambia County, Florida, United States. The airport covers an area of 1,211 acres at an elevation of 121 feet above mean sea level and has two runways.

The first runway, 17/35, is 7,004 feet long and 150 feet wide, with a concrete surface. It is equipped with an instrument landing system and approach lights. The second runway, 08/26, is 7,000 feet long and 150 feet wide, with an asphalt surface. It features a localizer approach, and its approach lights were installed in 2006.

Pensacola International Airport has a rich history, dating back to 1933 when Lee Conner Hagler and Harry Blanchard acquired 504 acres of land to establish two grass airstrips. In 1935, a passenger terminal opened, and airline service commenced two years later. The airport has undergone several name changes and expansions over the years. It served as a U.S. Navy training facility from 1940 to 1945, during which the Navy constructed a control tower and added a fourth runway.

The airport currently handles a significant volume of air traffic, with 157,103 aircraft operations recorded in the 12 months ending January 31, 2024, averaging 430 aircraft operations per day. The airport is also experiencing a rapid increase in passenger numbers and flights, prompting plans for expansion to accommodate this growth.

Pensacola airport operations

Pensacola International Airport (IATA: PNS, ICAO: KPNS, FAA LID: PNS) is located in Escambia County, Florida, United States. The airport is owned by the City of Pensacola and operated as a self-funding department of the government of the City of Pensacola. It is one of five major airports in North Florida and the second largest by passenger count.

The airport covers an area of 1,211 acres at an elevation of 121 feet above mean sea level. It has two runways: 17/35, which has a concrete surface, and 08/26, which has an asphalt surface. Runway 17/35 is 7,004 feet long and 150 feet wide, while runway 08/26 is 7,000 feet long and 150 feet wide. A 1,000-foot extension to the east end of runway 08/26 was completed in 2006, and the airport hopes to extend runway 17/35 to approximately 8,500 feet in the future. The airport's two war-era diagonal runways were decommissioned in the 1960s.

Pensacola International Airport has a long history, with a passenger terminal opening in 1935 and airline service beginning in 1937. The airport was a U.S. Navy training facility from 1940 to 1945, during which time a control tower was built and a fourth runway was added. In 1947, Eastern Air Lines began service out of Pensacola, and in 1952, a modern terminal replaced the original one. The airport was dedicated to L.C. Hagler, the former mayor of Pensacola, in 1957. In 1968, Eastern Air Lines began the first scheduled jet service from the airport.

The airport has a single passenger terminal with 12 gates, built in the early 1990s and expanded in 2011 at a cost of $35 million. The terminal was designed by Gresham, Smith, and Partners and Stoa Architects. Gates 1 through 10 are located on the second floor, while Gates 11 and 12 are on the ground floor.

In terms of operations, the Airport Operations Center is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The airport director, Matt Coughlin, is responsible for carrying out the policies set by the Pensacola City Council. Carter Mansfield serves as the Assistant Airport Director for Operations, overseeing all airside operations and ensuring compliance with FAA regulations and TSA guidelines.

The airport has a variety of commercial airlines serving it, including AirTran Airways, American Eagle, Delta Air Lines, Delta Connection, United Express, and US Airways. UPS Airlines is the only major cargo carrier at the airport, with flights operating four days a week.

Pensacola airport passenger traffic

Pensacola International Airport, formerly Pensacola Gulf Coast Regional Airport and Pensacola Regional Airport (Hagler Field), is located in Escambia County, Florida, United States. The airport is approximately three nautical miles (6 km or 3 mi) northeast of Pensacola's central business district. It is one of five major airports in North Florida and the second-largest by passenger count, after Jacksonville.

Pensacola International Airport has seen a positive trend in passenger traffic over the years, with record-breaking numbers in 2019. For instance, in September 2019, the airport served 181,729 passengers, a 15.82% increase compared to September 2018. The airport ended Fiscal Year 2019 with over 2.2 million total passengers. This positive trajectory continued in 2024, with the airport serving over 3 million passengers in the fiscal year, averaging over 58,000 passengers per week.

The airport's growth in passenger traffic can be attributed to the region's increasing popularity as a tourist destination and a business hub. To accommodate this growth, the city of Pensacola has considered a $70 million concourse and parking expansion to handle the increasing passenger numbers and flights effectively.

Pensacola International Airport has one passenger terminal with 12 gates, built in the early 1990s and expanded in 2011. The airport offers flights to various destinations, with commercial airlines such as AirTran Airways, American Eagle, Delta Air Lines, Delta Connection, United Express, and US Airways serving the airport.

The airport also undergoes a temporary annual name change to Pensacola Intergalactic Airport in February to celebrate Pensacon, a multi-genre convention held in Pensacola.

Frequently asked questions