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Destin–Fort Walton Beach Airport (IATA: VPS, ICAO: KVPS, FAA LID: VPS) is located within Eglin Air Force Base, near Valparaiso, Florida. The airport is adjacent to the city of Valparaiso and near the cities of Destin and Fort Walton Beach, in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. The airport's official name is Eglin AFB/Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport, and its IATA code is VPS.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of Airport | Destin–Fort Walton Beach Airport |
| Airport Code | VPS |
| Location | Eglin Air Force Base, Valparaiso, Okaloosa County, Florida, USA |
| Distance from Eglin Air Force Base | 3.5-4 miles |
| Transport Options | Taxi |
| Transport Cost | $15 - $19 |
| Transport Duration | 6 minutes |
| Number of Destinations | 46 |
| Number of Airlines | 6 |
| Number of Hotels | 5132+ |
| Hotel Price | Starting at $45 per night |
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What You'll Learn
The airport is located within Eglin Air Force Base
The Destin–Fort Walton Beach Airport, also known as Eglin AFB/Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport, is located within Eglin Air Force Base. The airport is adjacent to the city of Valparaiso and near the cities of Destin and Fort Walton Beach, in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. It is accessible from State Road 85, with parking facilities to the left and rental car return to the right. The airport is just under 16 miles from Destin, which takes about 25 minutes to reach, and 3.5 to 4 miles from Eglin Air Force Base, which can be covered in a 6-minute taxi ride.
The airport's IATA code is VPS, and it is served by 6 airlines, including Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Delta, Southwest, Sun Country Airlines, and Xtra Airways. These airlines connect the airport to 59 airports worldwide, with Atlanta being the most frequent route, offering 34 flights from Eglin AFB every week. Other destinations include Las Vegas, Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, Saint Louis, Kansas City, and Newark Liberty.
The airport's history dates back to 1957 when the Okaloosa County Air Terminal opened on Eglin Air Force Base with a small team of three personnel. Southern Airways was the sole airline serving VPS at the time, offering 12 departing flights daily to Atlanta via multiple stops using Douglas DC-3s. Over time, other airlines have come and gone, including South Central Air Transport, Republic Airlines, Northwest, and AirTran Airways.
Today, the Destin–Fort Walton Beach Airport caters only to commercial air traffic, while non-commercial operations by general aviation and business aircraft are directed to the nearby Destin Executive Airport. The airport has a two-lane asphalt loop road, approximately 3/4 of a mile long, with two pass-through lanes on the left and three arrival-departure lanes in front of the terminal. Short-term and long-term parking facilities are available, designed to satisfy the Transportation Security Administration's "300-foot rule" regarding the distance between parked vehicles and the terminal building.
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VPS is the airport's IATA code
Destin–Fort Walton Beach Airport, previously named Northwest Florida Regional Airport and Okaloosa Regional Airport, is located within Eglin Air Force Base, near Valparaiso, Florida. The airport's IATA code is VPS.
IATA codes, or IATA location identifiers, are three-letter geocodes used to designate airports and metropolitan areas worldwide. They are defined by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and are essential for the smooth running of hundreds of electronic applications in the travel industry.
The IATA code for an airport is often derived from the name of the airport or the city it is located in. For example, the IATA code for Toronto Pearson, Canada's largest airport, is YYZ, while the code for Calgary International Airport is YYC, and Vancouver International Airport is YVR. However, some codes do not follow this pattern and can be more cryptic, such as YUL for Montréal–Trudeau in Canada, or MSY for Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, which is derived from Moisant Stock Yards.
The IATA code VPS for Destin–Fort Walton Beach Airport may be derived from the nearby city of Valparaiso, Florida, where the airport is located within Eglin Air Force Base.
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It is adjacent to the city of Valparaiso
Destin–Fort Walton Beach Airport (IATA: VPS, ICAO: KVPS, FAA LID: VPS) is located within Eglin Air Force Base, near the city of Valparaiso, in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. The airport is adjacent to the city of Valparaiso and is approximately 3.5 to 4 miles from Eglin Air Force Base. The airport is also near the cities of Destin and Fort Walton Beach.
The airport was previously named Northwest Florida Regional Airport until February 17, 2015, and before that, it was called Okaloosa Regional Airport until 2008. The airport is just under 16 miles away from Destin and takes about 25 minutes to get there. The airport is accessible from State Road 85, with parking facilities to the left of the road and the terminal straight ahead. The airport loop road has two pass-through lanes on the left and three arrival-departure lanes in front of the terminal. The loop road is a two-lane asphalt roadway that is about 3/4 of a mile long.
The airport has both short-term and long-term parking facilities, which were improved in the early 2000s to comply with the Transportation Security Administration's "300-foot rule," maintaining a 300-foot (91 m) distance between parked vehicles and the terminal building. On November 13, 1969, a USAF North American Sabreliner on its final approach crashed into Apalachicola Bay, about 4 km from Valparaiso-Eglin AFB (VPS) in foggy weather.
Eglin AFB/Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport (VPS) offers flights to 46 destinations with 6 airlines in scheduled passenger traffic. The route with the most departures is to Atlanta (ATL), with approximately 34 flights from Eglin AFB weekly. American Airlines is the largest airline at Eglin AFB/Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport, with around 67 scheduled departures per week. The second-largest operator is Allegiant Air. The aircraft types with the most scheduled flights from this airport are the Airbus A31X/32X and the Boeing 737.
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Only commercial air traffic is allowed
Destin–Fort Walton Beach Airport (IATA: VPS, ICAO: KVPS, FAA LID: VPS) is located within Eglin Air Force Base, near Valparaiso, Florida. The airport is adjacent to the city of Valparaiso and near the cities of Destin and Fort Walton Beach, in Okaloosa County. The official name of the airport is the Eglin AFB/Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport, with VPS as its IATA code.
The airport has a terminal with parking facilities, a rental car return area, and a two-lane asphalt loop road. The loop road has two pass-through lanes on the left and three arrival-departure lanes in front of the terminal. Short-term and long-term parking options are available, designed to satisfy the Transportation Security Administration's "300-foot rule".
Historically, Southern Airways was the sole airline serving VPS in its early years, with 12 departing flights daily. Over time, other airlines like South Central Air Transport (SCAT) and Republic Airlines (a merger of Southern Airways and North Central Airlines) expanded the airport's reach. Today, the airport serves 46 destinations with 6 airlines in scheduled passenger traffic. American Airlines is the largest operator at VPS, followed by Allegiant Air. The most common aircraft types operating from the airport are the Airbus A31X/32X and the Boeing 737.
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The airport was previously named Northwest Florida Regional Airport
Destin–Fort Walton Beach Airport (IATA: VPS, ICAO: KVPS, FAA LID: VPS) is located within Eglin Air Force Base, near Valparaiso, Destin, and Fort Walton Beach in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. The airport was renamed from Northwest Florida Regional Airport on February 17, 2015, and prior to that, it was called Okaloosa Regional Airport until September 2008.
The airport's history dates back to 1957 when the Okaloosa County Air Terminal opened on Eglin Air Force Base with a small team of three personnel. Southern Airways was the first airline to operate at the airport, offering direct flights to Atlanta with multiple stops along the way using Douglas DC-3 aircraft. Over the years, the airport has undergone expansions and improvements, including the addition of more parking spaces, a larger aircraft parking apron, a second parallel taxiway, landscaping, and a modern passenger terminal.
During its time as Northwest Florida Regional Airport, the airport saw several airlines come and go. In the late 1970s, Southern Airways merged with North Central Airlines to form Republic Airlines, which operated nonstop flights to various destinations using Douglas DC-9 jets. Northwest Airlines, which merged with Republic Airlines in 1986, primarily served the Memphis route with daily non-stop flights. However, by the end of 2001, AirTran Airways, which had been serving the airport since the 1990s, ceased its operations at VPS.
In 2004, the airport expanded further, introducing more parking, a larger aircraft parking area, a second taxiway, and a new passenger terminal. In 2010, Delta Air Lines scaled back its operations after merging with Northwest Airlines, discontinuing the VPS-Memphis route in favor of non-stop flights to Atlanta. The airport's name change to Destin–Fort Walton Beach Airport in 2015 marked a new chapter in its history, reflecting its proximity to the popular tourist destinations of Destin and Fort Walton Beach.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, VPS is the airport code for Destin–Fort Walton Beach Airport, which is located within Eglin Air Force Base.
The distance between Eglin AFB and VPS is 3.5-4 miles. A taxi will take you there in around 6 minutes and will cost $15-19.
There are 6 airlines flying from VPS: Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Delta, Southwest, Sun Country Airlines, and Xtra Airways.
American Airlines is the largest, with around 67 scheduled take-offs per week.
