Gainesville Regional Airport

History

Construction of the airport began in April 1940 as a Works Project Administration project. In 1941 initial construction was completed. Upon conclusion of the construction by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the facility was known as the Alachua Army Airfield and was used by the Army Air Corps and the Army Air Forces.

The airfield was declared surplus in September 1945 and turned over to the Army Corps of Engineers on October 1, 1946. The War Assets Administration deeded the facility to the city of Gainesville in 1948 as a civil airport. The field was known as John R. Alison Airport or Gainesville Municipal Airport; the city operated, maintained, and improved the airport, which was renamed the Gainesville Regional Airport in October 1977. The airline terminal was dedicated to John R. Alison in 1979.

Eastern Airlines served Gainesville beginning in the 1950s, with flights to Tallahassee, Jacksonville and Ocala, eventually offering nonstop flights to Atlanta and Miami by the 1970s. Air Florida served Gainesville in the late 1970s and early 1980s, with flights to Miami, Tampa and Ocala.

In 1986 the State Legislature passed a bill that established the Airport as the Gainesville-Alachua County Regional Airport Authority. The Airport Authority has nine board members, five selected by the City of Gainesville, three by the Governor and one by Alachua County, and continues to oversee the Airport.

On October 31, 2004 Gainesville Regional Airport hosted Air Force One during George W. Bush's re-election campaign. 17,000 people attended the event.

In recent years the Airport has substantially completed several projects: the refurbishment of its primary runway (11/29), piping of an open ditch parallel to that runway, and completion of two phases of the Terminal Renovation project. Three passenger boarding bridges have been installed.

Eclipse Aviation, maker of the Eclipse 500, operated its first factory service center in Gainesville until the company declared bankruptcy in 2009. In 2012 Silver Airways moved its maintenance facilities from Ft. Lauderdale into the existing Eclipse Aviation facility. Silver provides commercial airline service to several destinations around Florida and Bahamas. In April 2015 Silver airways moved its maintenance to Orlando International.

The control tower operates during daylight hours.

Facilities

The airport covers 1,650 acres (670 ha) and has two asphalt runways: 11/29 is 7,504 by 150 feet (2,287 x 46 m) and 7/25 is 4,158 by 100 feet (1,267 x 30 m).

In the year ending September 30, 2011 the airport had 70,876 aircraft operations, average 366 per day: 73% general aviation, 8% air taxi, 8% military and 1% airline. 185 aircraft are based at the airport: 83% single-engine, 9% multi-engine, 4% jet and 4% helicopter.

Gainesville Regional Airport has one full service FBO, University Air Center. There were two, Gulf Atlantic Airways and Flight Line. Flight Line's contract with the airport authority expired and Gulf Atlantic became University Air Center. University Air Center has a pilots lounge with TV, snack machines, aircraft rentals and charters, flight instruction, and fuel. A second flight school, Sky Chiefs Aviation, is on the airport and provides full service flight training and aircraft rental.

Gainesville Regional Airport's terminal has 3 gates. Gates 1 and 2 are used by American Eagle. Gate 3 is used by Delta Airlines and Delta Connection. The airport terminal has a snack bar and a gift shop, operated by Tailwinds. The airport's ground transportation is served by taxis, rental car companies, RTS bus stop, and hotel shuttle buses.

Airlines and destinations

Scheduled passenger service: