Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport

History

In the late 1990s the Panama City-Bay County Airport and Industrial District (Airport Authority) started looking for ways to increase the air service in the Panama City area. Proposed ideas included using the current airport property and extending the current short runways into St. Andrews Bay or into residential neighborhoods, relocation of the airport to a new site, or collocation with Tyndall AFB. With strong opposition to extending the runways into an environmentally sensitive bay or into neighborhoods, the airport authority began to search for relocation sites. The authority received tentative approval to relocate the airport to northwestern Bay County in 2001. In 2005–2007 the authority obtained the needed permits.

The relocation of the airport was controversial in Bay County. The county commission chose to proceed with building a new airport and closing down Fannin Field despite a majority of voters in a non-binding 2004 referendum voting against the plan. Some felt that the St. Joe Company, which owned the land the airport would be based on, would derive an unfair benefit at the taxpayer's expense. Suits were filed against the airport on environmental grounds but were not successful in halting its construction. Construction was completed in May 2010, however the planned crosswind runway was not built. This controversy continues as of January 2015.

The airport's IATA code was originally supposed to be TFB, for "The Florida Beaches". However, this code was already taken by the Tifalmin Airport in Papua New Guinea. By going through all available IATA codes, the group deciding the code came across ECP. After jokingly saying it could stand for "Everyone Can Party", the code stuck.

Facilities

The airport covers 4,000 acres (1,600 hectares) at an elevation of 68 feet (21 m).

Runway

Runway 16/34 is the only runway. It is concrete/grooved, 10,000 feet (3,000 meters) long and 150 feet (46 meters) wide. There are plans to build one crosswind and one parallel runway as traffic increases.

The elevation for Runway 16 is 68.6 feet (20.9 m). The runway has a 4-aligned PAPI light system (glideslope: 2.83°), a MALSR approach light, centerline lights, and touchdown zone lights. The runway has an instrument approach which includes S-ILS or LOC/DME, and GPS RNAV. For general aviation aircraft, the runway uses left traffic pattern.

The opposite end of Runway 16, the elevation for Runway 34 is 53.7 feet (16.4 meters). This runway has a 4-aligned PAPI light system (glideslope: 2.83°) and centerline lights. This runway has a GPS RNAV or LOC/DME instrument approach. For general aviation aircraft, the runway uses left traffic pattern.

The crosswind runway is on indefinite hold. It was to be 5,000 feet long and to open by 2014. As of January 2015 there is no information on if this runway will be finished. Current status is a cleared area to the southeast of the primary runway that has not been active since 2009. As this runway would be utilized by general aviation, it is not an economic priority. As of January 2015 local general aviation pilots and other light aircraft do not have a safe option during high crosswind conditions since KPFN had the runways there broken up.

Terminal

The new airport has a much larger terminal, designed by HNTB compared to the terminal at the previous airport. The terminal, 105,000 sq. feet, has seven gates, Gates 1–5 have jet bridges, while Gates 6 and 7 are on ramp level for regional aircraft. The airport has a US Customs and Border Protection inspection facility for arriving international flights. It was anticipated that the new terminal building will be the first airport terminal to attain a LEED rating for being a green building as well. As of July 2011 it has yet to receive this.

General aviation

General aviation is handled at the general aviation facility south of the main passenger terminal. 110 GA aircraft are based at the airport in 2012. 101 are piston-engine, of which 15 are multi-engine. The other nine are jets. There are no helicopters, gliders, or ultra-lights based at the airport. 75% of based aircraft belong to corporations. About 75% of GA operations are business/corporate related, 65% of which are business jets. The only FBO as of August 2011 is SheltAir. Flight training based at KECP has fallen off as ATP Flight School closed prior to the relocation of the airport. Island Air Express and Precision Flight Training, LLC now offer flight training.

Air cargo

The cargo facility is between the control tower and general aviation ramp. Flight Express is the primary air cargo service to KECP.

Aircraft operations

In the year ending June 26, 2012 the airport had 47,604 aircraft operations, average 130 per day: 47% general aviation, 23% military, 16% airline, and 15% air taxi. 110 aircraft were then based at this airport: 78% single-engine, 14% multi-engine, and 8% jet.

Ground Transportation

Ground transportation to and from the airport includes on-airport car rental, taxis, shuttles, and limousines.

Airlines and destinations

Southwest Airlines began service in May 2010 with eight daily Boeing 737 flights, two each to Baltimore-Washington (BWI), Houston-Hobby (HOU), Nashville (BNA), and Orlando–International (MCO). Southwest Airlines then started daily seasonal nonstop service to St. Louis (STL) on June 3, 2012.

Effective in early March 2016, Delta Air Lines was operating up to six nonstop flights a day to Atlanta (ATL) operated with Boeing 717, McDonnell Douglas MD-88 and McDonnell Douglas MD-90 jetliners. Delta has also operated Boeing 737 jets into the airport in the past. Delta Connection had operated regional jet aircraft on their flights to Atlanta but currently does not serve the airport.

United Express operates regional jets on their nonstop flights to Houston Intercontinental Airport (IAH).

Scheduled nonstop passenger flights include: