Bradley International Airport
Bradley International Airport | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||||||
| Owner | Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Serves | Hartford, Connecticut & Springfield, Massachusetts | ||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Windsor Locks, Connecticut | ||||||||||||||||||
| Hub for | UPS Airlines | ||||||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 173 ft / 53 m | ||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 41°56′20″N 72°41′0″W / 41.93889°N 72.68333°W | ||||||||||||||||||
| Website | BradleyAirport.com | ||||||||||||||||||
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Bradley International Airport (IATA: BDL, ICAO: KBDL, FAA LID: BDL) is a public airport located in Windsor Locks on the border with East Granby, in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is owned by the State of Connecticut.[1]
The airport is situated in the towns of Windsor Locks, Suffield and East Granby, about halfway between Hartford and Springfield. It is Connecticut's busiest commercial airport, with 350 daily operations, and the second-busiest airport in New England after Boston's Logan International Airport [2]. Delta Air Lines (along with its wholly-owned subsidiary Northwest Airlines) is currently the largest carrier at Bradley International Airport with 41 daily flights, and 57 daily when all seasonal flights are in season.[3] Also Delta Air Lines (along with its wholly-owned subsidiary Northwest Airlines) carry over 1 million passengers a year, with the help of it's regional airline affiliates.[3] United Airlines currently uses the biggest everyday aircraft. The fly in a Boieng 757-200 to Washingotn Dulles once a day. Other airlines like Delta, use a 757 during busier periods.
The airport is home to the New England Air Museum.
History
Bradley has its origins in the 1940 acquisition of 1,700 acres (690 ha) of land in Windsor Locks by the State of Connecticut. In 1941, this land was turned over to the U. S. Army, as the country began its preparations for the impending war.[4]
Less than a year after the Army assumed control, the field at Windsor Locks had its first fatality. Among those assigned to duty in Windsor Locks was the young Lt. Eugene M. Bradley of Antlers, Oklahoma. While participating in a training drill, Lt. Bradley's P-40 crashed on August 21, 1941. Following a funeral at Talarski Funeral Home in Hartford, Lt. Bradley's remains were interred in the national cemetery in San Antonio, Texas.
After a groundswell of sentiment in favor of naming the airfield in Windsor Locks in honor of the airman, the airfield was renamed Army Air Base, Bradley Field, Connecticut on January 20, 1942.
Following the end of World War II in 1945, the airfield was returned to the State of Connecticut in 1946.
In 1947, when the airport returned to civilian use, the airfield in Windsor Locks became known as Bradley International Airport. Also the arrival of Eastern Air Lines Flight 624 came that same year, which was the first civilian flight at the airport. International shipping operations at the airport began during the same year. It eventually came to replace the older, smaller Hartford-Brainard Airport as Hartford's primary airport.[4]
In 1948, the federal government deeded the Airport to the State of Connecticut for public and commercial use.[4]
In 1950, Bradley International Airport exceeds the 100,000-passenger mark, handling 108,348 annual passengers.[4]
In 1960, Bradley passed the 500,000 mark, handling 500,238 passengers.[4]
In 1971, the International Arrivals building opened, followed by the installation of instrument landing systems on two of the runways in 1977.
In 1979, a tornado ripped through Windsor Locks, wreaking destruction along the eastern portions of the airport. The New England Air Museum sustained some of the worst damage. It reopened in 1982.
1986: New Terminal A and Bradley Sheraton Hotel completed. Roncari cargo terminal constructed [4]
In 2001 construction commenced on a new parking garage. When it was completed, it initially could not be used; the intervening attacks of 9/11 had led to a regulation that would have required it to be set back further from the airport. For some time it was open but every vehicle had to be individually inspected, which severely reduced its value. Bradley eventually received a waiver for it from the Department of Homeland Security.
2001 also saw the commencement of the Terminal Improvement Project- an ambitious project to add a new terminal and gates to the airport and centralize passenger screening. The new terminal built by The Tomasso Group opened in 2003. The terminal improvement was part of a larger project to enhance the reputation of the City of Hartford as a destination for business and vacation travel.
On October 2–3, 2007, the Airbus A380 visited Bradley as part of its world tour, stopping in Hartford to showcase the aircraft to Connecticut workers for Pratt and Whitney and Hamilton Sundstrand, both divisions of United Technologies, who helped build the GP7000 TurboFan engines which is an option to power the aircraft. Bradley Airport is one of only 68 airports worldwide large enough to accommodate the A380.
On October 18, 2007, Bradley International Airport was named as one of the top five small airports in the North American Airport Satisfaction Study by J.D. Powers.
On October 7, 2008, Embraer, an aerospace company based in Brazil, selected Bradley as its future Northeast service center in the United States. An $11 million project is in place with support from teams of the Connecticut Department of Transportation and Connecticut's Economic and Community Development. Embraer will build and operate a full maintenance and repair facility for its line of business jets, employing up to 60 highly skilled aircraft technicians over the next five years. The opening ceremony for the new facility was October 7, 2008.[5]
On June 23, 2009, Bradley reopened runway 6/24 after reconstructing the runway. The runway originally closed on April 13, 2009, and reconstruction began on April 14, 2009.
On July 16, 2009, Bradley International Airport Celebrated the Grand Opening of the Black Bear Saloon,a new full-service restaurant in Terminal A just past security.[6]
Airlines and destinations
Terminal A
East Concourse
The East Concourse (Gates A1-A12) hosts the SkyTeam alliance carriers as well as Southwest Airlines. Continental Airlines will be moving to the West concourse after joining Star Alliance on October 24, 2009. They will be using Gates 24 & 25. Gates A1, A3, A5 and A7 will be taken by American Airlines and Air Canada will take Gate A8 when Terminal B closes in November 2009
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Air Canada operated by Air Canada JazzGate A8 | Toronto-Pearson |
| Air Canada operated by Air Georgian | Montreal-Trudeau, Toronto-Pearson |
| American Airlines Gates A1,A3,A5,A7 | Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami, San Juan |
| American Eagle | Chicago-O'Hare, Raleigh/Durham [ends April 2010] |
| Continental Airlines Gates A1 & A3 (Moving to West Concourse) | Cleveland [seasonal] |
| Continental Connection operated by CommutAir | Newark |
| Continental Express operated by ExpressJet Airlines | Cleveland, Newark |
| Continental Express operated by Chautauqua Airlines | Cleveland |
| Delta Air Lines Gates A9-A12 | Atlanta, Cancún [seasonal], Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers [seasonal], Orlando |
| Delta Connection operated by Comair | Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, New York-JFK |
| Delta Connection operated by Mesaba Airlines | Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul |
| Northwest Airlines Gates A9, A10, A11 & A12 | Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Tampa, West Palm Beach |
| Southwest Airlines Gates A2, A4, & A6 | Baltimore, Chicago-Midway, Las Vegas, Nashville, Orlando, Tampa |
| Aero Mexico operated by Apple Vacations Gates A9-A12 | Cancun (Charter) |
West Concourse
The West Concourse (Gates A20-A30) hosts the Star Alliance carriers, with the exception of Air Canada (which operates out of the East Concourse).
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Continental Airlines(Moving from East Concourse in October) Gates A24 & A25 | Cleveland [seasonal] |
| Continental Connection operated by CommutAir | Newark |
| Continental Express operated by ExpressJet Airlines | Cleveland, Newark |
| Continental Express operated by Chautauqua Airlines | Cleveland |
| United Airlines Gates A21 & A23 | Chicago-O'Hare, Washington-Dulles |
| United Express operated by Mesa Airlines | Washington-Dulles |
| United Express operated by Shuttle America | Chicago-O'Hare [operates BDL-ORD only], Washington-Dulles |
| US Airways Gates A26,A27,A28,A29 & A30 | Charlotte, Philadelphia, Washington-Reagan |
| US Airways Express operated by Air Wisconsin | Philadelphia, Washington-Reagan |
| US Airways Express operated by Colgan Air | Rochester |
| US Airways Express operated by Mesa Airlines | Charlotte |
| US Airways Express operated by Republic Airlines | Philadelphia, Washington-Reagan |
| US Airways Express operated by Trans States Airlines | Pittsburgh |
Terminal B
Terminal B (gates B1-B10) hosts the Oneworld alliance carrier American Airlines, as well as Air Canada's regional partners. This terminal also handles all charter service and unsceduled airline service. The terminal will be closed by fall of 2009. All flights will be moved to Terminal A in the East Concourse. A1, A3, A5, A7 will be taken by American Airlines and Air Canada will be taking Gate A8.
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Air Canada operated by Air Canada Jazz | Toronto-Pearson |
| Air Canada operated by Air Georgian | Montreal-Trudeau, Toronto-Pearson |
| American Airlines Gates B5-B10 | Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami, San Juan |
| American Eagle | Chicago-O'Hare, Raleigh/Durham [ends April 2010] |
Airline Lounges
US Airways operates a US Airways Club in the West Concourse of Terminal A.
Cargo operations
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| ABX Air | Wilmington (OH) |
| Ameriflight | Wilmington (OH) |
| ATI | Newark, Philadelphia, Toledo |
| FedEx Express | Indianapolis, Memphis, Newark |
| FedEx Feeder operated by Wiggins Airways | Bridgeport, Long Island/Islip, Newark, Manchester (NH), Portland (ME) |
| Polet Airlines | Europe |
| Tradewinds Airlines | Aguadilla (PR), Greensboro |
| UPS Airlines UPS Sorting Hub | Albany, Dallas/Ft. Worth [seasonal], Louisville, Newark, Ontario, CA (Seasonal), Philadelphia, Providence, Rockford, San Francisco |
| Volga-Dnepr Airlines | Europe |
Incidents and Accidents
- November 12, 1995- An American Airlines MD-83 N566AA, crashed while trying to land at Bradley. American Airlines flight 1572, was substantially damaged when it impacted trees while on approach to runway 15 at Bradley International Airport. The airplane also impacted an instrument landing system antenna as it landed short of the runway on grassy, even terrain.
- January 21, 1998- A Continental Express ATR-42 N15827 had an emergency during roll on landing. During the landing roll, a fire erupted in the right engine. The airplane was stopped on the runway, the engines were shut down, and the occupants evacuated. The fire handles for both engines were pulled and both fire bottles on the right engine discharged. However, the fire on the right engine continued to burn. The airport fire services attended shortly afterward and extinguished the fire.
- January 6, 2003- An embraer erj-145LR Continental Express crashed at Cleveland Hopkins Airport after leaving Bradley. An ILS runway 6L approach was performed. After touchdown, the flight crew was unable to stop the airplane on the runway. The airplane continued beyond the departure end, on extended runway centerline, and struck the ILS runway 6 localizer antenna. It came to rest with the nose about 600 feet beyond the departure end of the runway. The nose landing gear had collapsed rearward and deformed the forward pressure bulkhead.
- April 1, 2004- A beechcraft 1900D operating as US Airways Express/Colgan Air N149CJ hit a fuel truck while parking. The Beech 1900D landed on runway 24, and was cleared to taxi to the ramp. As the airplane entered the ramp area, the flight crew planned to stop beyond the hold-short line, to wait for another airplane to exit gate 25. As the flight crew crossed the hold-short line, and were almost at a complete stop, they felt a "buffet," which became a "large jolt," on the left side of the fuselage. After realizing a fuel truck impacted the left engine and propeller, the captain shut down the engines, and evacuated the passengers from the right window emergency exit.
Military operations
- Connecticut Air National Guard
- 103d Airlift Wing (103 AW) "Flying Yankees"
- 118th Airlift Squadron (118 AS): operates the C-21. The squadron was previously designated as the 118th Fighter Squadron and operated the Fairchild A-10 Thunderbolt II close air support aircraft from the mid 1970's to 2007.
- 103d Airlift Wing (103 AW) "Flying Yankees"
- Military air transports that are commonly seen include the KC-135 Stratotanker, C-17 Globemaster, and the C-130 Hercules.
- Connecticut Army National Guard
- 126th Aviation Regiment
International Arrivals Building
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In December 2002, a new International Arrivals Building opened to the west of Terminal B. This new International Arrivals Building houses the Federal Inspection Station and has one jetway for deboarding the aircraft. The IAB replaced the old FIS in Terminal B and will be enlarged as volume demands. Two government agencies provide crucial support at the facility, these agencies are: U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The FIS Terminal (International Arrivals Building) is a two-story, 28,000-square-foot (2,600 m2) facility adjacent to Terminal B and the recently constructed Remote Deicing Collection Facility. This entire Construction project included the FIS Terminal and associated landside and airside improvements; entrance roadway, sidewalks and concrete hardstand for arriving aircraft parking. The FIS Terminal can process more than 300 passengers per hour from aircraft as large as a Boeing 747. International departures will be handled from the existing terminal complex. This facility cost approximately $7.7 million, which included the building and site work. A unique, 9’ x 20’ American flag tile mosaic was donated by Robert LaRosa, president of LaRosa Building Group, which designed and constructed the facility. The mosaic is visible upon entering the front of the building. This project was funded through the Bradley Improvement Fund.[7]
All international arrivals except for those from airports with customs preclearance are processed through the IAB.
Ground transportation
Rail
The closest train stations are Windsor Locks and Windsor, both serviced by Amtrak.[8] Connecticut Transit buses travel between the Windsor train station and the airport. The state of Connecticut has planned for commuter rail between New Haven and Springfield, and increased bus service, if not a complete rail link, has been discussed for the airport.
Bus
Connecticut Transit operates bus #30 "Bradley Flyer" between Hartford, Windsor train station and Bradley Airport. [9]
Future
Airport officials are continuing their efforts towards completing the airport's master plan, which includes demolishing the Murphy Terminal, or Terminal B, and replacing it with an entirely new terminal. The new terminal will have a state of the art food court and other retail options for passengers. It will be double the current terminal's size and be broken up into two separate concourses with 24 passenger gates in total (12 in each). It is also slated to contain international arrivals capabilities with customs and immigration services. It is unsure whether the current international arrivals building will be included in the design, as such would depend on international air travel demand. A new parking garage is also planned. These plans may come to fruition after the full completion of Terminal A, which includes renovating the United check-in areas and adding more concessions. The Sheraton Hotel, located between terminals A and B, is also undergoing extensive renovations.
Embraer, the Brazillian aerospace company, selected Bradley as its Northeast service center in the United States. Embraer built a full maintenance and repair facility for its line of business jets, opening October 7, 2008[5] and closing after less than a year of operation in August of 2009. They are planning to reopen it if the economy gets better. They still are paying rent for the space. [10].
See also
- Hartford-Brainard Airport (HFD)
- Westover Metropolitan Airport (CEF) - Previously marketed by Skybus Airlines as "Hartford (Chicopee, MA)", however due to the collapse of Skybus Airlines in April 2008, the passenger terminal is currently empty.
- Tweed New Haven Airport (HVN)
- Connecticut World War II Army Airfields
References
- ^ FAA Airport Form 5010 for BDL PDF, effective 2007-07-05
- ^ Bradley International Airport - Courant.com
- ^ a b http://www.bradleyairport.com/News/press.aspx?id=102
- ^ a b c d e f http://www.bradleyairport.com/News/factsheet.aspx
- ^ a b [1]
- ^ [2]
- ^ http://www.bradleyairport.com/pdfs/Fact_Sheet_FIS.pdf
- ^ Amtrak - Station Search Results
- ^ http://www.cttransit.com/RoutesSchedules/Display.asp?DivID={7428A88D-DDD7-4910-9C2F-AD1E63B94375}
- ^ http://www.courant.com/business/hc-embraer-closes.artaug26,0,7319658.story
External links
- Bradley International Airport (official site)
- Airport area development
- Images of Concourse Artwork
- TAC Air - Building 85-205 (Executive Terminal)
- Signature Flight Support - on BDL property but physical address is 100 Signature Way East Granby, Connecticut 06026
- FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective November 28, 2024
- FAA Terminal Procedures for BDL, effective November 28, 2024
- Resources for this airport:
- AirNav airport information for KBDL
- ASN accident history for BDL
- FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
- NOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three days
- SkyVector aeronautical chart for KBDL
- FAA current BDL delay information