Nashville International Airport

Nashville International Airport
File:Nashville International Airport Logo.svg
IATA: BNA ICAO: KBNA BNA Location of the Nashville International Airport
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	MNAA
Operator	Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority
Location	Nashville, Tennessee
Elevation AMSL	599 ft / 183 m
Coordinates	36°07′36″N 86°40′55″W
Website	www.flynashville.com
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 2L/20R 7,703 2,348 Concrete 2C/20C 8,001 2,438 Concrete 2R/20L 8,000 2,438 Concrete 13/31 11,030 3,362 Concrete
Statistics (2009)
Aircraft operations 190,993 Based aircraft 100

Nashville International Airport (IATA: BNA, ICAO: KBNA) is a joint civil-military airport in southeastern Nashville, Tennessee. The IATA Airport Code BNA is descended from one of the city's early aviation facilities—Berry Field, NAshville, which was the name of the current facility until 1988, when the name was changed to reflect plans for international flights. The airport has four runways.

Berry Field Air National Guard Base is located at Nashville International Airport. The base is home to the 118th Airlift Wing, an Air National Guard unit operationally-gained by the Air Education and Training Command (AETC), as well as the headquarters of the Tennessee Air National Guard.

The airport is served by MTA bus #18. The Airport served nearly 10 million passengers in 2008, and over 79,000 tons of Cargo in 2008. The Terminal Complex includes a 900,000-square-foot (84,000 m²) passenger terminal with 47 Air Carrier Gates and up to 78 Commuter Parking Positions. It contributes $3.74 billion in economic activity and $1.18 billion in wages and more than 39,700 jobs annually to the regional economy. The Airport serves a trade area of 79 counties in Middle Tennessee, Southern Kentucky, and Northern Alabama.

History

The airport first opened in 1937 as Berry Field. It was named after Harry S. Berry, the Tennessee administrator for the Works Progress Administration. It spread along 340 acres (1.4 km²) on Dixie Parkway (now Murfreesboro Road).

During World War II the airfield was used by the United States Army Air Force Air Transport Command 20th Ferrying Group for movement of new aircraft from the United States to overseas locations.

A much larger terminal opened in 1961 to handle increased air traffic. It was the setting for several scenes in the 1975 Robert Altman film Nashville, and was accessed off Briley Parkway. The current passenger facility on Donelson Pike was opened in 1987, and was designed for a new American Airlines hub. A year later, it was renamed Nashville International Airport/Berry Field to reflect its new status. While it is now very rare to see the "Berry Field" portion used, the airport's IATA code reflects the old name; it is short for Berry Field NAshville.

In 2002, Embraer Aircraft Maintenance Services (EAMS) selected Nashville as the location for its Regional Airline Support Facility.

Initially, American Airlines scheduled 135 flights daily destined for 60 different cities. An international wing was constructed in Concourse A to accommodate a service to London. However, airline service with American peaked in 1992 and in the years that followed, routes were cut back until eventually American closed the hub. Though BNA lost American, Southwest Airlines quickly filled the void by seizing 47% of the Nashville market and making it a focus city. Today, Nashville International Airport is served by 14 carriers. More than 375 average daily arriving and departing flights operate from 47 air carrier gates. Nashville International provides direct air service to 90 markets. BNA averages a total of 523 commercial, general aviation, air taxi, and military flight operations per day. Nonstop flights are available to 45 domestic destinations and two international.

Concourses, airlines, and destinations

Nashville International Airport has four concourses, of which only three are actually in use.

Airlines	Destinations	Concourse
Air Canada Jazz	Toronto-Pearson	C
American Airlines	Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York-LaGuardia	C
American Eagle	Chicago-O'Hare, Miami, New York-JFK [begins April 5], New York-LaGuardia, Washington-Reagan	C
Branson Air Express operated by Vision Airlines	Seasonal: Branson	A
Continental Express operated by ExpressJet Airlines	Houston-Intercontinental, Newark	A
Delta Air Lines	Atlanta, Detroit Seasonal: Cancún, Salt Lake City	B
Delta Connection operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines	Atlanta	B
Delta Connection operated by Compass Airlines	Detroit, New York-LaGuardia	B
Delta Connection operated by Pinnacle Airlines	Atlanta, Memphis, Minneapolis/St. Paul	B
Delta Connection operated by SkyWest Airlines	Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Salt Lake City	B
Delta Connection operated by Comair	New York-JFK [begins April 1]	B
Frontier Airlines	Denver	A
Frontier Airlines operated by Chautauqua Airlines	Milwaukee	A
Southwest Airlines	Austin, Baltimore, Birmingham (AL), Charleston (SC) [begins March 13], Chicago-Midway, Cleveland, Columbus (OH), Denver, Detroit, Ft Lauderdale, Ft Myers [begins February 13], Greenville-Spartanburg [begins March 13], Hartford/Springfield, Houston-Hobby, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Norfolk, Orlando, Panama City (FL), Philadelphia, Phoenix, Raleigh/Durham, San Antonio, San Diego, St. Louis, Tampa Seasonal: Oakland, Seattle/Tacoma, Providence	C
United Express operated by ExpressJet Airlines	Chicago-O'Hare, Washington-Dulles	A
United Express operated by Mesa Airlines	Chicago-O'Hare, Washington-Dulles	A
United Express operated by SkyWest Airlines	Chicago-O'Hare, Denver	A
United Express operated by Trans States Airlines	Chicago-O'Hare, Washington-Dulles	A
US Airways	Charlotte	B
US Airways Express operated by Air Wisconsin	Philadelphia, Washington-Reagan	B
US Airways Express operated by Mesa Airlines	Charlotte	B
US Airways Express operated by Republic Airlines and PSA Airlines	Charlotte, Philadelphia, Washington-Reagan	B

Statistics

Top Ten Busiest Domestic Routes Out of Nashville International Airport
(October 2009-September 2010)

Rank	City	Passengers	Carriers
1	Dallas, TX	272,000	American
2	Atlanta, GA	268,000	Delta, Delta Connection
3	Denver, CO	244,000	Frontier, Southwest, United Express
4	Chicago, IL (Midway)	224,000	Southwest
5	Charlotte, NC	204,000	US Airways, US Airways Express
6	Baltimore, MD	197,000	Southwest
7	Detroit, MI	185,000	Delta Connection, Southwest
8	Chicago, IL (O'Hare)	181,000	American Eagle, United Express
9	Orlando, FL	143,000	Southwest
10	Philadelphia, PA	136,000	Southwest, US Airways Express

Concourse D

This concourse, currently closed by the Metro Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA), was constructed as a ground level commuter terminal for American Eagle. All American Eagle flights operated out of Concourse D until, as a cost cutting measure after 9/11, all American Eagle flights were moved to Concourse C to share gates with American Airlines. For a short period of time, Concourse D was used by Corporate Airlines to operate its own regional flights until it became an American Connection and Continental Connection regional affiliate. Currently, the MNAA has no plans to reopen Concourse D.

Atlantic Aviation Terminal

Airlines	Destinations
Pacific Wings	Athens (GA), Atlanta, Jackson (TN), Owensboro (KY)

Airline lounges

Nashville International Airport is home to a Delta Air Lines Sky Club located adjacent to gate B3.

The American Airlines Admirals Club is located above gate C12. The facility, which was closed after September 11, 2001, reopened on July 11, 2007.

Airport Arts

Nashville International Airport takes great pride in showcasing the Middle Tennessee region's visual and performing arts. Arts at the Airport receives funding for the visual arts from the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA) and the Tennessee Arts Commission (TAC). The award-winning Arts at the Airport program reviews and presents works by local, regional, and national artists for the enjoyment and enrichment of Nashville International Airport's passengers and visitors. In addition to visual art, Arts at the Airport includes music since it is an integral part of Nashville. The arts come alive with musical performances on stages throughout BNA’s passenger terminal. The Flying Solo Exhibition Series is supported by the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA), the Tennessee Arts Commission (TAC), and is funded under an agreement with the State of Tennessee.

Cargo facilities

Air cargo integrators, charter cargo airlines and air express companies operate daily from the Nashville Air Cargo all-cargo complex. The complex, located across the airfield from the airport's passenger facility, is within five minutes of Interstate 40. It provides taxiway access to Nashville International's three parallel runways and crosswind international runway. The airport has seen considerable growth in its cargo offerings in recent years with the addition of a 70,000 sq ft (7,000 m²) FedEx facility at BNA. China Airlines ceased operations at Nashville on July 31, 2009

Airlines with cargo operations at Nashville International Airport are:

• BAX Global
• FedEx Express

Berry Field Air National Guard Base

Berry Field Air National Guard Base is home to Headquarters, Tennessee Air National Guard and the 118th Airlift Wing (118 AW), the latter serving as host wing for the installation. Berry Field and the 118 AW currently operate the C-130 International Training Center, an AETC activity in support of DoD Foreign Military Sales (FMS) of the C-130, training up to 150 international military C-130E and C-130H flight crew and maintenance students annually.

The Air National Guard presence at BNA dates back to 1937, when the 105th Observation Squadron, a U.S. Army Air Corps-gained element of the Tennessee National Guard initially took up residence at the airport. With the advent of World War II, the squadron was called into active Federal service as a U.S. Army Air Forces unit and transitioned to a bombardment mission flying the B-25 Mitchell medium bomber in the Pacific theater. At war's end and into the immediate postwar period, the unit transitioned to a fighter mission flying the P-47 Thunderbolt. With the establishment of the U.S. Air Force as a separate service in 1947, the unit was redesignated the 118th Fighter Group. Subsequent redesignations occurred in 1950 as the 118th Composite Wing and in 1953 as the 118th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, during which time the unit operated the F-51 Mustang, RF-80 Shooting Star and RF-84 Thunderflash while operationally gained by the Tactical Air Command (TAC).

In 1961, the unit transitioned to an airlift mission, first operating C-97 Stratofreighter, followed by C-124 Globemaster II and finally C-130 Hercules aircraft under the cognizance of the Military Air Transport Service (MATS), Military Airlift Command (MAC) and Air Mobility Command (AMC), with combat service in Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Approximately 1,500 personnel are assigned to both HQ, Tennessee Air Hational Guard and to the 118 AW at Berry ANGB. Approximately 400 are full-time Active Guard and Reserve (AGR) and Air Reserve Technician (ART) personnel, augmented by approximately 1100 traditional part-time air guardsmen. Approximately 100 additional foreign military personnel are also temporarily assigned to the 118 AW at any one time for training in the C-130E or C-130H aircraft.

BRAC 2005

In its 2005 BRAC Recommendations, DoD recommended to realign Nashville International Airport (IAP) Air National Guard Station, Tennessee. This recommendation would distribute the C-130H aircraft of the 118th Airlift Wing to the 182d Airlift Wing of the Illinois Air National Guard at Greater Peoria Airport Air National Guard Station, Illinois (four aircraft), and the 123d Airlift Wing of the Kentucky Air National Guard at Louisville IAP Air National Guard Station, Kentucky (four aircraft). Flying related ECS (aerial port and fire fighters) would move to Memphis IAP Air National Guard Station and the aeromedical squadron from Nashville would move to NAS JRB Fort Worth, Texas. Other ECS would remain in place at Nashville. Nashville (104) had a low military value ranking and was near other ANG bases keeping or gaining aircraft.

C-130 International Training Center

In October 2007, it was announced that as an amendment to the BRAC 2005 decision, the 118 AW would continue to retain a flying mission, transitioning from an Air Mobility Command (AMC)-gained unit to that of a training organization operationally gained by the Air Education and Training Command (AETC). As the C-130 International Training Center, the 118 AW assumed a new role as a C-130 Formal Training Unit (FTU) in support of DoD Foreign Military Sales (FMS), training up to 150 international military C-130E and C-130H flight crew and maintenance students annually. Although the 118 AW's C-130H2 aircraft were transferred to other Air National Guard airlift wings, the 118 AW did gain six WC-130H aircraft that had been retired from weather reconnaissance duties with the Air Force Reserve Command's 403d Wing at Keesler AFB, Mississippi. The first class of international C-130 students trained by the 118 AW graduated in October 2008.

See also

• Tennessee World War II Army Airfields

External links

• Nashville International Airport (official site)
• FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective November 28, 2024
• Resources for this airport:
  • AirNav airport information for KBNA
  • ASN accident history for BNA
  • FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
  • NOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three days
  • SkyVector aeronautical chart for KBNA
  • FAA current BNA delay information

References

• http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9903EEDD1539F935A35755C0A963948260