Palm Springs International Airport

Palm Springs International Airport
Palm Springs Army Airfield
IATA: PSP – ICAO: KPSP – FAA LID: PSP
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner City of Palm Springs
Operator Palm Springs Aviation Department
Serves

Coachella Valley

Inland Empire
Location Palm Springs, California
Elevation AMSL 476 ft / 145 m
Coordinates 33°49′47″N 116°30′24″W / 33.82972°N 116.50667°W / 33.82972; -116.50667
Website Palm Springs International Airport
Map
PSP

Location within California

Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
13R/31L 10,000 3,048 Asphalt
13L/31R 4,952 1,509 Asphalt
Statistics (2014)
Passengers: 1,907,214
Aircraft operations: 57,097
Based aircraft: 96
Source=FAA

Palm Springs International Airport (IATA: PSP, ICAO: KPSP, FAA LID: PSP), formerly Palm Springs Municipal Airport, is a public airport two miles (3 km) east of downtown Palm Springs, California. The airport covers 940 acres (380 ha) and has two runways. The airport is highly seasonal, with most flights operating during the winter.

The airport was named one of "America's Most Stress-Free Airports" by Smarter Travel.[1]

History

PSP was built as a United States Army Air Corps emergency landing field in 1939 on land owned by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians due to its clear weather and its proximity to March Field and the Los Angeles area.

In March 1941 the War Department certified improvements to the existing airport in Palm Springs as essential to National Defense. The airport was approved to serve as a staging field by the Air Corps Ferrying Command 21st Ferrying Group in November 1941. Land was acquired to build a major airfield one half miles from the old airfield site. The new airfield, Palm Springs Army Airfield[2] was completed in early 1942, and the old air field was then used only as a backup. (Aerial pic of the old airfield at 33°49′37″N 116°31′59″W / 33.827°N 116.533°W / 33.827; -116.533, looking ENE)

Many of the field's Air Transport Command 560th Army Air Forces Base Unit personnel stayed at the comfortable Lapaz Guest Ranch nearby. Training conducted at the airfield was by the 72d and 73d Ferrying Squadrons in long-distance over-water flying and navigation. Later, training was also provided to pursuit pilot training by IV Fighter Command 459th Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron. Training was in P-51 Mustangs, P-40 Warhawks and P-38 Lightnings.

On June 1, 1944, training moved to Brownsville Army Airfield, Texas, and the airfield was used for Army and Navy transport flights until the end of April 1945. The auxiliary field or backup field was declared surplus on May 12, 1945, and the main airfield was declared excess and transferred to the War Assets Administration for disposal in 1946 and it was sold to private buyers. The City of Palm Springs purchased the land in 1961 and converted it to Palm Springs Municipal Airport.

Western Airlines flights began in 1945–46 and Bonanza Airlines in 1957–58; American Airlines appeared in winter of 1967–68 with Boeing 707 jetliners. By 1969, American was operating four Boeing 707 departures a day from the airport with two nonstops to Los Angeles and two nonstops to Phoenix with these latter flights both offering direct one stop service to Chicago.[3] Trans World Airlines (TWA) began service in 1978 also with Boeing 707s with daily nonstop service to Phoenix and direct one stop service to Chicago. Scheduled nonstops did not reach beyond California, Las Vegas, and Phoenix until the winter of 1969–70 when American Airlines started a Chicago nonstop route although direct, no change of plane service was operated to destinations in the east. During the 1970s, American began operating McDonnell Douglas DC-10 wide body jetliners into the airport which was the largest aircraft ever scheduled into PSP. In 1976, American was flying the DC-10 on direct one stop service from New York LaGuardia Airport via Chicago O'Hare Airport and was also operating nonstop Boeing 727-100 jet service from Dallas/Fort Worth, Phoenix and Los Angeles with direct, no change of plane 727 flights from Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Louisville, New York City and Washington D.C.[4] At this same time in 1976, Western was operating Boeing 727-200 and Boeing 737-200 service nonstop from Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Francisco with direct jet flights from Minneapolis/St. Paul, Portland, OR, Salt Lake City, Seattle and Vancouver, BC in Canada.[5] Other airlines operating jet service into Palm Springs in the past included Air California and its successor Air Cal, America West Airlines, CP Air, the original Frontier Airlines (1950-1986), Hughes Airwest, Pacific Express, Reno Air, Republic Airlines (1979-1986) and USAir.[6]

On December 30, 2006 a U.S. Air Force Presidential Boeing VC-25 (the USAF military version of the Boeing 747), departed Palm Springs International Airport with the body of the 38th President of the United States, Gerald R. Ford and delivered to Washington, D.C., for memorial services.

Although a true international airport, PSP does have customs for general aviation aircraft only, and immigration facilities; all inbound commercial international flights are from Canadian cities that have pre-clearance facilities.

Terminals

PSP's passenger terminal consists of three parts—the main building, the elevated Sonny Bono Concourse to the north, and a yet-unnamed concourse to the south.[7] Airside, it has a unique open-air layout in that all passenger walkways connecting these structures are roofless.

Main Building

The main building is the land side of the airport. Road traffic accesses the airport directly off of Tahquitz Canyon Way (from downtown) or Kirk Douglas Way, itself fed by Ramon Road from points east. Uncovered parking areas are directly in front of the building. The center section houses the security screening area and automatic doors to/from the open-air walkways airside. Ticketing is on the right (south) wing, while baggage claim and car rental counters are on the left (north).

Departing passengers are routed first to airline ticket counters or kiosks for checking in. Since all gates at Palm Springs are in the two outlying concourses, passengers must pass through the security screening area for admittance into the secure air side of the airport. After leaving the main building via the automatic doors leading out to the open-air courtyard, passengers can access seventeen full-service gates at the two concourses.

The Sonny Bono Concourse, with Bono's bust to the right of the escalator.

Sonny Bono Concourse (Gates 4–11)

On November 4, 1999, the new Sonny Bono Concourse opened as part of the 1994-2000 expansion. Named in honor of the late singer, congressman and former mayor of the city,[8] this newer concourse is the elevated one of the two. It is used for larger aircraft (such as the Boeing 737) because of its jet bridges. SB's outdoor escalator and walkway are shaded by a designer roofline similar to that of the Denver International Airport.

Gates 12–20

The older unnamed concourse on the south side, simply known in signage as "Gates 12–20", is at the tarmac level and hosts smaller aircraft. Boarding uses ramps or airstairs.

Airlines and destinations

Nonstop routes from Palm Springs.

Passenger

AirlinesDestinationsTerminal/Gates
Air Canada Rouge Seasonal: Toronto–Pearson (begins December 14, 2016),[9] Vancouver Sonny Bono
Alaska Airlines Portland (OR), San Francisco, Seattle/Tacoma Sonny Bono
Alaska Airlines
operated by Horizon Air 		Seasonal: Sacramento 12–20
Allegiant Air Bellingham Sonny Bono
American Airlines Dallas/Fort Worth
Seasonal: Chicago–O'Hare 		Sonny Bono
American Eagle Phoenix–Sky Harbor 12-20
Delta Air Lines Seasonal: Atlanta, Minneapolis/St. Paul Sonny Bono
Delta Connection Salt Lake City
Seasonal: Seattle/Tacoma 		12-20
JetBlue Seasonal: New York–JFK Sonny Bono
Sun Country Airlines Seasonal: Minneapolis/St. Paul Sonny Bono
United Airlines Seasonal: Chicago–O'Hare, Denver, San Francisco Sonny Bono
United Express Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco
Seasonal: Chicago–O'Hare, Houston-Intercontinental 		12–20
Virgin America San Francisco
Seasonal: New York–JFK 		Sonny Bono
WestJet Calgary, Vancouver
Seasonal: Edmonton, Toronto–Pearson, Winnipeg 		Sonny Bono

Cargo Airlines

Airlines Destinations
Ameriflight Ontario

Statistics

Top destinations

Busiest domestic routes from PSP (Dec 2014 – Nov 2015)[10]
Rank City Passengers Carriers
1 San Francisco, California 155,000 Alaska, United, Virgin America
2 Seattle/Tacoma, Washington 118,000 Alaska, Delta
3 Phoenix, Arizona 109,000 American/US Airways
4 Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas 95,000 American
5 Denver, Colorado 71,000 United
6 Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois 45,000 American, United
7 Portland, Oregon 40,000 Alaska
8 Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota 38,000 Delta, Sun Country
9 Salt Lake City, Utah 35,000 Delta
10 Bellingham, Washington 29,000 Allegiant

Ground transportation

PSP is served by both municipal and regional routes. Sunline's SunBus route 24 provides direct service to downtown Palm Springs via the bus stops at El Cielo/Kirk Douglas and Tahquitz/Civic. An Amtrak Thruway bus stop is located just outside the baggage claim area, with service to Cabazon (Morongo Casino), Riverside, and Fullerton. Ridesharing services such as Uber and Lyft are not permitted to drop off or pick up passengers on airport property.

Palm Springs International Airport

See also

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

  1. ↑ "America's Most Stress-Free Airports - SmarterTravel.com". SmarterTravel.com.
  2. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Palm Springs Army Air Field (historical)
  3. ↑ http://www.departedflights.com, Mar. 30, 1969 American Airlines system timetable
  4. ↑ Feb. 1, 1976 Official Airline Guide (OAG), Palm Springs flight schedules
  5. ↑ Feb. 1, 1976 Official Airline Guide (OAG), Palm Springs flight schedules
  6. ↑ http://www.departedflights.com, Route Maps
  7. ↑ http://www.palmspringsca.gov/index.aspx?page=275
  8. ↑ "Airport Adds Sonny Bono Concourse". Billboard.
  9. ↑ "Air Canada rouge Gears up for Winter 2016-2017 with new non-stop flights: Montreal to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and San José, Costa Rica; Toronto to Palm Springs, CA and Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago". Aircanada.ca. April 20, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  10. ↑ Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) (December 22, 2011). "Palm Springs, CA: Palm Springs International (PSP) Scheduled Services except Freight/Mail". U.S. Department of Transportation (US DOT). Retrieved Feb 2016.

External links

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