San Antonio Airport (San Diego, Columbus, Howe: house, shops, train)

[oldmanshirt]

Thanks for the info, smitty. I wasn't suggesting that SA needs an airport as large and out-of-the-way as Denver's, as there were things about DIA that definitely were inconvenient (not the least of which was transportation from downtown). SAT is extremely convenient to get to, as it is central to SA's busiest areas.

I'm definitely skeptical about the building of another runway, however. Where exactly would they put that? I had heard there are plans to extend the existing runways, but the only recent info I could find about that seemed to indicate that the FAA had rejected the idea.

I've also wondered about the possibility of using Lackland, but of course that would require the closing of the base and PSA operations, which I'm sure is an idea that few in SA would embrace.

[smitty12]

Here is the Master Plan (click the pdf link) that has a map that shows the new runway, as well as an extension to the shorter runway. It dates to 1998 though, so who knows what current thinking is....

San Antonio International Airport - Homepage

Honolulu, Hawaii and Charleston, South Carolina both share runways with an Air Force base, so closing Lackland would not be required.... In Fact according to Port San Antonio Lackland is open for commercial cargo operations right now.... Keep in mind that the Lackland airfield, is the old Kelly AFB runways, and the west part of Kelly.

Port San Antonio Update: July Newsletter

Corey

[Guerilla]

Originally Posted by smitty12

Denver had a much different situation, when the new airport was being built there both Continental and United had significant hub operations. Now Frontier and United have hubs there.... If not for the connecting passengers on United and Frontier Denver would not have an airport much bigger than San Antonio.

While the terminals are nice in Denver I think the location sucks for actually visiting Denver since the airport is a good 30 to 45 minutes from downtown. When it was built it was literally in the middle of nowhere....

San Antonio does have a 9000 foot runway, The only types of flights this would limit are Long Haul International with big airplanes. The airport is more than capable for any plane on any domestic route. I know last year an Air France 777 diverted to SA, of course it only needed to take off and go back to Houston, so runway length was not an issue due to the light fuel load.

I don't think it is in the cards for any airline to start hub operations out of San Antonio, with American and Continental already operating very large hubs in the state, without a hub the likely hood of large plane international operations are slim, why built an airport to support it?

Part of the long term plan at the airport is to put in another 9000 ft Runway parallel to the current one, so there are expansion plans in the works.

Lackland/"Port San Antonio" has an 11000 ft Runway, and it recently opened for commercial cargo operations, that could be an option, if for some reason we ever needed an airport with a larger runway.

Corey

Well actually, Denver might have since it is the hub of a region. Denver's MSA (metro) itself is at 2.4 million. Not counting Boulder, Colorado Springs, and all of the other metro areas around Denver that use its airport.

SA is in a different situation, in that Austin's airport is only about an hour and a half away (it sees more passengers as well). So, there are two airports serving the region, while in Denver, there is just one.

[firstclassflyer]

COS (Colorado Springs) has it's own airport.

[smitty12]

Originally Posted by Guerilla

Well actually, Denver might have since it is the hub of a region. Denver's MSA (metro) itself is at 2.4 million. Not counting Boulder, Colorado Springs, and all of the other metro areas around Denver that use its airport.

SA is in a different situation, in that Austin's airport is only about an hour and a half away (it sees more passengers as well). So, there are two airports serving the region, while in Denver, there is just one.

True enough.... I was just trying to point out that Denver's airport size is also driven by the hub operations, but pointing out that its size is also driven by no real alternatives and a somewhat bigger MSA works also.

I flew out of Colorado Springs airport last month, very nice airport, but significantly smaller than San Antonio, only 12 gates, and mostly RJ service. It is about as close to Denver as Austin is to San Antonio, so that can be an option, but like you said it really does not compare.

Depending on how ticket prices fall out, from San Antonio we also have the option of driving to Houston, I did that once for a British Airways trip to Germany.... Price was $300 better if I flew from IAH.

What all of this points out to me is that it really does not make sense for San Antonio to go off building some big DIA like airport out in the middle of nowhere.

Corey

[Guerilla]

Originally Posted by firstclassflyer

COS (Colorado Springs) has it's own airport.

But it really isn't in the same boat as SA's Airport, or Austin's airport. I actually didn't know CO had an airport though.

[firstclassflyer]

Originally Posted by Guerilla

But it really isn't in the same boat as SA's Airport, or Austin's airport. I actually didn't know CO had an airport though.

No, it's rather small. the flight frequencies are decent though. Have flown into COS many times as I have one client there.

[oldmanshirt]

Based on the diagram, the "Ultimate" plan is quite impressive, but the addition of the northermost runway (which appears to have Jones-Maltsberger road running underneath it), would necessitate the demolition of that entire office park, and perhaps even the car dealer located at 281 and Nakoma. If I read the master plan correctly, though, this runway would only be added under the Hub Scenario. I was also quite surprised to read that there's room for expansion up to 60 gates under this scenario, but the diagram seems to support this as well.

All in all, it looks like the airport expansion is perhaps a year or two behind schedule, but I suppose that's because passenger demand has only really picked up within the last 2 or 3 years.

*As an aside, my great-grandparents lived on a few acres around the northwest end of that proposed runway

[adtobias]

kelly would have been a great move. large enough and with room to grow and not in the middle of nowhere

[Insomniac]

I just looked at the master plan for SAT and I have to say, it's not bad. I'm not sure how old the MP is (someone said 1998) and whether or not they've changed it for the btter or worse but they plan to add a 9,000 plus runway as well as add about 2,000 feet to a 7,000 runway. They also plan to add two concourses. I think for a non-hub with all the competition in this state, SAT is doing well for itself, I think what they need to improve on (which they are) is more non-stop flights. Port San Antonio takes care of cargo so SAT doesn't need any 13,000 foot long runways like other airports that also take in cargo planes.