Erie International Airport Tom Ridge Field (IATA: ERI, ICAO: KERI, FAA LID: ERI) is a public airport five miles (8 km) southwest of Erie, in Erie County. Airline service at Erie faces stiff competition from the Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Buffalo airports, all within two hours of Erie by car. In 2004 Erie was the third fastest growing airport in the United States, and the fastest growing airport in Pennsylvania. It is also 128 miles (206 km) from Pittsburgh, 111 miles (179 km) from the Canadaâ€"US border, 95 miles (153 km) from Cleveland, Ohio and 105 miles (169 km) from Buffalo, New York.
History
History
In 1924, Roger Griswold purchased 22.12 acres (9.0Â ha) of land 6 miles (10Â km) west of Erie at the intersection of West Lake and Asbury Roads for use as an airfield. Soon after, a flight training school was based at the field. In 1927, as part of a nationwide tour by Charles Lindbergh after his transatlantic flight, Erie was selected as one of the cities where Lindbergh would make a brief stopover. However, as Griswold Field proved inadequate for the larger Spirit of St. Louis to land and an alternative site could not be located, a flyover by Lindbergh had to suffice. The affair illuminated the need for a proper airport and prompted the Erie City Council to examine to possibility of establishing a municipal airport. City Council was, initially, favoring a site 1â„2-mile (0.8Â km) east of Wesleyville for a municipal airport; however, Lieutenant Jimmy Doolittle commented on the distance between it and the city; Dolittle noted that "you might as well take 40 minutes more and go on to Cleveland." After recommendations made by Lindbergh to a Congressional committee that no airport less than 1 square mile (2.6Â km2) be approved, the planning commission for Erie's airport began to reevaluate the site they chose.
Griswold Field closed, officially, in 1929 when Griswold moved to Long Island, but continued to be used by aircraft and by the flight school. That same year two airfields were established: one on land adjacent to the former Griswold Field, and another in Kearsarge that is now the site of the Millcreek Mall.
The first commercial passenger and airmail service out of Port Erie Airport was inaugurated in June 1938 by American Airlines.
Prior to September 11, 2001 the airport was at its height with US Airways mainline jets to Pittsburgh and international service to Toronto. After 9/11 US Airways replaced 737s and DC-9s with regional jets. As air service rebounded in the mid-2000s, US Airways Express flew to Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Charlotte; Northwest Airlink to Detroit; Continental Connection to Cleveland; and Delta Connection to Cincinnati and Atlanta.
Current Operations
The airport is reportedly looking to expand service to New York (Newark) and other cities. US Airways discontinued Charlotte flights in 2006. Delta Air Lines discontinued Atlanta flights on September 6, 2007. In early 2008 US Airways discontinued Pittsburgh flights. As of October 2017, American Eagle service is three flights daily to Philadelphia on the ERJ-145; Delta Connection has three flights daily to Detroit with CRJ-200 regional jets; and United Express has two flights daily to Chicago-O'Hare also with CRJ-200.
Runway extension
The 1,920-foot (590 m) extension of runway 6/24 was opened on November 8, 2012. The total cost of the project was $80.5 million, or approximately $5 million under budget. Owing to a mild winter in 2011â€"2012 that did not hinder construction work, the extension was also completed two years ahead of schedule.
Facilities
Erie International/Tom Ridge Field covers 450 acres (182Â ha) and has two runways:
- Runway 2/20: 3,508 ft × 150 ft (1,069 m × 46 m), Surface: Asphalt
- Runway 6/24: 8,420 ft × 150 ft (2,566 m × 46 m), Surface: Asphalt/Concrete
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
Cargo
Statistics
Top destinations
Annual traffic
Ground transportation
Taxis can reach the airport. Two Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority bus routes stop at the airport. Avis Rent a Car System, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, The Hertz Corporation, and National Car Rental have car rental counters.
Accidents and incidents
- In 1986 USAir Flight 499, a DC-9, from Toronto Pearson landed on snow-covered runway 24, and slid off the runway to rest over Asbury Road on the western perimeter of the airport.
- In 1984, a Spirit Airlines chartered flight, a DC-9 carrying a football team, landed in snowy conditions on a soft patch of land next to the runway.
References
Sources
External links
- Airport Master Record (FAA Form 5010), also available as a printable form (PDF)
- Erie International Airport
- Pennsylvania Bureau of Aviation: Erie International Airport
- FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective October 12, 2017
- Resources for this airport:
- AirNav airport information for KERI
- ASN accident history for ERI
- FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
- NOAA/NWS latest weather observations
- SkyVector aeronautical chart for KERI
- FAA current ERI delay information