Sacramento International Airport (IATA: SMF, ICAO: KSMF, FAA LID: SMF) is 10 miles (16 km) northwest of downtown Sacramento, in Sacramento County, California. It is run by the Sacramento County Airport System. Southwest Airlines carries about half the airline passengers.
History
Sacramento International Airport (SMF) opened October 21, 1967 as Sacramento Metropolitan Airport (the airfield itself was Sacramento Metropolitan Field), with one 8600-foot runway. The initial runway was the western runway, now named 16R/34L. Previously, air service to Sacramento was handled by Sacramento Municipal Airport (SAC), now called Sacramento Executive Airport. Sacramento Metropolitan was the first purpose-built public-use airport west of the Mississippi when it opened in 1967. All airports under the Sacramento County Airport System (previously the Sacramento County Department of Airports), including SMF, are self-supporting through user fees and rentals. No local, state, or federal tax funds are used for operating costs.
The airport initially had five airlines: Pacific Air Lines, Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA), United Airlines, Western Airlines and West Coast Airlines. For a short time around 1975 PSA tried Lockheed L-1011 TriStars at Sacramento, nonstop to San Francisco and direct to Los Angeles. L-1011 flights were found uneconomical and PSA soon replaced the L-1011 with smaller jets such as the Boeing 727-200.
1980s and 90s
During the 1980s continued development at SMF added: the in-flight catering facility (1980), an FAA Flight Inspection Field Office (1985), a second air cargo facility (1985) and the east runway (1987). The east runway’s opening was celebrated by the landing of a Concorde SST. America West Airlines, Continental Airlines, Morris Air, Northwest Airlines and American Eagle Airlines joined the original carriers at Sacramento Metropolitan Airport during this time.
In 1998, both the consolidated rental car facility and Terminal A (designed by Dreyfuss & Blackford Architects) opened. The consolidated rental car terminal was the first of its kind in the nation and gave all rental car customers a single point of access that could be reached on a single shuttle. This innovation streamlined bus operations to reduce congestion at the terminal and improve air quality while enhancing customer service.
Meanwhile, traffic continued to grow. With the opening of the new Terminal A, it was renamed Sacramento International Airport, though it did not receive international flights until 2002 when Mexicana started nonstops to Guadalajara. The airport was designated a port of entry on October 5, 2006.
Between 1990 and 2007, Sacramento International Airport had a high incidence of bird strikes due to its location in an avian migratory route.
The Sacramento County Airport System launched its Web site in April 1997.
Southwest Airlines (1991), Alaska Airlines (1993), Horizon Air (1993) and Trans World Airlines (TWA) (1994) were added to the list of carriers at Sacramento. Southwest and Alaska Airlines grew quickly, offsetting the departure of airlines such as American Eagle, Continental and USAir which had acquired PSA.
After September 11
Airport security procedures were dramatically changed after September 11, 2001. The newly formed Department of Homeland Security and Transportation Security Administration were created and sweeping changes were implemented to improve aviation security.
September 11 did not deter growth at Sacramento International Airport. Four airlines were soon added to Sacramento International: Continental returned (2000) and Frontier (2002), Mexicana (2002), Hawaiian (2002) and Aloha Airlines (2003) initiated service. Mexicana’s arrival initiated international nonstop flights and necessitated completion of the International Arrivals Building for federal inspection services.
The Terminal A Parking Garage opened September 23, 2004. The six-story structure had covered parking, a short walk to the terminal and public art ("Flying Gardens" by Dennis Oppenheim, installed outside the garage, and "Flying Carpet" by Seyed Alavi, installed in the connecting walkway).
In 2006 Sacramento International Airport was one of the first airports in the nation to offer free wireless Internet service (WiFi).
Industry churn
As the nation’s economy was taking a hit in 2008, commercial aviation was challenged by reduced passenger numbers and increasing fuel and other costs. The airport was a focus city for ExpressJet Airlines which independently operated Embraer ERJ-145s on point-to-point, "hub bypass" routes. In 2008, ExpressJet ended all independent flying and refocused its business on code shares for major airlines. Also in 2008, Aloha Airlines ceased operations and Mexicana discontinued operations as well. Air Canada flew to this airport in 2007â€"2008 to Vancouver, but ended the route in 2008.
However, prior to the economic downturn, new services began and several airlines merged. America West and US Airways merged, Northwest and Delta merged, and United and Continental initiated their merger by the end of 2011. Despite these challenges, Alaska added nonstop flights to Guadalajara, Mexico (now discontinued) and Hawaii (Maui) while Aeromexico's (2011) debut reestablished foreign-flag service with daily nonstops to Guadalajara, Mexico. The new Terminal B opened on October 6, 2011, the largest airport terminal in the United States to achieve LEED Silver status.
On June 5, 2008 US Airways began seasonal flights to Charlotte and Philadelphia. Sacramento was the origin for the last scheduled MD-80 flight on Alaska Airlines, Flight 363 from Sacramento to Seattle on August 24, 2008. In the summer of 2010, Delta Air Lines began seasonal flights to Detroit. Continental Airlines, which later merged with United Airlines, previously had seasonal flights to Newark. Sacramento's seasonal route operated during the summer and fall. On January 6, 2013, Frontier Airlines ended service to Denver. US Airways previously flew to Las Vegas, but ended service after closing its Las Vegas hub.
Long dominated by Southwest and United (United Express), the intra-California market was joined in 2011 by American (American Eagle Airlines, April 2011) and Delta (Delta Connection) which provide service to and from Los Angeles International Airport. Frontier Airlines previously provided service between SMF and Redding.
Sacramento County has tried (and so far failed) to entice Virgin America into adding a flight between SMF and Los Angeles by offering the airline 400,000 dollars to operate out of terminal A or 150,000 dollars to operate in terminal B; other airports are also trying to entice the airline.
In 2011, the airport carried an estimated 9 million passengers; it averaged 323 flights a day.
Recent developments
On July 6, 2013, the airport was one of ten airports that hosted flights diverted from San Francisco International Airport after Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crashed short of the runway.
On December 17, 2013, Aeroméxico began seasonal service to Del BajÃo International Airport.
Since September 2014, the airport has started to gradually grow due to expanding services from several airlines, despite some destinations being terminated or suspended. On November 18, 2014, United Airlines announced it would suspend service to Washington D.C. from January 6, 2015, to April 6, 2015, citing seasonal demand in the market as the reason. On May 4, 2015 Delta Air Lines started service to Seattle-Tacoma with the flights operated by SkyWest Airlines. On December 3, 2014, United Express ended service to Arcata/Eureka and Crescent City. On February 9, 2015, SeaPort Airlines began service to Visalia. On June 18, 2015 JetBlue Airways started seasonal service to Boston. On April 8, 2015 Southwest Airlines started service to Dallas-Love. They also announced (later in the year) service to Boise beginning January 6, 2016. On March 26, 2015, Aeroméxico started service to Mexico City on April 6, 2015. In the month of May, American Airlines added a fifth flight to Dallas Fort-Worth.
Due to the gradual growth of the airport, on April 23, 2015 the airport announced that it has posted twelve consecutive months of improved passenger traffic that started on April 2014, and a total of 8.9Â million passengers were served in 2014. Passenger growth continued in 2015 and 2016, with 9.6Â million passengers served in 2015 and 10.1Â million in 2016. Amongst the 35 largest metropolitan regions in the country, Sacramento has the fewest international flights.
In 2016, American Airlines announced that it would begin flying between Sacramento and Chicago O'Hare beginning in June with twice daily flights for the summer season, falling to single daily nonstop throughout the rest of the year.
In 2017, Southwest added nonstop service to Long Beach and Spokane, and United added nonstop service to Newark.
Facilities
Sacramento International Airport covers 6,000 acres (24 km²) and has two parallel runways, oriented generally north-south to align with prevailing winds in the region:
- 16L/34R: 8,605 ft × 150 ft (2,623 m × 46 m) Concrete
- 16R/34L: 8,598 ft × 150 ft (2,621 m × 46 m) Asphalt
When prevailing winds are from the south (approximately 70% of the year), the airfield operates in "South Flow" mode. In South Flow, arrivals and departures operate from runways 16R and 16L. Arrivals from the south fly past the west side of the airport before executing a 180 degree turn and landing on either 16L or 16R. This is done so that arriving aircraft clear departing aircraft, which generally take a southeast heading immediately after departing the runways.
During the other 30% of the year (typically between the fall and spring), the airfield operates in "North Flow" mode. In North Flow, arrivals and departures operate from runways 34L and 34R. As in South Flow, departing aircraft generally take an east to southeast heading immediately after taking off, so arrivals from the north detour to the west side of the airport before executing a 180 degree turn to land. Also, because residences near SMF are typically built south and east of the airport, North Flow is preferred at night (between 2145 and 0745 local time), conditions permitting, in order to route flights over primarily agricultural land and abate noise.
Terminals
The airport has two terminals, terminal A and terminal B. In total the airport has 32 gates, 19 in terminal B and 13 in terminal A. The old terminal B had 14 gates. 7 airlines operate out of Terminal B and 7 airlines operate out of Terminal A. All indoor public areas have free wi-fi (wireless Internet) provided by the Sacramento County Airport System.
Dreyfuss + Blackford Architecture has been the Architect of Record for SMF since its inception. The original Terminal B (1967) and Terminal A (1998) were designed by Dreyfuss + Blackford, and they served as the local architect for the new Central Terminal B (landside building, 2011) with Corgan Associates and Fentress Architects.
A Hyatt Place hotel is planned to be built between the two current terminals. Previously, the onsite Host Hotel was demolished in 2008 during Terminal B construction. An in-terminal hotel was proposed for Terminal B, but plans were dropped during the economic downturn of 2008.
Sacramento County Airport System has rolled out an advertising campaign dubbed "Easy as SMF" to tout the convenience of flying through SMF for residents on the eastern edge of the San Francisco Bay Area. Due to the Terminal B rebuild, until recently SMF charged some of the highest fees for airlines, which discouraged some carriers from operating through SMF. The Oakland and San Francisco airports attract Sacramento-area residents seeking lower fares and more destinations.
Terminal A
American, Delta, and United operate out of the thirteen gates in Terminal A.
Terminal A opened in 1998 with 275,000 sq ft (25,500 m2) of floor space and twelve gates, able to accommodate an expansion to 22 gates. The food court in Terminal A was remodeled in 2014â€"15 in an effort to bring a similar customer experience with unique-to-Sacramento restaurants as provided in Terminal B. Future expansion at Terminal A may include conversion to an airside concourse and the addition of a second automated people mover.
Terminal B
Aeromexico, Alaska, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Volaris, and Southwest are located in the nineteen gates in the new Terminal B.
Terminal B was originally constructed in 1967 as the main terminal building for the new Sacramento Metropolitan Airport. Dreyfuss + Blackford, the original architects, also designed a renovation and expansion completed in 1999. By that time, the Terminal A was complete and frequent travelers described the 1967 Terminal B as "often overcrowded with waiting travelers."
Expansion project
On June 7, 2006, plans were announced to replace the aging Terminal B with a brand new terminal by the year 2012. In 2008, the Sacramento County Airport System broke ground on the largest capital improvement project in the history of the County of Sacramento: "The Big Build". The expanded Terminal B was designed by Corgan Associates, Inc. in association with Fentress Architects. The landside (pre-security) portion of Terminal B was built by the joint venture of Austin Commercial, LP and Walsh Construction, and the glass and aluminum facade was constructed by AGA (Architectural Glass and Aluminum). The airside gates and light rail train were built by Turner Construction. The $1.03 billion terminal modernization project replaced the airport's original, aging Terminal B to meet the rising demand for passenger services and improved the airport's ability to attract new carriers and routes.
The Central Terminal B complex is three times the size of the original Terminal B with the two parts of the complex â€" airside and landside â€" connected by an automated people mover. The capacity of Terminal B is 16 million passengers per year, which is not expected to be reached until late in the 2020s. Approximately half of the $1 billion cost of the new terminal comes from a new ticket surcharge of $4.50 per passenger and parking fees. Another quarter of the cost is funded by fees charged by the airport to airlines, which in one case tripled from $6.05 per passenger in 2008 to $19.67 by 2013.
Airport officials held a press conference on July 15, 2011 at the California State Fair, announcing the terminal would open on October 6, 2011. This was many months ahead of schedule compared to the original projected opening in 2012.
The new Central Terminal B became fully operational on October 6, 2011. Salvage and deconstruction of the International Arrivals Building and demolition of the original Terminal B was completed November 2012. Travel + Leisure named Terminal B one of the "Coolest New Airport Terminals" in 2012.
The airport's first waiter-serviced restaurants were introduced to the new Terminal B when it opened. These two restaurants are Esquire Grill by famous restaurateur Randy Paragary, a trendy and upscale option, and Cafeteria 15L, a low-cost and budget inspired restaurant with fast food. Other Sacramento favorites held concession stands in the terminal, creating an entirely new Farm To Fork vibe in the airport which Northern California is so renowned for.
The Terminal B lobby prominently features the 2011 artwork "Leap" by Lawrence Argent, consisting of a 56-foot (17Â m) long red aluminum rabbit leaping into a large granite suitcase, resulting in the unofficial nickname "the Hare-port." In total, 14 artists were commissioned at a sum cost of $6Â million to create artworks for the new Terminal B, including the mixed media wood-and-crystal sculpture "Acorn Steam" by Donald Lipski (named as an anagram of "Sacramento"), the interactive "Your Words are Music to My Ears" by the collaboration Living Lenses, consisting of artists Po Shu Wang and Louise Bertelsen, a large wooden sculpture portrait entitled "The Baggage Handlers" by Christian Moeller, and a painted steel-and-glass house entitled "The House Will Not Pass for Any Color but Its Own, by Mildred Howard.
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
Statistics
Top destinations
Annual traffic
Ground transportation
Road
The airport is accessed via Airport Blvd directly from Interstate 5 at exit 528. The following freeways can be reached via I-5 within 10 miles of the airport: Interstate 80, CA-113 and CA-99.
Public transit
Yolobus bus No. 42 connects the airport to Sacramento, Woodland and Davis. Sacramento Regional Transit will provide a future light rail link, an extension of the Green Line, to the airport. Environmental evaluation and clearance for the Green Line is projected to be complete by 2018.
Accidents and incidents
- On the afternoon of Thursday, August 26, 2010, JetBlue Airbus A320 Flight 262 arriving from Long Beach, CA blew four tires upon landing, creating a fire around the plane and causing passengers to evacuate. Out of the 79 passengers and five crew, seven sustained injuries, although none of them were particularly serious. Five passengers were hospitalized. A JetBlue spokesman said that the flight reported an issue with the brakes. The subsequent NTSB investigation showed the first officer had inadvertently engaged the parking brake while engaging the speed brake at an altitude of approximately 5,100 feet (1,600Â m) above mean sea level. The subsequent alert via Electronic Centralized Aircraft Monitoring was also canceled by the first officer as part of his routine to preempt the alert associated with disconnecting the autopilot in preparation for landing.
- At approximately 6:30 PM on Tuesday, December 27, 2011, Seattle-bound Southwest Airlines Flight 2287 aborted take-off due to two blown-out tires. The plane reportedly made a hard landing, and all 130 passengers aboard survived.
- Shortly before 6:00 PM on Wednesday, October 15, 2014, a pilot on an in-bound FedEx Express McDonnell Douglas MD-10-30 noticed a possible engine fire on one of the engines, with smoke showing. The aircraft declared an emergency and landed successfully. Emergency ground crews reported to the incident and determined that the on-board extinguishers had successfully extinguished the fire. Maintenance crews determined the aircraft could safely be towed to the cargo ramp for inspection and repairs.
- On Wednesday, November 25, 2015 around 5:45Â pm, United Airlines Flight 2005 from SMF to Denver, operated with an Airbus A320 with 114 people on board was forced to turn around soon after takeoff after one of its engines was damaged during a large bird strike. Approximately 10 minutes into the flight, the bird strike and subsequent explosion in the engine forced the plane to return to the airport. It landed at about 6:30Â p.m., with no injuries reported. The airliner was taken out of commission to make repairs on the engine.
Gallery
References
External links
- FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective October 12, 2017
- Resources for this airport:
- AirNav airport information for KSMF
- ASN accident history for SMF
- FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
- NOAA/NWS latest weather observations
- SkyVector aeronautical chart for KSMF
- FAA current SMF delay information
- FAA Airport Master Record for SMF (Form 5010 PDF)
- Sacramento International Airport (official site)