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Bradley International Airport Information

Bradley International Airport (IATA: BDL, ICAO: KBDL, FAA LID: BDL) is a joint civil-military public airport located in Windsor Locks on the border with East Granby and Suffield, in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is owned by the State of Connecticut.[1]

The airport is situated in the towns of Windsor Locks, Suffield and East Granby, about halfway between Hartford and Springfield. It is Connecticut's busiest commercial airport with 350 daily operations, and the second-busiest airport in New England after Boston's Logan International Airport.[2] The three largest carriers at Bradley International Airport are Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, and US Airways, with approximate market shares of 30%, 25%, and 18% respectively.[3] Continental Airlines and United Airlines, which are owned by the same company, have a combined market share of about 15%.[3] As a dual-use military facility with the U.S. Air Force, the airport is also home to Bradley Air National Guard Base and the 103d Airlift Wing (103 AW) of the Connecticut Air National Guard.

In 2008, Bradley was ranked the 55th busiest airport in the United States by number of passengers enplaned.[4] Bradley is branded as the "Gateway to New England" and is also home to the New England Air Museum.

Contents

History

Aerial view of Bradley International Airport

World War II

Bradley has its origins in the 1940 acquisition of 1,700 acres (690 ha) of land in Windsor Locks by the State of Connecticut. In 1941 this land was turned over to the U. S. Army, as the country began its preparations for the impending war.[5]

Less than a year after the Army assumed control, the field at Windsor Locks had its first fatality. Among those assigned to duty in Windsor Locks was the young Lt. Eugene M. Bradley of Antlers, Oklahoma. While participating in a training drill, Lt. Bradley's P-40 crashed on August 21, 1941. Following a funeral at Talarski Funeral Home in Hartford, Lt. Bradley's remains were interred in the national cemetery in San Antonio, Texas.

After a groundswell of sentiment in favor of naming the airfield in Windsor Locks in honor of the airman, the airfield was renamed Army Air Base, Bradley Field, Connecticut on January 20, 1942. The airfield was used by the First Air Force primarily as a group training airfield for single-engine P-47 Thunderbolt fighter groups, which obtained their new aircraft from the Republic production plant on Long Island prior to their deployment to overseas combat theaters.

Known units which trained at Bradley were:

Note: **Combat units redeployed from Europe, turned in aircraft at Bradley then were transferred to Second Air Force transition schools in the Midwest for B-29 Superfortress training prior to deployment to Twentieth Air Force in the Western Pacific.

Other known units assigned were:

Assigned to 73d Observation (later Reconnaissance Group). Based at Bradley but deployed numerous times to overseas locations.

The airfield was inactivated in March 1945 and following the end of World War II in 1945, the airfield was returned to the State of Connecticut in 1946.

Up to date

In 1947, when the airport returned to civilian use, the airfield in Windsor Locks became known as Bradley International Airport. Also, Eastern Air Lines Flight 624th arrived that same year, which was the first civilian flight at the airport. International shipping operations at the airport began the same year. It eventually came to replace the older, smaller Hartford-Brainard Airport as Hartford's primary airport.[5]

In 1948, the federal government deeded the Airport to the State of Connecticut for public and commercial use.[5]

In 1950, Bradley International Airport exceeded the 100,000-passenger mark, handling 108,348 annual passengers.[5]

Former American Airlines gates in Terminal B.

In 1952, the Murphy Terminal was opened. Later dubbed Terminal B, the terminal was the oldest passenger terminal in service when it closed in 2010.[6]

The April 1957 OAG shows 39 weekday departures: 14 American, 14 Eastern, 9 United and 2 Northeast.

In 1960 Bradley passed the 500,000 mark, handling 500,238 passengers.[5]

In 1971, the Murphy Terminal was expanded with an International Arrivals wing. This was followed by the installation of instrument landing systems on two of the runways in 1977.

In 1979, a tornado ripped through Windsor Locks, wreaking destruction along the eastern portions of the airport. The New England Air Museum sustained some of the worst damage. It reopened in 1982.

In 1986, new Terminal A and Bradley Sheraton Hotel was completed. The Roncari cargo terminal was also constructed.[5]

In 2001, construction commenced on a new parking garage. When completed, the garage could not immediately be used. The intervening attacks of 9/11 led to regulations requiring parking structures to be set back farther from the tarmac. After opening, for several weeks every vehicle had to be individually inspected, severely reducing its value. Bradley eventually received a waiver for normal operation of the garage from the Department of Homeland Security.

Food court and shopping hall connecting the East and West concourses of Terminal A

2001 also saw the commencement of the Terminal Improvement Project to expand Terminal A with a new concourse, construct a new International Arrivals Building, and centralize passenger screening. The airport expansion was part of a larger project to enhance the reputation of the Hartford metropolitan area as a destination for business and vacation travel. The new East Concourse opened in September 2002, and the new International Arrivals Building opened in December 2002.[5]

On October 2–3, 2007, the Airbus A380 visited Bradley as part of its world tour, stopping in Hartford to showcase the aircraft to Connecticut workers for Pratt & Whitney and Hamilton Sundstrand, both divisions of United Technologies, which helped build the GP7000 TurboFan engines, which is an option to power the aircraft. Bradley Airport is one of only 68 airports worldwide large enough to accommodate the A380.

On October 18, 2007, Bradley International Airport was named as one of the top five small airports in the North American Airport Satisfaction Study by J.D. Powers.

On October 7, 2008, Embraer, an aerospace company based in Brazil, selected Bradley as its future Northeast service center in the United States. An $11 million project was begun with support from teams of the Connecticut Department of Transportation and Connecticut's Economic and Community Development. The center is intended to be a full maintenance and repair facility for its line of business jets, and is expected to employ up to 60 aircraft technicians. The facility was temporarily closed ten months after opening due to economic conditions, reopening on February 28, 2011.[7][8]

Passenger, cargo, and military operations

View looking down the East concourse from the entrance. Artwork is hung on the parts of the walls, and is changed each season.

Airlines and destinations

Bradley International Airport consists of two terminals. Terminal A has two concourses: The East Concourse (gates 1-12) hosts Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways, and Southwest Airlines. The West Concourse (gates 20-30) hosts, Air Canada, American Airlines, Frontier Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways. Currently gate A22 is unassigned and open for growth. Gate A5 is also unassigned and open for growth but is used by Delta as an overflow gate.

Terminal B was closed to passenger use on April 15, 2010. The structure continues to host the Bradley offices of the Connecticut State Police and is used for storage. Bradley's Master Plan calls for the eventual demolition of Terminal B, and its replacement with a new 24-gate terminal, consisting of two 12 gate concourses.[9] Demolition of Terminal B is currently projected to occur in 2013, although the process may be accelerated if conditions warrant.[10]

All international arrivals (except flights with customs preclearance) are handled at the International Arrivals Building, located to the west of Terminal B.

Current Destinations from Bradley International Airport.
Airlines Destinations Gates
Air Canada Express operated by Air Georgian Montreal-Trudeau, Toronto-Pearson A20
Air Canada Express operated by Jazz Air Toronto-Pearson A20
American Airlines Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami, San Juan A24-A26
American Eagle Chicago-O'Hare A24-A26
Continental Connection operated by CommutAir Newark A1, A3
Continental Express operated by Chautauqua Airlines Cleveland A1, A3
Continental Express operated by ExpressJet Cleveland Seasonal: Newark A1, A3
Delta Air Lines Atlanta, Detroit, Orlando Seasonal: Cancun, Minneapolis/St.Paul, West Palm Beach A5, A7, A9-A12
Delta Connection operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines Detroit, Washington-National Seasonal: Atlanta A5, A7, A9-A12
Delta Connection operated by Chautauqua Airlines New York - JFK, Washington-National A5, A7, A9-A12
Delta Connection operated by Comair Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Detroit, Raleigh/Durham, Washington-National A5, A7, A9-A12
Delta Connection operated by Compass Airlines Seasonal: Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul A5, A7, A9-A12
Delta Connection operated by Mesaba Airlines Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul A5, A7, A9-A12
Delta Connection operated by Pinnacle Airlines Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Detroit, New York-JFK, Raleigh/Durham, Washington-National A5, A7, A9-A12
Frontier Airlines operated by Chautauqua Airlines Milwaukee A27
JetBlue Airways Fort Lauderdale, Orlando A8
Southwest Airlines Baltimore, Chicago-Midway, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas, Nashville, Orlando, Tampa Seasonal: West Palm Beach A2, A4, A6
United Airlines Chicago-O'Hare, Washington-Dulles A21, A23
United Express operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines Washington-Dulles A21, A23
United Express operated by GoJet Airlines Chicago-O'Hare, Washington-Dulles A21, A23
United Express operated by Mesa Airlines Chicago-O'Hare, Washington-Dulles A21, A23
United Express operated by Shuttle America Chicago-O'Hare, Washington-Dulles A21, A23
United Express operated by Trans States Airlines Washington-Dulles A21, A23
US Airways Charlotte, Philadelphia, Washington-National A28-A30
US Airways Express operated by Air Wisconsin Philadelphia, Washington-National A28-A30
US Airways Express operated by Chautauqua Airlines Seasonal: Washington-National A28-A30
US Airways Express operated by Piedmont Airlines New York-LaGuardia, Philadelphia A28-A30
US Airways Express operated by Republic Airlines Charlotte, Philadelphia, Washington-National A28-A30
US Airways Express operated by Trans States Airlines Pittsburgh A28-A30

Top Destinations

Busiest Domestic Routes from Hartford (2010)[11]
Rank City Passengers Carriers
1 Baltimore, Maryland 257,000 Southwest
2 Chicago (O'Hare), Illinois 243,000 American, United
3 Atlanta, Georgia 240,000 Delta
4 Charlotte, North Carolina 212,000 US Airways
5 Orlando, Florida 190,000 Delta, JetBlue, Southwest
6 Detroit, Michigan 142,000 Delta
7 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 140,000 US Airways
8 Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas 132,000 American
9 Washington (Dulles), DC 128,000 United
10 Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota 111,000 Delta

Cargo operations

Airlines Destinations
Capital Cargo International Airlines Rochester (NY) Seasonal: Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Toledo
FedEx Express Indianapolis, Memphis, Newark Seasonal: Harrisburg, Greensboro, Manchester (NH)
FedEx Feeder operated by Wiggins Airways Bridgeport, Long Island/Islip, Newark, Manchester (NH), Portland (ME)
UPS Airlines UPS Sorting Hub Albany, Chicago-Rockford, Louisville, Newark, Philadelphia, Providence Seasonal: Cleveland, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Des Moines, Manchester (NH), Ontario (CA), Syracuse (NY)

In addition to the regular cargo services described above, Bradley is occasionally visited by Antonov An-124 aircraft operated by Volga-Dnepr Airlines, Polet Airlines and Antonov Airlines, transporting heavy cargo, such as Sikorsky helicopters or Pratt & Whitney engines internationally.

Military operations

Future

Airport construction

New service

International Arrivals Building

In December 2002, a new International Arrivals Building opened to the west of Terminal B.[5] This structure houses the Federal Inspection Station and has one jetway for deboarding the aircraft. The IAB replaced the old FIS in Terminal B and will be enlarged as volume demands.[13] Two government agencies provide crucial support at the facility, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The FIS Terminal (International Arrivals Building) is a two-story, 28,000-square-foot (2,600 m2) facility adjacent to Terminal B and the recently constructed Remote Deicing Collection Facility. This entire Construction project included the FIS Terminal and associated landside and airside improvements; entrance roadway, sidewalks and concrete hardstand for arriving aircraft parking. The FIS Terminal can process more than 300 passengers per hour from aircraft as large as a Boeing 747. International departures will be handled from the existing terminal complex. This facility cost approximately $7.7 million, which included the building and site work. A unique, 9’ x 20’ American flag tile mosaic was donated by Robert LaRosa, president of LaRosa Building Group, which designed and constructed the facility. The mosaic is visible upon entering the front of the building. This project was funded through the Bradley Improvement Fund.[14]

All international arrivals except for those from airports with customs preclearance are processed through the IAB.

Ground transportation

Rail

The closest train stations are Windsor Locks and Windsor, both serviced by Amtrak.[15] Connecticut Transit buses travel between the Windsor train station and the airport. The State of Connecticut has planned for commuter rail between New Haven and Springfield; and increased bus service, if not a complete rail link, has been discussed to link the expanded rail service with the airport.

Bus

Connecticut Transit route 34 provides local service connecting Bradley with Windsor and Hartford. Route 30 (the "Bradley Flyer") provides express service to downtown Hartford.[16]

Environment

The Connecticut Air National Guard 103d Airlift Wing leases 144 acres (0.58 km2) in the southwest corner of the airport for their Bradley ANG Base. The base is currently being assessed to determine if it should be placed on the National Priorities List and designated as a Superfund site.[17]

Bradley has also been identified as one of the last remaining tracts of grassland in Connecticut suitable for a few endangered species of birds, including the Upland Sandpiper, the Horned Lark, and the Grasshopper Sparrow.[18]

Incidents and accidents

Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando N4717N was being operated on a cargo flight from New York-Idlewild Field by Slick Airways. Bradley was experiencing light rain and a low ceiling at the time of the incident. After being cleared to land on Runway 06, the pilot reported problems intercepting the localizer, and continued to circle down to get under the weather. The plane struck trees approximately 1.6 miles (2.6 km) southwest of the airport, killing the crew of 2.[19]
Douglas C-47B N74844 of New England Propeller Service crashed on approach. The aircraft was on a ferry flight to Beverly Municipal Airport, Massachusetts when an engine lost power shortly after take-off due to water in the fuel. At the time of the accident, the aircraft was attempting to return to Bradley Airport.[20]
A Ryan International (wet-leased by Emery Worldwide) Boeing 727-100QC, N425EX, caught fire during take-off. The take-off was aborted and the three crew members escaped, while the aircraft was destroyed by the fire. The fire was determined to have started in the number 3 engine. It was determined that the 9th stage HP compressor had ruptured.[21]
An American Airlines MD-83, N566AA, crashed while trying to land at Bradley. American Airlines flight 1572 was substantially damaged when it impacted trees while on approach to runway 15 at Bradley International Airport. The airplane also impacted an instrument landing system antenna as it landed short of the runway on grassy, even terrain. The cause of the accident was determined to be the pilot's failure to reset the altimeter,[22] however, severe weather may have played a factor. Nine of the 78 passengers were injured.

See also

United States Air Force portal
Military of the United States portal
World War II portal
Previously marketed by defunct Skybus Airlines as "Hartford (Chicopee, MA)".

References

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

  1. ^ FAA Airport Master Record for BDL (Form 5010 PDF), effective 2010-09-23
  2. ^ Bradley International Airport - Courant.com
  3. ^ a b "FY2010 Financial Report". Bradley Board of Directors. http://www.bradleyairport.com/docs/Board_Financial_Report_9_16_10_mtg.pdf. Retrieved October 9, 2010.
  4. ^ "2008 Passenger Boarding Statistics". Federal Aviation Administration. http://www.faa.gov/airports/planning_capacity/passenger_allcargo_stats/passenger/media/cy08_primary_np_comm.pdf. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h "Media Kit Fact Sheet". Bradley International Airport. http://www.bradleyairport.com/News/factsheet.aspx. Retrieved October 9, 2010.
  6. ^ Gershon, Eric (April 2, 2010). "Airlines To Clear Out Of Bradley Airport's Murphy Terminal, The Nation's Oldest, By April 15". Hartford Courant. http://articles.courant.com/2010-04-02/business/hc-bradley-terminal.artapr02_1_million-terminal-improvement-project-airport-cleaning-crews-terminal-s-construction. Retrieved October 9, 2010.
  7. ^ Gershon, Eric (August 26, 2009). "Embraer Closes Jet Maintenance Center At Bradley Airport Months After Opening". Hartford Courant. http://www.courant.com/business/hc-embraer-closes.artaug26,0,7319658.story. Retrieved October 9, 2010.
  8. ^ Seay, Gregory (March 1, 2011). "Brazil’s Embraer reopens at Bradley". Hartford Business Journal. http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/news17101.html. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
  9. ^ "2009 Strategic Plan". Bradley Board of Directors. http://bradleyairport.com/docs/StrategicPlan2009.doc. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  10. ^ a b "Meeting Minutes". Bradley Board of Directors. September 16, 2010. http://www.ct.gov/dot/lib/dot/BDL_BOD_minutes_September_16_2010_DRAFT.pdf. Retrieved October 9, 2010.
  11. ^ http://www.transtats.bts.gov/airports.asp?pn=1&Airport=BDL&Airport_Name=Hartford,%20CT:%20Bradley%20International&carrier=FACTS
  12. ^ http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read.main/4986700/
  13. ^ Bradley Airport Master Plan. Bradley International Board of Directors.
  14. ^ "Fact Sheet: Federal Inspection Station". Bradley International Airport. http://www.bradleyairport.com/pdfs/Fact_Sheet_FIS.pdf. Retrieved October 9, 2010.
  15. ^ Amtrak - Station Search Results
  16. ^ "Routes & Schedules". Connecticut Transit. http://www.cttransit.com/RoutesSchedules/SystemMapDisplay.asp. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  17. ^ "Connecticut Air National Guard Bradley Base - Site awaiting NPL decision". United States Environmental Protection Agency. http://yosemite.epa.gov/R1/npl_pad.nsf/31c4fec03a0762d285256bb80076489c/297184816995ce7585256b420060574a!OpenDocument. Retrieved January 9, 2010.
  18. ^ "Protecting Connecticut's Grassland Heritage". Audubon Connecticut. http://www.audubonct.org/PDFs/CT_GrasslandHeritage.pdf. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  19. ^ "N4717N Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19530304-0. Retrieved October 9, 2010.
  20. ^ "N47844 Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19710716-0. Retrieved September 19, 2010.
  21. ^ "N425EX Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19910503-0. Retrieved October 9, 2010.
  22. ^ "N56AA Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19951112-0. Retrieved October 9, 2010.
  23. ^ "N15827 Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19980121-0. Retrieved October 9, 2010.
  24. ^ "N16571 Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20030106-0. Retrieved October 9, 2010.
  25. ^ "N149CJ Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20040401-0. Retrieved October 9, 2010.
  26. ^ Stagis, Julie (July 15, 2010). "DOT Report Details Passengers' Ordeal After Flight Diverted to Bradley". Hartford Courant. http://articles.courant.com/2010-07-15/news/hc-virgin-atlantic-flight-timeline-0720100715_1_flight-crew-unruly-passenger-virgin-atlantic. Retrieved October 9, 2010.
  27. ^ http://www.courant.com/community/windsor-locks/hc-windsor-locks-plane-emergency0302-20110301,0,6384155.story

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Categories: USAAF First Air Force Group Training Stations | 1940 establishments | Airfields of the United States Army Air Corps | USAAF First Air Force Replacement Training Stations | USAAF First Air Force Tactical Airfields | Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in Connecticut | Airports in Connecticut | Transportation in Hartford County, Connecticut | Military facilities in Connecticut | Facilities of the United States Air National Guard | Windsor Locks, Connecticut | Buildings and structures in Hartford, Connecticut

 

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