Sacramento International Airport (IATA: SMF, ICAO: KSMF, FAA LID: SMF) is a public airport located 10 miles (16 km) northwest of the central business district (CBD) of Sacramento, in Sacramento County, California, USA. It is run by Sacramento County. Southwest Airlines currently accounts for half of all airline passengers at the airport. In 2012, the airport handled 8,910,570 passengers, a decrease from 8,929,289 passengers in 2011.

History [edit]

Due to the vast housing growth around Sacramento Executive Airport, the City of Sacramento Planning Department and the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors commissioned a study to move large commercial air operations to a less populated area.

Sacramento International Airport (SMF) opened October 21, 1967, as Sacramento Metropolitan Airport. Prior to this date, all commercial airline flights through the Sacramento region were handled at the current site of Sacramento Executive Airport, then known as Sacramento Municipal Airport (SAC).

In 1957, the proposed construction of Sacramento Metropolitan Airport and purchase of nearly 6,000 acres north of downtown Sacramento was considered extravagant, risky, poorly located and based on unrealistic passenger expectations. The skeptics were wrong. The original estimate of 750,000 annual passengers soon proved to be a conservative one as the airport surpassed one million passengers during the first year of operation. Upon opening in 1967, Sacramento Metropolitan Airport was the first airport west of the Mississippi that had been built completely from the ground up for public use.

The airport was initially served by five airlines: Pacific Air Lines, Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA), United Airlines, Western Airlines, and West Coast Airlines. In the mid 1970s, PSA introduced wide body jetliner flights into Sacramento with Lockheed L-1011 Tristar service nonstop to San Francisco and direct to Los Angeles. However, flights with this large jet aircraft quickly proved to be uneconomical and PSA then replaced the L-1011 service with flights operated with smaller jet aircraft such as the Boeing 727-200.

The 1980s ushered in a new era of construction and growth. During this time, development efforts included: the in-flight catering facility (1980), an FAA Flight Inspection Field Office (1985), a second air cargo facility (1985), and the east runway (1987). On June 24, 1998, the east runways opening was celebrated by the landing of a Concorde SST. America West Airlines, Continental Airlines, Morris Air and American Eagle Airlines joined the original carriers at Sacramento Metropolitan Airport during this time.

In the 1990s, the consolidated rental car facility and Terminal A opened (1998), which was designed by Dreyfuss & Blackford Architects.^[2] Meanwhile, passenger traffic continued to grow. With the opening of a new terminal building, it was renamed Sacramento International Airport, though it did not receive its first international flights until 2002 when Mexicana initiated nonstop service to Guadalajara. The airport was officially designated a port of entry on October 5, 2006.^[3]

The consolidated rental car terminal, the first of its kind in the nation, gave all rental car customers a single point of access that could be reached via a single shuttle service. This innovation streamlined bus operations to reduce congestion at the terminal curbs and improve air quality while also enhancing overall customer service.

Over the years, advances in technology changed how the airport distributed information to its customers. The Sacramento County Airport System launched its first Web site in April 1997.

During this time, airline service also changed. Southwest Airlines (1991), Alaska Airlines (1993), Horizon Air (1993), and Trans World Airlines (TWA) (1994) were added to the list of carriers serving Sacramento. Southwest and Alaska Airlines experienced rapid growth, offsetting the departure or cessation of operations of airlines such as American Eagle, Continental and USAir which had acquired PSA.

The new millennium ushered in even more changes, none more significant than those following September 11, 2001. Airport security procedures were forever changed by the tragic events of that day. The newly formed Department of Homeland Security and Transportation Security Administration were created and sweeping changes were implemented to improve aviation security.

Despite the immediate effects on air travel, September 11 did not deter growth at Sacramento International Airport. Four new airlines were soon added to Sacramento International: Continental returned (2000) and Frontier (2002), Mexicana (2002), Hawaiian (2002), and Aloha Airlines (2003) initiated service. Mexicanas arrival initiated international nonstop service and necessitated completion of the International Arrivals Building for the federal inspection services prior to the first international arrival at Sacramento International Airport.

The Terminal A Parking Garage opened September 23, 2004 to rave reviews. The six-story structure enabled passengers to enjoy covered parking, a short walk to the terminal and public art (Flying Gardens by Dennis Oppenheim and Flying Carpet by Seyed Alavi).

In 2006, Sacramento International Airport became one of the first airports in the nation to offer free wireless Internet service (WiFi) to its customers.

As the nations economy was taking a hard hit in 2008, commercial aviation was challenged by reduced passenger numbers and increasing fuel and other operations costs. ExpressJet ceased independent operations in 2008, Aloha Airlines ceased operations in 2008 and Mexicana discontinued operations as well. However, prior to the economic downturn, new services began and airliners merged. America West, Northwest and US Airways merged and United and Continental initiated their merger by the end of 2011. Despite these challenges, Alaska satisfied demand by adding nonstop service to Guadalajara( which is now discontinued), Mexico and Hawaii (Maui) while Aeromexicos (2011) debut reestablished foreign-flag service with daily nonstop service to Guadalajara, Mexico. On April 2011, American Eagle started service to Los Angeles. On June 5, 2008 US Airways began seasonal service to Charlotte and Philadelphia. In the summer of 2010, Delta Air Lines began seasonal service to Detroit.

Long dominated by Southwest and United (United Express), the intra-California market was joined in 2011 by American (American Eagle) and Delta (Delta Connection) which fly from Los Angeles International Airport.

Air Canada flew to this airport in 2007-2008 to Vancouver, but terminated it in 2008 due to the economic downturn.

The airport was previously a focus city for ExpressJet Airlines which independently operated Embraer ERJ-145 regional jets on point-to-point, "hub bypass" routes. ExpressJet then discontinued all independent flying and refocused its business on code share services for major airlines.

Once California Pacific Airlines begins scheduled service in 2013, this new jet air carrier is planning on flying between Sacramento and Carlsbad in southern California.^[4]

Sacramento County has tried to entice Virgin America into adding a Los Angeles route by giving them 400,000 dollars to operate out of terminal A or 150,000 dollars to operate in terminal B, but their efforts have been unsuccessful so far because other airports are trying to entice the airliner too.^[5] American Eagle operated by Skywest Airlines will begin service to Los Angeles on November 14, 2012. On the same day, the regular American Eagle discontinued service to Los Angeles. On January 6, 2013, Frontier Airlines ended service to Denver.

In 2011, the airport carried an estimated 9 million passengers and 4,370,895 take-offs and landings. The airport also averages 323 flights a day. Continental Airlines, which subsequently merged with United Airlines, previously operated seasonal flights to Newark. Sacramento's seasonal route are operated during the summer and fall.

Between 1990 and 2007, Sacramento International Airport had a high incidence of bird strikes due to its location in an avian migratory route.

Sacramento hosted one of Alaska airlines last MD-80 flights. The route was Sacramento to Seattle.

US Airways previously operated service to Las Vegas, but ended service because of the Charlotte and Philadelphia service.

Airline market share [edit]

The following represents airline market share based on total passenger volume during the 2010 calendar year. ^[1]

Facilities [edit]

Sacramento International Airport covers 6,000 acres^[6] (22 km²) and has two runways:

• Runway 16L/34R: 8,601 x 150 ft. (2,622 x 46 m), Surface: Concrete
• Runway 16R/34L: 8,600 x 150 ft. (2,621 x 46 m), Surface: Asphalt

All indoor public areas feature free public wi-fi (wireless Internet) provided by the Sacramento County Airport System.

Expansion project [edit]

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. Designed by Corgan Associates, Inc. in association with Fentress Architects and built by Turner Construction, the $1.03 billion terminal modernization project replaces the airports original, aging Terminal B to meet the rising demand for passenger services and improve the airports ability to attract new carriers and routes. Aeromexico, Alaska/Horizon, American Airlines, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Volaris, and Southwest are located in the new terminal while Delta, United/Continental, and US Airways operate out of Terminal A.

The Central Terminal B complex is three times the size of the original Terminal B with the two parts of the complex airside and landside connected by an automated people mover.

Airport officials held a press conference on July 15, 2011 at the California State Fair, announcing the terminal will open on October 6, 2011. This is many months ahead of schedule from the original projected opening in 2012.^[7]

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 is scheduled to begin soon after the opening of the new terminal. The process is anticipated to be completed by May 2012. As of November 2012 the demolition is complete and the airport plans to build the hotel soon.

Public transportation [edit]

Yolobus bus #42 connects the airport to downtown Sacramento and the nearby communities of Woodland and Davis. Sacramento Regional Transit will provide a future light rail link to the airport, with revenue service on the Green Line projected to begin in 2017.^[8]

Terminals, airlines, and destinations [edit]

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. 9 airlines operate out of Terminal B and 5 airlines operate out of Terminal A.

Top destinations [edit]

Enplanement history [edit]

Passengers (All Carriers - Sacramento, CA: Sacramento International (Origin Airport)) for 2009 year

Accidents and incidents [edit]

On the morning of September 25, 1978, a Boeing 727-200 operating flight PSA Flight 182 on the Sacramento-Los Angeles-San Diego Route collided in mid-air with a Cessna 172 while attempting to land at San Diego Airport. The two aircraft collided over San Diego's North Park, killing all 135 people on Flight 182 and the two people on the Cessna, along with 7 people on the ground. Before American Airlines flight 191 went down months later, it was the deadliest disaster in U.S history and is still the deadliest plane disaster in California history.

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 87 passengers and five crew, 15 sustained injuries, although none of them were particularly serious. Five passengers were hospitalized, but none were killed. A JetBlue spokesman said that the flight reported an issue with the brakes.^[10]

On April 1, 2011, Southwest Airlines Flight 812 from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport to Sacramento International Airport operated with a Boeing 737-300 aircraft registered N632SW, was forced to declare an emergency and divert to Yuma International Airport after a sudden loss of air pressure blew a hole in top of the fuselage. The aircraft landed approximately 40 minutes after takeoff from Phoenix.^[11]

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. Although the plane reportedly made a hard landing, all 130 passengers aboard survived.^[12]

References [edit]

External links [edit]

• FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective May 2, 2013
• 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)