Harrisburg International Airport

Harrisburg International Airport (IATA: MDT, ICAO: KMDT, FAA LID: MDT) is a public airport in Middletown, Pennsylvania,[4] nine miles (15 km) southeast of Harrisburg. It is owned by the Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority.[5]

"Harrisburg Airport" redirects here. For the military use of the airport, see Harrisburg Air National Guard Base.

Harrisburg International Airport
2018 aerial view of Harrisburg International Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic/Military
Owner/OperatorSusquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority
ServesHarrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.
LocationMiddletown, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Hub forWiggins Airways[1]
Elevation AMSL310 ft / 94 m
Coordinates40°11′35″N 076°45′48″W
Websitewww.FlyHIA.com
Maps
A diagram of the terminals, runways, and taxiways at MDT
FAA diagram of the airport
MDT is located in Pennsylvania
MDT
MDT
Location of airport in Pennsylvania
MDT is located in the United States
MDT
MDT
MDT (the United States)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
13/31 10,001 3,048 Asphalt
Statistics (2022)
Aircraft operations46,526
Based aircraft29 (2021)
Passengers1,150,802
Sources: HIA Airport[2] and the FAA.[3]

The airport code MDT refers to Middletown, the town in which the airport is located. Planes landing at MDT from the south are often routed near Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station a few miles from the airport. The airport, frequently referred to as HIA, is the primary commercial airport in South Central Pennsylvania and is the third-busiest airport in Pennsylvania for passenger enplanements and cargo shipments behind Philadelphia International Airport and Pittsburgh International Airport.[6][7]

History

Harrisburg International Airport has been serving south-central Pennsylvania for over 100 years.[8] Beginning in 1898, the Signal Corps of the U.S. Army was stationed here. This was followed by the first military airplanes landing in 1918 at what had become Olmsted Field of the fledgling U.S. Army Air Service.

The airport, with Three Mile Island in background a few weeks after the 1979 accident

The Middletown Air Depot (later Middletown Air Materiel Area) at Olmsted provided logistical and maintenance support of military aircraft until it closed in 1969. In 1968, airline flights moved from Capital City Airport to the former Air Force base, renamed as Olmstead State Airport. The airport was renamed Harrisburg International Airport in 1973.[9] Architect William Pereira designed the new terminals, completed in 1973.

Prior to deregulation, Harrisburg was served by Allegheny Airlines with flights to several Northeast destinations, Trans World Airlines with flights to Chicago, and Altair Airlines with commuter flights within Pennsylvania.[10]

In 1998, the Commonwealth transferred ownership to the Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority (SARAA). The Authority board consists of community volunteers appointed to staggered, five-year terms by the elected officials from Cumberland, Dauphin, and York counties, the cities of Harrisburg and York, and Fairview and Lower Swatara townships.

About 1,400 people work in the system of Harrisburg International Airport.[11]

A new 360,000 square-foot terminal was completed in 2004. It cost $120 million and was designed by the Sheward Partnership.[12]

Facilities and aircraft
Antonov An-124-100 at the airport in 2007

Harrisburg International Airport covers 680 acres (280 ha) at an elevation of 310 feet (94 m) above mean sea level. It has one asphalt runway, 13/31, 10,001 by 200 feet (3,048 by 61 m).[5][13]

Runway 13 has a CAT III approach allowing operations down to 600 feet (180 m) RVR (Runway Visual Range). The airport has a Surface Movement Guidance Control System (SMGCS) that allows aircraft and vehicle ground movements during reduced visibility (below 1,200 feet (370 m) RVR down to 600 feet (180 m) RVR).

A private Boeing 747SP in 2003

The airfield also boasts a 140-foot control tower and associated approach control staffed and operated by FAA air traffic controllers.

In the year ending December 31, 2021, the airport had 48,788 aircraft operations, an average of 134 per day: 26% air taxi, 29% general aviation, 27% scheduled commercial and 18% military. 29 aircraft were then based at this airport: 6 single-engine, 4 multi-engine, 11 jet, and 8 military.[5]

The terminal has 12 gates and is a pier finger lay out near the middle of the airfield, almost parallel to the runway. Delta Air Lines uses A1 and A3. United Airlines uses B1 and B3. Frontier Airlines uses B5. Allegiant Air uses B6. American Airlines uses B2, and C1–C3. Gate A2 and B4 are currently unused.[14]

Ground transportation

Built in 2004, and attached to the new terminal building via a climate-controlled sky bridge, the Multi-Modal Transportation Facility (MMTF) is a four-story facility that handles all ground transportation. The top three levels have 2,504 parking places for Short-Term Hourly, Daily, and Long-Term public parking. The first level accommodates all limos, taxis, hotel shuttles, public and charter buses, plus the rental car ready/return lot.[15]

In the first floor lobby area are six rental car counters, restrooms, flight and bus information displays, and a seating area. On the second floor of the lobby area, climate-controlled moving sidewalks connect to the aerial walkway to the terminal.[15]

Route 7 of the Capital Area Transit System runs to downtown Harrisburg and surrounding communities. The Middletown Amtrak Station, about 3 miles (5 km) east of the terminal, has Amtrak service via the Keystone Corridor. There had been a proposal to construct a new rail terminal adjacent to the MMTF, but the final location chosen for the new station is about 2 miles (3.2 km) east, in Middletown.[16]

Airlines and destinations

Passenger
AirlinesDestinationsRefs
Allegiant Air Fort Lauderdale, Orlando/Sanford, Punta Gorda (FL), Sarasota, St. Petersburg/Clearwater
Seasonal: Myrtle Beach, Nashville 		[17]
American Airlines Charlotte, Dallas/Fort Worth [18]
American Eagle Boston, Charlotte, Chicago–O'Hare, Philadelphia [18]
Delta Air Lines Atlanta [19]
Delta Connection Detroit
Seasonal: Atlanta 		[19]
Frontier Airlines Orlando
Seasonal: Denver[20] 		[21]
United Airlines Chicago–O'Hare [22]
United Express Chicago–O'Hare, Newark [22]
A Trans World Airlines (TWA) Boeing 707 in October 1981

Cargo

Harrisburg International Airport has freight-forwarding capability. The airport is next to I-76 (Pennsylvania Turnpike), I-83, and I-81, allowing fast transfer of goods. Three major air cargo shippers maintain air service at the east end of the airport in an apron area next to the runway:[23]

AirlinesDestinations
Ameriflight Allentown, Newark, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
DHL Aviation Cincinnati, Hartford
FedEx Express Baltimore, Indianapolis, Memphis, Newburgh
Seasonal: Greensboro, Raleigh/Durham, Syracuse, Washington–Dulles
FedEx Feeder Newark, Williamsport, Wilkes–Barre/Scranton[24]
UPS Airlines Chicago/Rockford, Louisville, Philadelphia
Seasonal: Anchorage, Dallas-Fort Worth, Hartford, Ontario

Statistics

Top destinations
Busiest domestic routes from MDT (July 2022 – June 2023)[25]
Rank City Passengers Carriers
1 Charlotte, North Carolina 127,000 American
2 Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois 103,000 American, United
3 Atlanta, Georgia 95,000 Delta
4 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 57,000 American
5 Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas 42,000 American
6 Orlando–Sanford, Florida 40,000 Allegiant
7 Newark, New Jersey 29,000 United
8 Detroit, Michigan 22,000 Delta
9 Clearwater, Florida 22,000 Allegiant
10 Punta Gorda, Florida 19,000 Allegiant

Annual traffic
Traffic by calendar year[26]
PassengersChange from previous yearCargo
(tons)
2013 1,294,63254,344
2014 1,289,487Decrease 0.40%48,922
2015 1,173,938Decrease 8.96%51,401
2016 1,205,461Increase 2.69%52,807
2017 1,195,763Decrease 0.80%51,886
2018 1,294,765Increase 8.28%57,303
2019 1,512,585Increase 16.82%55,268
2020 632,805Decrease 58.16%55,430
2021 1,021,110Increase 61.36%63,549
2022 1,150,802Increase 12.70%57,175

Pennsylvania Air National Guard use

Despite the closure of Olmsted AFB in 1969, the US Air Force continues an Air National Guard presence at Harrisburg[27] in the form of Harrisburg Air National Guard Station and the Pennsylvania Air National Guard's 193rd Special Operations Wing (193 SOW), an Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC)-gained unit flying the EC-130J Commando Solo aircraft. The 193 SOW is the sole operator of this critical aircraft asset for the entire US Air Force and in 2001 transitioned from the EC-130E to the new EC-130J variant. The wing has seen extensive federal service in recent years in support of Operations Just Cause, Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

A 193rd SOS Pennsylvania Air National Guard EC-130 in 1992

The Air Force Presidential Airlift Squadron uses MDT as a practice airport for a number of reasons: its runway is long enough for a loaded 747, relatively low traffic, close proximity to Andrews Air Force Base, and the presence of the Air National Guard at MDT.

See also

References
  1. "Route Map". July 4, 2017.
  2. "MDT Airport Statistics for 2022" (PDF). flyhia.com. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  3. "Harrisburg Intl". AirportIQ 5010. Retrieved February 19, 2016.(Location Identifier: MDT)
  4. "Lower Swatara township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania Archived June 6, 2011, at the Wayback Machine." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on March 2, 2010.
  5. FAA Airport Form 5010 for MDT PDF, effective September 16, 2022
  6. "Commercial Service Airports by State and Type of Carrier" (PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. 2007. Retrieved July 4, 2007.
  7. "Airports Reporting All-Cargo Data for Calendar Year 2005" (PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. 2007. Retrieved July 4, 2007.
  8. "Harrisburg International Airport History". Archived from the original on December 22, 2008.
  9. "National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan National Priorities List" (PDF). Federal Register. 62 (100): 28408. May 23, 1997. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  10. "Airlines and Aircraft Serving Harrisburg Effective April 15, 1975". www.departedflights.com. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  11. Airport Authority History Archived December 22, 2008, at the Wayback Machine SARAA, accessed February 14, 2010.
  12. "The Sheward Partnership – Harrisburg International Airport". Archived from the original on February 12, 2008.
  13. "MDT airport data at skyvector.com". skyvector.com. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
  14. FAA Airport Diagram for Harrisburg International (MDT) (PDF), effective October 5, 2023
  15. Multi-Modal Transportation Facility Archived February 21, 2010, at the Wayback Machine SARAA, accessed February 12, 2010.
  16. "New Middletown Amtrak station site will be at Ann Street and Route 230". December 6, 2010.
  17. "Allegiant Air". Retrieved April 5, 2017.
  18. "Flight schedules and notifications". Retrieved April 5, 2017.
  19. "FLIGHT SCHEDULES". Retrieved April 5, 2017.
  20. "We're Growing! 30 New Routes from $29!".
  21. "Nonstop Route Map". Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  22. "Timetable". Retrieved April 5, 2017.
  23. Cargo operations at HIA Archived February 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine Harrisburg International Airport, accessed March 4, 2010.
  24. "Wiggins #7450 ✈ 15-Feb-2018 ✈ KAVP - KMDT ✈ FlightAware". FlightAware.
  25. "RITA – BTS – Transtats".
  26. "Stats". Harrisburg International Airport. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  27. Burger, T.W. (June 21, 2010). "Pennsylvania Air National Guard unit called rescuers on wings". Harrisburg Patriot News. Retrieved December 17, 2010.
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