Boise Airport

Overview:

Boise Airport (IATA code: BOI, ICAO code: KBOI), is a combination civil and military airport in the western United States, located in Ada County, Idaho, three miles (five kilometres) south of the city of Boise. The Boise Department of Aviation manages the airport under the direction of an airport commission. It is the busiest airport in the state of Idaho, with almost ten times as many people as Idaho Falls Regional Airport, which is the second busiest airport in the state. The 124th Fighter Wing (124 FW) of the Idaho Air National Guard uses the airport's Gowen Field Air National Guard Base as a USAF military station in addition to serving as a commercial and general aviation airport. 2,059,935 passengers boarded flights at Boise Airport in 2019, up 6% from 1,938,416 passengers in 2018. (making it the 69th busiest airport in the country).

Quick Summary:

● Boise Airport (IATA code: BOI, ICAO code: KBOI), is a combination civil and military airport in the western United States three miles (five kilometers) south of the city of Boise.

● Boise Airport has a total area of 5,000 acres (7.8 sq mi; 20 km sq), and its easternmost point is 2,871 feet (875 m) above sea level.

● The military facilities on the south side of the runways, which include the Air National Guard, Army National Guard, and reserve Army, Navy, and Marine Corps units, are collectively referred to as Gowen Field Air National Guard Base.

Geography:

Located at 3201 Airport way, coordinates (43° 33′ 52″ N, 116° 13′ 22″ W), BOI is located in Ada County, Idaho, three miles (five kilometres) south of the city of Boise in the United States.

History:

On a gravelly area close to the current Boise State University campus on the south bank of the Boise River, Booth Field, Boise's first municipal airport, was constructed in 1926. On April 26, 1926, Varney Airlines' inaugural commercial airmail journey to the United States went through this airport. In 1933, Varney opened a base of operations in Boise. It ultimately merged with National Air Transport to form United Airlines. United has been operating out of Boise for 96 years as of 2022; the airline can trace its origins back to Varney. On September 4, 1927, the airfield welcomed Charles Lindbergh and the Spirit of St. Louis, less than four months after his legendary transatlantic voyage.

Boise started purchasing and renting property for the airport in 1936, which is when the current airport first opened. With an 8,800-foot (2,680-meter) runway, Boise had the longest runway in the country by 1938. The runway was constructed as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project with support from the city. In 1939, Varney Airlines' steel hangar was relocated to the current field. The hangar was turned into a passenger terminal because it was too small to accommodate growing aircraft. Until the construction of a new terminal in 2004 it was a part of the contemporary terminal building.

The mid-1960s saw the arrival of the jet age in Boise. Boise (BOI), Salt Lake City (SLC), Chicago (O'Hare, ORD), Boston (BOS), and Seattle (SEA), Portland (PDX), Boise (BOI), Salt Lake City (SLC), Denver (Stapleton, DEN), Chicago (ORD), and New York were among the round-trip routes operated by United Airlines in 1966. (Newark, EWR). Douglas DC-6 and DC-6B propliners were also being used by United to service the airport at this time. Late in the 1960s, West Coast Airlines began using Douglas DC-9-10 jets, and by 1968, the airline was flying round trips between Seattle (Boeing Field, BFI), Portland (PDX), Boise (BOI), and Salt Lake City (SLC) using the DC-9.

Boise Airport had two phases of remodelling between 2001 and 2005, adding a new terminal and an elevated highway for departures. Phase 1 took into account facilities including the lobby, food and beverage concession, and baggage claim, which were finished in 2003. The second phase, which was finished in 2005, dealt with security checkpoints, a brand-new concourse (Concourse C), and renovations to Concourse B.

The CSHQA-designed Boise Airport Passenger Terminal is a three-story, 378,000 square foor (35,100 square metre) state-of-the-art aviation complex. The undulating ceiling plane of the ticket lobby is made of curved, steel trusses, which also give the structure its distinctive shape. The terminal is regarded as a model post-9/11 facility and has attracted national acclaim for the elegance of its architecture.

Facility and Operations:

Boise Airport has a total area of 5,000 acres (7.8 sq mi; 20 km sq), and its easternmost point is 2,871 feet (875 m) above sea level. Three runways are present:

● 10L/28R: 10,000 x 150 feet (3,048 x 46 m)

● 10R/28L: 9,763 x 150 feet (2,976 x 46 m)

● 09/27: 5,000 x 90 feet (1,524 x 27 m)

Averaging 376 per day, the airport handled 137,459 aircraft operations in the year that ended on January 1, 2019, including 49% general aviation, 36% airline, 7% air taxi, and 8% military. At that time, this airport was home to 269 aircraft, including 147 single-engine, 22 multi-engine, 37 jet, 17 helicopter, and 46 military aircraft. BOI is one of four airports in the top 100 in the US that don't impose a PFC.

Military Operations:

The military facilities on the south side of the runways, which include the Air National Guard, Army National Guard, and reserve Army, Navy, and Marine Corps units, are collectively referred to as Gowen Field Air National Guard Base. The 124th Fighter Wing (124 FW), Idaho Air National Guard, which comprises 12 additional support units in addition to one aircraft squadron operationally acquired by the Air Combat Command (ACC), is located on the site. The 190th Fighter Squadron's A-10 Thunderbolt II close air support attack aircraft is stationed at Gowen Field ANGB (190 FS).