Johnstown–Cambria County Airport Explained

John Murtha Johnstown–Cambria County Airport
Iata:JST
Icao:KJST
Faa:JST
Type:Public
Owner:Johnstown–Cambria County Airport Authority
City-Served:Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Elevation-F:2,284
Coordinates:40.3156°N -78.8347°W
Image Mapsize:225
Image Map Caption:FAA Diagram as of April 2024
Mapframe:yes
Mapframe-Zoom:10
Mapframe-Wikidata:yes
R1-Number:15/33
R1-Length-F:7,004
R1-Surface:Asphalt
R2-Number:5/23
R2-Length-F:4,387
R2-Surface:Asphalt
Stat-Year:2022
Stat1-Header:Aircraft operations
Stat1-Data:24,880
Stat2-Header:Based aircraft
Stat2-Data:49
Footnotes:Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1]

John Murtha Johnstown–Cambria County Airport is a civil-military airport three miles (5 km) northeast of Johnstown, in Cambria County, Pennsylvania. It is owned by Johnstown–Cambria County Airport Authority and is named after the late Congressman John Murtha. It sees one airline, subsidized by the Essential Air Service.

The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a non-primary commercial service airport (between 2,500 and 10,000 enplanements per year).[2]

Johnstown–Cambria County Airport is home to several military units. The airport houses the Pennsylvania Army National Guard's 1-104th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion (Company's HHC, A, C, D, and E) and Det 1, Company C, 2-104 General Support Aviation Battalion (Air Ambulance). It also houses the 258th Air Traffic Control Squadron (258 ATCS) of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, and Marine Wing Support Squadron 471 (MWSS-471), Detachment A of the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing (4th MAW) of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve.[3] The aerial military units fly helicopters rather than fixed-wing aircraft.

Currently, the airport is served by United Express CRJ-200 aircraft operated by SkyWest to Washington Dulles and Chicago O’Hare.

History

The airport opened in 1948 as Johnstown Municipal Airport,[4] Its first passenger airline flights were TWA DC-3s in 1948; All American Airways replaced TWA in 1949 and successor Allegheny Airlines was replaced by Allegheny Commuter in 1970. US Airways served the airport in the 1990s and 2000s with flights to Pittsburgh International Airport.

Traffic through the airport peaked in 2004 when US Airways flew 21,000 passengers through Johnstown. However, the recession led the weakened US Airways to drop service to Johnstown in 2009, and traffic dropped to near zero.[5] The airport was the subject of controversy in the 2000s when reports showed Democratic Congressman John Murtha had steered $150 million in federal taxpayer dollars to the airport in the 2000s, despite decreasing traffic.[6]

Since US Airways stopped service in 2009, Johnstown has been served by airlines using Essential Air Service funding to connect Johnstown to larger airports. The first was Colgan Air operating flights for United Airlines's United Express service to Washington-Dulles and Altoona. Colgan went bankrupt in 2012, so the EAS contract was picked up by Silver Airways, which flew from Johnstown to Dulles and DuBois. The city complained about Silver Airways's high prices and delays and requested that the EAS contract be awarded to Southern Airways Express. Southern's service began in November 2016 to Pittsburgh and Dulles (later switched to Baltimore-Washington).[5] Southern's service was plagued by pilot and aircraft shortages, and the airport authority recommended the federal Department of Transportation award the contract to Boutique Air, which began service in to Pittsburgh and Baltimore-Washington in November 2018.[7]

In 2020, the EAS contract was awarded to SkyWest Airlines to bring back jet service to Johnstown as United Express with flights to Chicago-O'Hare and Washington-Dulles.[8] In 2022, SkyWest informed the U.S. Department of Transportation they would be leaving the Johnstown market, but when the DOT opened the contract for bids, SkyWest re-entered the competition along with three other carriers.[9]

Finances

It has only two scheduled flights and little other activity, but as of January 2016, the airport had received almost $200 million in federal subsidies.[10] [11] That funding has not been used to subsidize the facility's operations, including the terminal; it has instead been used to construct a concrete reinforced runway for military purposes and to build military installations near the airport. The airport is in the bottom 28% of all facilities receiving EAS funding.[12] In 2004, an $8 million air traffic radar system was installed at the airport; it is operated by the Pennsylvania Air National Guard.

Facilities

The airport covers 650 acres (263 ha) at an elevation of 2,284 feet (696 m). It has two asphalt runways: 15/33 is 7,004 by 150 feet (2,135 x 46 m) and 5/23 is 4,387 by 100 feet (1,337 x 30 m).

In the year ending December 31, 2022 the airport had 24,880 aircraft operations, average 68 per day: 68% general aviation, 25% military, and 7% airline. 49 aircraft were then based at the airport: 21 single-engine, 4 multi-engine, 4 jet, and 20 military.

Airline and destinations

Scheduled passenger flights:

Statistics

Top domestic destinations: August 2019 – July 2020[13] ! Rank! City! Airport name & IATA code! Passengers
1Pittsburgh, PAPittsburgh International (PIT)align=right 2,550
2Baltimore, MDBaltimore–Washington International (BWI)align=right 2,070
Year! style="text-align:right;"
2009 [14] 2010 [15] 2011 [16] 2012 [17] 2013[18] 2014[19] 2015[20] 2016[21] 2017[22] 2018[23] 2019[24] 2020[25] 2021[26]
Enplanements7,9568,4577,9566,9866,1864,8564,3384,1933,5944,3816,3093,1498,519
Change4.22%6.30%5.92%12.19%11.45%21.50%10.67%3.34%14.29%21.90%44.01%50.09%170.53%
AirlineColgan Air dba United ExpressColgan Air dba United ExpressColgan Air dba United ExpressSilver Airways dba United ExpressSilver Airways dba United ExpressSilver Airways dba United ExpressSilver AirwaysSilver AirwaysSouthern Airways ExpressSouthern Airways ExpressSkyWest Airlines dba United Express
Destination(s)Washington-DullesAltoona----Washington-DullesAltoona----Washington-DullesAltoona----Washington-DullesAltoona----Washington-DullesAltoona----Washington-DullesDuBois----Washington-DullesDuBois----Washington-DullesBaltimore----PittsburghBaltimore----PittsburghBaltimore----PittsburghBaltimore----PittsburghChicago----Washington-Dulles

Accidents and incidents

See also

Other sources

External links


Notes and References

  1. . Federal Aviation Administration. Effective September 7, 2023.
  2. Web site: 2011–2015 NPIAS Report, Appendix A . PDF, 2.03 MB . National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems . Federal Aviation Administration . October 4, 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120927084535/http://www.faa.gov/airports/planning_capacity/npias/reports/media/2011/npias_2011_appA.pdf . September 27, 2012 .
  3. Web site: Murtha Joins in Dedicating New Marine Corps Center . Press Release . Congressman Jack Murtha . December 3, 2000.
  4. Web site: History: Timeline . JohnstownCafe.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140219003608/http://www.johnstowncafe.com/johnstownhistorytimeline.html . 2014-02-19 .
  5. https://airlinegeeks.com/2018/03/02/flood-city-folly-how-u-s-taxpayers-funded-the-airport-for-nobody/ Flood City Folly: How U.S. Taxpayers Funded the “Airport for Nobody”
  6. Web site: Welcome to the Airport for Nobody . . https://web.archive.org/web/20210126031247/https://abcnews.go.com/Business/Politics/story?id=7412160 . 2021-01-26 . live .
  7. https://www.tribdem.com/news/boutique-air-chosen-to-serve-johnstown-airport/article_e0b8a1da-a618-11e8-beb4-07566b4bb630.html Boutique Air chosen to serve Johnstown airport
  8. https://www.aviationpros.com/airlines/news/21159885/jet-service-launches-dec-3-in-johnstown-with-service-to-chicago-ohare-dc-dulles Jet Service Launches Dec. 3 in Johnstown with Service to Chicago O'Hare, D.C. Dulles
  9. https://www.tribdem.com/news/johnstown-airport-weighing-four-proposals-for-service-two-pitches-include-jets/article_3aec00be-d632-11ec-a01d-f7296368f560.html Johnstown airport weighing four proposals for service; two pitches include jets
  10. News: Carol D. . Leonnig . Murtha's Earmarks Keep Airport Aloft . . April 19, 2009 . April 24, 2009.
  11. Web site: Remote Murtha Airport Lands Big Bucks . CNN . April 23, 2009.
  12. Web site: Airport Fact Sheet . John Murtha Johnstown–Cambria County Airport . 2010-05-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100922075308/http://flyjohnstownairport.com/about/airport-fact-sheet.htm . 2010-09-22 . dead .
  13. Web site: RITA - BTS - Transtats.
  14. Web site: 2009 Primary, Non-primary Commercial Service, and General Aviation Airports (by State). November 23, 2010. CY 2009 Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data. Federal Aviation Administration. PDF, 891 KB.
  15. Web site: 2010 Primary, Non-primary Commercial Service, and General Aviation Airports (by State). October 4, 2011. CY 2010 Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data]. Federal Aviation Administration. PDF, 189 KB.
  16. Web site: 2011 Enplanements at Primary, Non-primary Commercial Service, and General Aviation Airports (by State). October 9, 2012. CY 2011 Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data]. Federal Aviation Administration.
  17. Web site: 2012 Enplanements at All Airports (Primary, Non-primary Commercial Service, and General Aviation) by State and Airport. October 31, 2013. CY 2012 Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data]. Federal Aviation Administration.
  18. Web site: All Airports with CY 2013 Enplanements. May 25, 2020.
  19. Web site: Calendar Year 2014 Enplanements by State.
  20. Web site: Calendar Year 2015 Enplanements by State.
  21. Web site: Calendar Year 2016 Final Revenue Enplanements at All Airports.
  22. Web site: Calendar Year 2017 Final Revenue Enplanements at All Airports.
  23. Web site: Calendar Year 2018 Final Revenue Enplanements at All Airports.
  24. Web site: Preliminary Calendar Year 2019 Enplanements at All Airports.
  25. Web site: Calendar Year 2021 Enplanements at All Airports.
  26. Web site: Calendar Year 2021 Enplanements at All Airports.

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