Mobile International Airport Explained

Mobile International Airport
Iata:BFM
Icao:KBFM
Faa:BFM
Type:Public
Owner-Oper:Mobile Airport Authority
City-Served:Mobile, Alabama
Elevation-F:26
Elevation-M:8
Coordinates:30.6267°N -88.0681°W
Website:http://www.flybfm.com
Image Mapsize:175
Image Map Caption:FAA airport diagram
Mapframe:yes
R1-Number:14/32
R1-Length-F:9,618
R1-Length-M:2,932
R1-Surface:Asphalt/concrete
R2-Number:18/36
R2-Length-F:7,800
R2-Length-M:2,377
R2-Surface:Asphalt/concrete
Stat-Year:2023
Stat1-Header:Aircraft operations (year ending 10/31/2023)
Stat1-Data:21,276
Stat2-Header:Based aircraft
Stat2-Data:25
Footnotes:Source: FAA[1] and airport website

Mobile International Airport is a public use airport located three nautical miles (6 km) south of the central business district of Mobile, a city in Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The airport is a principal component of the Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley, a 1650abbr=on0abbr=on industrial complex. Presently the facility covers 1,616 acres (654 ha) of land. It is owned and operated by the Mobile Airport Authority.[2] Prior to 1969, the airport was part of an active military installation known as Brookley Air Force Base.

According to the FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2009–2013, it is categorized as a general aviation facility.[3] This was a change from the 2007–2011 NPIAS Report, when it was categorized as a reliever airport.[4]

Facilities

The airport has a control tower and has both a 9618x runway and a 7800x runway. Various instrument approaches to all runways are available, including an on-site VORTAC and instrument landing system (ILS). The complex is served by a 24-hour fixed-base operator, Signature Flight Services.

Starting in late 2018, the Mobile Airport Authority began renovating an underutilized building partially occupied by Airbus into a low cost carrier passenger airport facility called Terminal 1. Since its opening on May 1, 2019, Terminal 1 has housed two boarding gates and five ticket counters. Frontier Airlines Flight 410 from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport was the first scheduled revenue flight, arriving at the facility on May 1. In the summer of 2019, the authority plans to take over the remaining space in the building to completely build out Terminal 1. After this build-out, Terminal 1 will have four gates and additional holding and concession space. The total square footage will be around 50,000 square feet.[5]

Terminal 1 is located at the southern terminus of Michigan Avenue in the Brookley complex, less than a mile south of Interstate 10.

Operations

For the 12-month period ending October 31, 2023, the airport had 21,276 aircraft operations, an average of 68 per day: 53% military, 30% general aviation, 9% air taxi, and 7% scheduled commercial. At that time there were 25 aircraft based at this airport: 16 single-engine, 2 multi-engine, 6 jet and 1 helicopter.

Airlines and destinations

In 2018, the Mobile Airport Authority commissioned a study on whether to move passenger service to Mobile Downtown Airport from Mobile Regional Airport and announced ViaAir would start a route to Orlando in the spring.[6] In January 2019, Frontier Airlines announced new service to Denver and Chicago beginning in May 2019.[7] ViaAir announced they were ending most scheduled services network-wide, including at BFM, on May 23, 2019.[8] On January 7, 2020, Frontier announced it would suspend all service to BFM, leaving the airport with no commercial passenger service.[9] However, on April 13, 2020, Frontier announced it would stay at the Downtown Airport and commence service to Orlando.[10] On June 4, 2020, it was announced that Frontier had ceased all operations at BFM.

In August 2020 it was announced that Mobile airport authority will shift commercial airline flights to the more convenient downtown airport. Following two years of study, the Mobile Airport Authority has unveiled a master plan that calls for all commercial air service to move to the centrally-located Mobile Downtown (BFM) from Mobile Regional (MOB) airport in the next few years. A new airline terminal at the Downtown facility would feature eight gates and be located adjacent to Interstate 10 that runs through the city.

The move would make the airport more convenient to flyers, encouraging more airlines to add service thus lowering airfares, the airport authority says.[11]

On March 7, 2023, Avelo Airlines announced twice weekly service to Orlando.[12] The service was suspended indefinitely beginning March 4, 2024.

On January 24, 2024, Breeze Airways announced twice weekly service to Orlando.

Passenger

Cargo

Destinations map

Accidents and incidents near BFM

See also

References

  1. . Federal Aviation Administration. Effective 16 May 2024.
  2. Web site: The People of Brookley Complex . Brookley Complex website . 2007-12-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071023201513/http://www.brookleycomplex.com/contact/index.php . 2007-10-23.
  3. http://www.faa.gov/airports/planning_capacity/npias/ National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems
  4. http://www.faa.gov/airports/planning_capacity/npias/reports/index.cfm?sect=2007 2007–2011 NPIAS Report
  5. Web site: Mobile readies for airport's May 1 opening. 28 March 2019.
  6. Web site: Specker . Lawrence . Passenger flights from Downtown Mobile Airport feasible by year's end . AL.com . September 21, 2019 . February 28, 2018.
  7. News: Liesch . Dale . Frontier Airlines announces nonstop low-cost flights to Denver and Chicago . subscription . September 21, 2019 . . January 22, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190204015139/https://lagniappemobile.com/frontier-airlines-announces-nonstop-low-cost-flights-to-denver-and-chicago/ . February 4, 2019.
  8. News: Beahm . Anna . Via Airlines leaving all Alabama airports effective immediately . AL.com . September 21, 2019 . May 23, 2019.
  9. Web site: Frontier flights from Mobile Downtown Airport ending in April Mobile County Alabama News fox10tv.com.
  10. Web site: Frontier Airlines to stay in Mobile with Orlando route. 13 April 2020.
  11. Web site: Frontier Airlines pulls flights from Downtown Mobile Airport, again. 4 June 2020.
  12. Web site: Avelo Airlines to offer nonstop service from Mobile International to Orlando. WKRG. 7 March 2023. 7 March 2023.
  13. Web site: Accident description for 42-15534 at aviation-safety.net. aviation-safety.net. May 23, 2024.
  14. Web site: Accident description for 45-926 at aviation-safety.net. aviation-safety.net. May 23, 2024.
  15. Web site: Accident description for 50-1260 at aviation-safety.net. aviation-safety.net. May 23, 2024.

External links