OKALOOSA REGIONAL AIRPORT

'Okaloosa Regional Airport' is an airport located near Valparaiso and Fort Walton Beach, in Okaloosa County, Florida, USA.
It is located within Eglin Air Force Base, so no private aircraft are permitted to leave out of or arrive at Okaloosa Regional. Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport is used for non-commercial operations.
Okaloosa Regional Airport is served by eight airlines providing non-stop service to six cities in the Southeastern United States. In 2005 the total passengers that flew out of Okaloosa Regional was over 520,000. There is a demand for more flights to and from Okaloosa Regional Airport. As a result, the airport is looking forward to expanding its terminal by adding additional gates. This year airport officials hope to finalize the airport's expansion plan and break ground in 2008.

Contents

History

Facilities

Airlines and destinations

External links

History

1957: The Okaloosa County Air Terminal opened on Eglin Air Force Base in building 89 with 3 personnel (Airport Manager, Security and Admin Support. Southern Airways was the only air carrier. Passengers would enter the base through the TAC gate on the east side of the base in Valparaiso, thus the airport code of VPS was born.
1968: Southern Airways began flying four DC-9 aircraft daily out of VPS. Air New Orleans began operations with service to New Orleans.
March 13, 1975: The Okaloosa Air Terminal located on State Road 85 opened its doors. The 32,000 square foot facility was constructed at a cost of $1.7 million. Financing for the entire facility was through federal, state, and local money. Federal grants totaled $472,000, state $80,000, Okaloosa County bond sale $1.1 million, and Southern Airways $190,000. First year enplaned passengers totaled 97,000 with Southern Airways as the sole airline with 12 departing flights daily.
November 2004: The current Okaloosa Regional Airport opened its doors following a major expansion program including additional public parking and aircraft parking apron, a second parallel taxiway, landscaping and a new 110,000 square foot passenger terminal.
October 2007: Will break ground on the Consolidated Rental Car Service Facility to be located on 22 acres east of the airport. This facility will have offices for all 5 rental car companies as well as rental car service facilities with lifts, automated car washes, gas pumps and vacuum islands and a consolidated fuel farm for both aviation and unleaded gasoline. A cargo facility and new offices for airport maintenance will also be built to the east of the terminal and are included in the project.

Facilities

Okaloosa Regional Airport and Eglin AFB share two runways:

★ Runway 12/30: 12,005 x 300 ft. (3,659 x 91 m), Surface: Asphalt

★ Runway 1/19: 10,012 x 300 ft. (3,052 x 91 m), Surface: Asphalt

★ 110,000ft² airport passenger terminal building with three second-level passenger boarding bridges and three ground-level commuter gates

Airlines and destinations

The following airlines fly to Okaloosa Regional Airport:

★ American Airlines

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★ American Eagle (Chicago-O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth)

★ Continental Airlines

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★ Continental Express operated by ExpressJet Airlines (Houston-Intercontinental)

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★ Continental Express operated by Chautauqua Airlines (Houston-Intercontinental)

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★ Continental Connection operated by Gulfstream International Airlines (Tampa)

★ Delta Air Lines (Atlanta)

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★ Delta Connection operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines (Atlanta)

★ Northwest Airlines (Memphis)

External links

★ Okaloosa Regional Airport(official web site)

★ Eglin Air Force Base

★ Okaloosa County web site