Jet Bridge - Use at Small Airports

Use At Small Airports

Jet bridges are occasionally used at smaller, single story airports. This is accomplished by use of a flight of stairs, and in some instances, a wheelchair lift. In this scenario, a passenger proceeds through the gate, but then up a flight of stairs to meet the height of the jet bridge. An example of this can be found at South Bend Regional Airport in South Bend, Indiana. Alternatively, a ramp can be used within the terminal building to bring the passengers from the waiting area to the height of the jet bridge. Sawyer International Airport which is located near Marquette, Michigan in Michigan's Upper Peninsula has jet bridges that can load passengers onto smaller passenger aircraft such as the Saab 340 turboprop. The Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport at Ithaca, New York has two gates using this approach. This can be done to attract larger airlines that require use of a jet bridge to the airport, to make boarding smaller planes easier for disabled people, and to improve the boarding process in bad weather.