History
On Saturday, August 14, 1920, the first aircraft landed at what became the Burlington Municipal Airport. It had been a 72 acres (29 ha) cornfield. Airport developers took a lease on the land for one year for $100.
On May 22, 1934, at the airport, Amelia Earhart was presented with the keys to the city of Burlington.
With the onset of the Second World War, the United States Government created a Defense Zone extending inland 150 miles (240 km) from the coastline, where private aircraft were restricted from operating. Burlington Municipal Airport was located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) outside of the Defense Zone, allowing it to conduct pilot training both locally and from other airports located within the restricted zone, one such example being Boston’s Logan Airport. Due to increased demand, the Burlington Municipal Airport was noted as being the busiest airport in the world on both August 14, 1942 and February 11, 1943, with 662 and 793 landings respectively.
On February 24, 1969, the Board of Aldermen voted to change the airports title from “municipal” to “international” as a means of re-branding the airport and steering it away from the perceptions of it being a small, community-based facility.
In 1970, Mohawk Airlines introduced the first jet service to the airport.
On May 11, 1971 Burlington voters approved a $1.25 Million bond for a new 40,000-sq/ft terminal. This terminal opened October 7, 1973.
From 2000 to 2008, the airport experienced an increase in growth and service. Since 2000, $24 million in renovations and expansion has been invested at Burlington. In 2008, the airport authority completed a $15 million expansion project which added five gates — four with boarding bridges — and customer service areas, in addition to a 948-space parking garage and an elevated connected walkway.
The airport set a local record in July 2008 when 79,154 passengers flew from Burlington, the first time the figure has crossed 70,000.
BTV enplaned over 759,000 people in 2008, a 7.3% increase from 2007.
Burlington International Airport serves the Burlington-South Burlington metropolitan area, which contained over 206,000 residents as of 2006 U.S. Census estimates. Due to the relatively small size of the market, airlines mostly fly regional airliners on their Burlington routes. A few airlines fly larger jets, such as the Airbus A320 family, to BTV; JetBlue Airways is one such carrier.
In 2008, Big Sky Airlines stopped flying the Boston route. Management has been searching for a replacement for this important route.
The airport has used natural resources such as marble and granite, and maple for interior decoration, intended to give the airport a "Vermont Feel". In 2009, the airport had fifteen gates serving seven airlines.
On February 3, 2010 it was announced that AirTran Airways would not be returning to Burlington. Service started in early 2009 on Boeing 717 aircraft operating 55 minute flights from Baltimore, but after only 6 months AirTran demoted BTV to seasonal service, operating only during the summer months. AirTran planned on resuming service in the spring of 2010, but due to various reasons not specified they did not. AirTran service lasted for 8 months in 2009. Southwest Airlines has indicated that it may pick up the route at some point on its Boeing 737 jets.
In 2010, it was announced that Plattsburgh International Airport will receive a federal subsidy to start operating a connection to Boston, thereby attracting the Canadian passengers that Burlington had been relying on. Flights on Cape Air linked Boston and Plattsburgh on Cessna 402 propeller aircraft, but were dropped in early 2010 in favor of Colgan Air flights with larger aircraft.
In 2010, a city-owned cable provider was unable to pay the city of Burlington $17 million it owed. As a result, Moody's downrated the debt for the city. Moody's also downrated the credit rating for the airport, as well. Although voters approved a $21.5 million bond for airport expansion, this downgrade made borrowing the money too expensive. The airport therefore borrowed $7.5 million from the city for a $14.5 million garage expansion. In June 2011, the city asked for the money back.
The airport was in the process of expanding the parking garage by adding two more levels on the north end. This would have given it a total of 2700 parking spaces. This project was later completed in early 2012.
Read more about this topic: Burlington International Airport
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