Lake Tahoe Airport (IATA: TVL, ICAO: KTVL, FAA LID: TVL) is a public airport three miles southwest of South Lake Tahoe, in El Dorado County, California, USA. This general aviation airport covers 348 acres (141 ha) and has one runway. The airport is sometimes called Tahoe Valley Airport.
During the early 1960s, this high elevation airport located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains just south of Lake Tahoe had few scheduled airline flights which included Lockheed L-049 Constellation prop airliner service flown by Paradise Airlines. Jet aircraft were not allowed to operate from the airfield until the 1980s. Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA) and Air California (later known as AirCal) delayed the retirement of their Lockheed L-188 Electra four engine turboprop aircraft in order to continue service to the airport. Holiday Airlines operated Electra propjet aircraft as well from Lake Tahoe during the 1960s and early 1970's, and was the first airline to fly the Electra into the airport. In addition, Pacific Air Lines and its successor, Air West (which became Hughes Airwest), served Lake Tahoe with Fairchild F-27 turboprop aircraft. PSA finally retired their Electra propjets and ceased serving Lake Tahoe in the late 1970s. Air California ended their Electra service into the airport shortly thereafter. Replacement air service was operated by Aspen Airways flying Convair 580 turboprop aircraft and also by Golden Gate Airlines and Golden West Airlines with these air carriers both operating de Havilland Canada DHC-7 "Dash 7" four engine turboprop aircraft from the airport. Cal Sierra Airlines operated Convair 580 turboprops as well. In addition, Pacific Coast Airlines served the airport with Handley Page Jetstream turboprop commuter aircraft. Gulf Air Transport also operated into Lake Tahoe flying gambling charters with Lockheed L-188 Electra propjets.
AirCal initiated McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jetliner service in 1983 and subsequently introduced Boeing 737-300 jetliner flights as well. AirCal pioneered the first ever scheduled passenger jet service into Lake Tahoe Airport. At one point, AirCal operated direct, no change of plane jet service between Lake Tahoe and Chicago in addition to providing nonstop jet service to and from Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Jose as well as direct service to and from Burbank and Orange County in southern California. American Airlines then acquired AirCal in 1987. American continued flying into Lake Tahoe with the former AirCal Boeing 737-300s but soon transferred all service to its regional partner American Eagle which served the airport with Saab 340 and Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner turboprop aircraft into the 1990s. The jet service operated by American marked the only time that Lake Tahoe Airport was ever directly served by a major U.S. airline. Reno Air also served Lake Tahoe at one point with McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jetliner flights to Los Angeles. Other jet aircraft using the airport included the British Aircraft Corp. BAC One-Eleven which operated nonscheduled charter flights for the casino gaming industry.
In 1999, Casino Express Airlines initiated Lake Tahoe-based air carrier service under the name Tahoe Air. This airline offered low fare service with Boeing 737-200 jetliner flights to San Jose, CA and Los Angeles. At the same time Allegiant Air, which was then based in Fresno, CA, commenced Douglas DC-9 jetliner flights between Lake Tahoe and Fresno and Las Vegas. However, the airport was unable to generate sufficient traffic for two jet air carriers and Tahoe Air continued service while Allegiant ended their flights. Tahoe Air then ceased all operations that same year and Lake Tahoe Airport has not had scheduled passenger airline service since.
The Tahoe area is currently served by Reno-Tahoe International Airport in Nevada.
Read more about Lake Tahoe Airport: Previous Service: Nonstop and Direct, No Change of Plane
Famous quotes containing the words lake and/or airport:
“Such were the first rude beginnings of a town. They spoke of the practicability of a winter road to the Moosehead Carry, which would not cost much, and would connect them with steam and staging and all the busy world. I almost doubted if the lake would be there,—the self-same lake,—preserve its form and identity, when the shores should be cleared and settled; as if these lakes and streams which explorers report never awaited the advent of the citizen.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“It was like taking a beloved person to the airport and returning to an empty house. I miss the people. I miss the world.”
—Susan Sontag (b. 1933)