History
Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport was built in 1941 and inaugurated in 1942 by the United States military as Williams Air Base. It served as a flight training field during World War II for military pilots. Military forces established a pilot school there, and many war airplanes that are now considered to be classics were seen there on a daily basis.
In 1948, Williams became the first jet training base, and in 1966 it was the first site of the Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) program.
The 1991 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission recommended closing the base as its operating costs were too costly for the United States government; the base continued operating until 1993.
As the base was being shut down, it was decided that, with the growing traffic at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, an alternative airport would be needed in the area. The runway was expanded to accommodate commercial airliners, and the facility reopened in 1994 as Williams Gateway Airport. Bids began to be made for some airlines to begin flights almost immediately.
In 2004, charter airline Ryan International Airlines began offering MD-82 jet flights from there to Bullhead City International Airport in Bullhead City, Arizona, which is adjacent to Laughlin, Nevada, and many resorts.
In recent years, the airport has again become a center of flight training. Several large flight schools now take advantage of the great flying weather in the Phoenix valley.
On July 31, 2007, the low-cost Las Vegas-based carrier Allegiant Air announced plans to open a focus city from Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, connecting the Phoenix metropolitan area to 13 destinations. First service commenced on October 25, 2007, and additional cities commencing throughout the remainder of October and complete by November 21, 2007.
In a press release on September 17, 2007, the Williams Gateway Airport Authority governing board approved a name change for Williams Gateway Airport effective October 15, 2007, after which the airport would be known as the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport. The board cited a desire "to have the airport reach its highest potential in creating jobs and commercial service development" as the reason behind the change.
Read more about this topic: Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport
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