Lancaster Airport

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Lancaster Airport is a public use airport four nautical miles (5 mi, 7 km) north of the central business district of Lancaster, in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is owned by the Lancaster Airport Authority. It is served by one commercial airline (subsidized by the Essential Air Service program) and one charter airline.As per the Federal Aviation Administration, this airport had 1,673 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2008, 4,333 in 2009, and 6,410 in 2010. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a general aviation airport based on enplanements in 2008 (less than 2,500 per year), however it qualifies as a non-primary commercial service airport based on yearly enplanements in 2009 and 2010.HistoryThe Lancaster Airport was formed over 75 years ago as a private airport. In 1933 the Lancaster Joint Aviation Committee was formed and the decision made to operate a municipal airport. Using War Relief Funds and knowing that the airport would benefit the local unemployed constructors the Lancaster Joint Aviation Committee moved forward on modernizing the airport. They purchased 180 acres of farmland in southern Lititz and constructed the airport. In 1936 Lancaster became the second airport in Pennsylvania to two hard surface runways and was certified for both night and daytime operations. After World War II the airport was becoming obsolete so using government funds the airport was expanded and modernized with 22% of the funds needed for the update being raised by the community. On June 18, 1949 the airport was dedicated after upgrades were completed. Over the years the airport continued to improve; the terminal was renovated and expanded in the mid-1990s. Most recently runway 8/26 was expanded in length bringing it to 6,934 feet long and 150 feet wide.