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Coordinates: 25°47′36″N 080°17′26″W / 25.79333°N 80.29056°W
Miami International Airport (IATA: MIA, ICAO: KMIA, FAA LID: MIA), also known as Wilcox Field, MIA, and Miami International, is the primary airport serving the South Florida area. The airport is located eight miles (13 km) northwest of Downtown Miami, in unincorporated Miami, Florida, United States. It is located between the cities of Miami, Hialeah, Doral, Miami Springs, the village of Virginia Gardens, and the unincorporated community of Fontainebleau. The airport is a hub for passenger airlines American Airlines, Executive Airlines under the American Eagle name, Gulfstream International Airlines under the Continental Connection name; cargo airlines Arrow Air, UPS Airlines and FedEx Express; and charter airline Miami Air. Miami International Airport handles passenger and cargo flights to cities throughout the Americas and Europe, as well as the Canary Islands off the African coast, and cargo flights to Asia; it is South Florida's main airport for long-haul international flights. Miami International Airport is the largest gateway between the United States and Latin America, and is one of the largest aerial hubs in the United States, owing to its proximity to tourist attractions, local economic growth, large local Latin American and European populations, and strategic location to handle connecting traffic between North America, Latin America, and Europe. In the past, it has been a hub for Braniff International Airways, Eastern Air Lines, Air Florida, the original National Airlines, the original Pan Am, United Airlines, and Iberia. Miami International is also the proposed hub of two new start-up airlines, one of which hopes to use the Eastern Airlines name. In 2009, the airport ranked first in the United States by percentage of international flights and second by volume of international passengers, behind only New York-JFK. In 2009, 33,886,025 passengers traveled through the airport, making the airport the 25th busiest airport in the world by passenger traffic. The Airport also ranks as the 12th busiest airport in the United States by annual passenger throughput and is the largest airport in the state of Florida, surpassing Orlando by a small margin. The airport also handled more international cargo than any other airport in the United States. History
The airport was opened to flights in 1928 as Pan American Field, the operating base of Pan American Airways Corporation, on the north side of the modern airport property. After Pan Am acquired the New York, Rio, and Buenos Aires Line, it shifted most of its operations to the Dinner Key seaplane base, leaving Pan Am Field largely unused until Eastern Air Lines began flying there in 1934, followed by National Airlines in 1937. In 1945, the City of Miami established a Port Authority and raised bond revenue to purchase the airport, which had meanwhile been renamed 36th Street Airport, from Pan Am. It was merged with an adjoining Army airfield in 1949 and expanded further in 1951. The old terminal on 36th Street was closed in 1959 when the modern passenger terminal (since greatly expanded) opened for service. Air Force Reserve troop carrier and rescue squadrons also operated from Miami International from 1949 through 1959, when the last such unit relocated to nearby Homestead Air Force Base, now Homestead Air Reserve Base. Pan Am and Eastern remained Miami International Airport's main tenants until 1991, when both carriers went bankrupt. Their hubs at MIA were taken over by United Airlines and American Airlines, respectively. United slowly trimmed down its Miami operation through the 1990s, and eventually shut down its crew base and other operations facilities in Miami. At the same time, American expanded its presence at the airport, winning new routes to Latin America and transferring employees and equipment from its failed domestic hubs at Nashville and Raleigh-Durham. Today, Miami is American's largest air freight hub, and forms the main connecting point in the airline's north-south oriented international route network. For many years, the airport was a common connecting point for passengers traveling from Europe to Latin America. However, stricter visa requirements for aliens in transit (a result, in part, of the September 11, 2001 attacks) have lessened MIA's role as an intercontinental connecting hub. In 2004, Iberia Airlines ended its hub operation in Miami, opting instead to run more direct flights from Spain to Central America. Air France continues to run flights to Port-au-Prince using Airbus A320 aircraft. AeroSur, American Airlines, American Eagle, Gulfstream International Airlines, Sky King Airlines, TACA International Airlines, and Vision Airlines all operate regular flights between MIA and several airports in Cuba, one of a few airports with direct airlink between the two nations. However, these flights must be booked through agents with special authorization from the Office of Foreign Assets Control, and are only generally available to government officials, journalists, researchers, professionals attending conferences, or expatriates visiting Cuban family. OperationsThe budget for operations was $600 million in 2009. Facilities and aircraftMiami International Airport covers an area of 3,300 acres (1,335 ha) which contains four runways:
For the 12-month period ending April 30, 2009, the airport had 358,705 aircraft operations, an average of 982 per day: 82% scheduled commercial, 12% air taxi, 5% general aviation and <1% military. There are 28 aircraft based at this airport: 46% multi-engine and 54% jet. Fire protection at the airport is provided by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department Station 12. Terminal
The main terminal at MIA dates back to 1959, with several new additions. Semicircular in shape, the terminal has eight pier-shaped concourses, lettered counter-clockwise from A to J (B and C were demolished in 2005 and 2009, respectively; Letter I was skipped to avoid confusion with the number 1). From the terminal's opening until the mid-1970s, the concourses were originally numbered clockwise from 1 to 6. Level 1 of the terminal contains baggage carousels and ground transportation access. Level 2 contains ticketing/check-in, shopping and dining, and access to the concourses. The airport currently has two immigration and customs facilities, located in Concourse E, Level 1 and in Concourse J, Level 3. All gates in Concourses A, D, E, and J, most gates in Concourse F, and some gates in Concourse H, can route passengers to either the main concourse on Level 2 (for domestic arrivals), or to the immigration and customs halls on Level 3 (for international arrivals). However, all gates in Concourse G, most gates in Concourse H, and some gates in Concourse F are designed only for domestic arrivals. MIA is unique among American airports in that all of its facilities are common-use, meaning that they are assigned by the airport and no one airline holds ownership or leases on any terminal space or gates, thus giving the airport much more flexibility in terminal and gate assignments and allowing it to make full use of existing facilities. The entire airport became common-use by the 1990s. The airport is served by three parking facilities: a two-level short-term parking lot located directly in front of Concourse E, and two seven-story parking garages (Dolphin and Flamingo) located within the terminal's curvature and connected to the terminal via overhead walkways on Level 3. In the late 1990s, the Dolphin Garage was expanded to better serve the then-new Concourse A; it is expected that the Flamingo Garage will be similarly expanded in the near future to serve the new Concourse J. The two parking garages are connected at their westernmost end; at the top of this connection are the airport's SIDA and ID Section offices. The single terminal facility is divided into three sections known as the North Terminal, Central Terminal, and South Terminal. The North Terminal is presently undergoing a dramatic transformation, the largest ever undertaken on any operating airport. Concourses A, C, and D, which currently serve American Airlines and its regional affiliates, are being merged into a single linear concourse, to be designated Concourse D. Portions of the new North Terminal have already been built as extensions of Concourses A and D; to make space for the remaining portions, Concourse B was demolished in 2005, and Concourse C was demolished in 2009. Although this construction was originally slated for completion in 2005, it has been delayed several times due to cost overruns. The current substantial completion date is the third quarter of 2011. With sections of the terminal opening in phases, a significant majority of the structure has already been completed and opened for airline use. Once the entire project is finished, the North Terminal will house American Airlines and its oneworld alliance partners. Currently, American Airlines is spread between Concourses D, and E, while its alliance partners use either Concourse F or Concourse J. By Fall 2010, the North Terminal's new people mover, automated baggage handling system and regional jet facility will be operational, at which time Concourse A will reopen to become one Concourse D. The Central Terminal consists of Concourses E, F, and G. The Miami-Dade Aviation Authority expects to rebuild the central terminal following the completion of the north terminal, and intends to seek bids by the first quarter of 2011. Upon completion of the North Terminal project and the reopening, the Central Terminal will be used to house airlines not affiliated with any of the "big three" airline alliances as well as the low-cost carriers the airport hopes to attract. The South Terminal comprises Concourses H and J, the latter of which opened on August 29, 2007(photo). The new addition is seven stories tall and has 15 international-capable gates, and a total floor area of 1.3 million square feet (120,000 m), including two airline lounges and several offices. Concourse H will serve Delta Air Lines and its partners in the SkyTeam alliance, while Concourse J will serve United Airlines and its partners in the Star Alliance. Concourse AAt the time of its closure, Concourse A had one bus station and 16 gates: A3, A5, A7, A10, A12, A14, A16-A26 Concourse A is a recent addition to the airport, opening in two phases between 1995 and 1998. The concourse will eventually form part of the North Terminal. Between 1995 and 2007, the concourse housed many of American Airlines' domestic and international flights, as well as those of many European and Latin American carriers. American Airlines operated an Admirals Club in Concourse A; likewise British Airways ran a Terraces Lounge. Both lounges will return upon the reopening of the concourse. On November 9, 2007, Concourse A was temporarily closed as part of the North Terminal Development Project. It has been closed in order to speed up completion of the North Terminal project, as well as facilitate the addition of the Automated People Mover (APM) system that will span the length of the North Terminal. Concourse A reopened on July 20, 2010 as an extension of Concourse D, with gates numbered from D1 to D20. In the first quarter of 2011, it will regain its capacity to handle international arrivals. Concourse B
At its peak, Concourse B had one bus station and 12 gates: B1, B2-B12, B15 Concourse B was constructed in the 1970s for Eastern Air Lines as part of the airport's ambitions "Program 70's" initiative, and first opened in 1983. During the 1980s, the existing concourse was rebuilt and expanded, and a new immigration and customs hall was built in the Concourse B section of the terminal, allowing the concourse to process international arrivals. Along with Concourse C and most of Concourse D, it served as Eastern Air Lines' historical base of operations. After Eastern's shutdown in 1991, it was used by a variety of European and Latin American airlines. By the 2000s, the concourse boasted American Airlines as its sole tenant. The concourse was closed in 2004 and torn down the following year as part of the North Terminal Development project. The immigration and customs hall remained open until 2007, when it was closed along with Concourse A. Concourse CAt the time of its closure, Concourse C had 3 gates: C5, C7, C9 Concourse C first opened as Concourse 6 in 1959, serving Eastern Air Lines. During the 1960s, Concourse C received an extension of its second floor and was equipped with air conditioning. Since then, it did not receive any major interior modifications or renovations. Following the renumbering of gates and concourses in the 1970s, Concourse C consisted of Gates C1 to C10. The opening of an international arrivals hall in Concourse B during the 1980s saw Gate C1 receive the ability to process international arrivals. Following the demise of Eastern Air Lines in 1991, the concourse was used by a variety of African and Latin American carriers. Many of these airlines' flights would arrive at Concourse B and then be towed to Concourse C for departure. By the end of the decade, the construction of American Airlines' baggage sorting facility between Concourses C and D saw the closure of all gates on the west side of the concourse, with Gate C1 following soon afterward. From the 2000s on, the concourse consisted of just four domestic-only gates, each of which were capable of accommodating small-to-medium jet aircraft from the Boeing 737 up to the Airbus A300, and had American Airlines as its sole tenant. As part of the North Terminal Development project, Concourse C closed on September 1, 2009, and was demolished. The demolition of Concourse C allowed for the construction of new gates where the concourse stood. Concourse DConcourse D has one bus station and 24 gates: D21-D25, D29-D32, D35A-F, D36-D40, D42-D51
Concourse D was another of the airport's original 1959 concourses, having opened as Concourse 5. After receiving modifications similar to that of Concourse C during the 1960s, it was completely rebuilt in the 1980s and connected to the immigration and customs hall in Concourse E, allowing it to handle international arrivals. Along with Concourses B and C, the concourse once served as Eastern Air Lines' historical base of operations. Additionally, gates at the far end of Concourse D were used by Braniff International Airways for their Latin American operations up until their shutdown in 1982.while Continental Airlines used gates on the west side of the concourse during the 1980s. While Eastern Air Lines and Continental Airlines were both owned by the Texas Air Corporation during the 1980s, Continental Airlines briefly used gates on the west side of the concourse as well. The concourse is currently undergoing a multi-billion dollar expansion. By the mid-2000s, the gates on the east side of the concourse were closed in order to make room for new gates being constructed as part of the North Terminal Development project. In 2004, a new extension to the west was opened, consisting of Gates D39 through D51. In the summer of 2009, Gates D21 to D25 entered service where Concourse B once stood. When the majority of construction is completed in 2010, the concourse will serve as a "super hub" for American Airlines and oneworld partners. The 3,600,000-square-foot (334,000 m) concourse will be 1.2 miles (1.9 km) long, linear in design, with a capacity of 30 million passengers annually. It will contain 50 gates, a regional jet facility, and an automated baggage handling system. Skytrain, an automated people mover with 4 stops across the length of Concourse D, opened on September 15, 2010. American currently uses the concourse for both domestic and international flights and operates an Admirals Club within the concourse, located near Gate D30. Landside, Level 1 of the concourse contains baggage claim for American domestic flights. The check-in area serves North American, European, and Latin American flights, offering self-check-in facilities. Concourse E
Concourse E has two bus stations and 17 gates: E1-E2, E4-E11, E20-E25, E30-E31, E33 Concourse E also dates back to the terminal's 1959 opening, and was originally known as Concourse 4. From the start, it was the airport's only international concourse, containing its own immigration and customs facilities. In the 1960s, it underwent some minor renovations similar to the airport's other original concourses, but didn't receive its first major addition until the opening of the International Satellite Terminal in 1976. Featuring Gates E20-E35 (commonly known as "High E"), the satellite added 12 international gates capable of handling the largest jet aircraft as well as an international intransit lounge for arriving international passengers connecting to other international flights. The concourse and its satellite were briefly linked by buses until the airport's first automated people mover (Adtranz C-100) opened in the late 1970s. At the same time, Concourse E's immigration and customs facilities were radically overhauled and expanded. During the 1980s, the original portion of Concourse E ("Low E") was rebuilt to match the satellite. Since then, both portions of the concourse have seen little change. Gate E3 was closed in the 1990s to accommodate a connector between Concourses D and E. In the mid-2000s, the Low E and High E security checkpoints were expanded and merged into one, linking both portions of the concourse without requiring passengers to reclear security. At the same time, Gates E32, E34, and E35 were closed to make way for a second parallel taxiway between the Concourse D extension and Concourse E. The concourse features an Admirals Club and a recently reopened Flagship Lounge, which is for the exclusive of international first-class passengers and Oneworld Emerald members traveling internationally. Concourse E also contains the Central Terminal's immigration and customs halls. The seven story Miami-International Airport hotel and many Miami-Dade Aviation Department executive offices are located in the Concourse E portion of the terminal. Level 1 houses the Customs E Greeter's Lobby, car rental agency counters, baggage re-check for connecting international passengers, the Public Bus Terminal, and two domestic baggage carousels. Level 2 is used for check-in by American Eagle and several Latin American carriers. Concourse E, along with Concourse F, was once the historical base of operations for Pan Am and many of MIA's international carriers. Concourse FConcourse F has one bus station and 19 gates: F1, F3-F12, F14-F21, F23 Concourse F dates back to 1959 and was originally known as Concourse 3. Like Concourses D and E, it received minor renovations in the 1960s and was largely rebuilt in the 1980s. The gates at the far end of the pier were demolished and replaced by new widebody Gates F10 to F23, all of which were capable of processing international arrivals. The departure lounges for Gates F3, F5, F7, and F9 were also rebuilt, and these also became international gates. Currently, the concourse retains a distinctly 1980s feel, and is part of the Central Terminal area. The south side of the concourse was used by Northeast Airlines until its 1972 merger with Delta Air Lines. Likewise, National Airlines flew out of the north side of Concourse F until its 1980 merger with Pan Am, which continued to use the concourse until its 1991 shutdown. When United Airlines acquired Pan Am's Latin American operations, the airline carried on operating a focus city out of Concourse F until completely dismantling it by 2004. From 1993 to 2004, Concourse F was also used by Iberia Airlines for its Miami focus city operation, which linked Central American capitals to Madrid using MIA as the connecting point; Iberia continues to fly from the concourse. Level 1 of the Concourse F portion of the terminal is used for domestic baggage claim and cruise line counters. Level 2 contains check-in facilities for European carriers. Concourse GConcourse G has one bus station and 14 gates: G1-G12, G14-G16, G19 Concourse G is the only one of the original 1959 concourses that has largely remained in its original state, save for the modifications the rest of the airport received in the 1960s. It is the only concourse at the airport not capable of handling international arrivals, though it is frequently used for departing international charters. All Cuba-bound flights departing after 2:00 PM depart from Concourse G, in order to lighten the load on the Concourse F security checkpoint when European-bound flights are preparing to depart. Concourse HConcourse H has one bus station and 13 gates: H1, H3-H12, H14-H15, H17 Concourse H was the 20th Street Terminal's first extension, originally built in 1961 as Concourse 1 for Delta Air Lines, which remains in the concourse to this day. In the late 1970s, a commuter satellite terminal was built just to the east of the concourse. Known as "Gate H2", it featured seven parking spaces (numbered H2a through H2g) designed to handle smaller commuter aircraft. The concourse was dramatically renovated during the mid-1990s, to match the style of the then-new Concourse A. A third floor was added to the concourse, containing moving walkways, in order to facilitate access to gates at the far end of the terminal. The H1 Bus Station and Gates H3-H11 were completely rebuilt, and the H2 commuter satellite had jetways installed. Due to financial difficulties, "headhouse" gates H12-H20 were left in their original state. With the construction of the Concourse J extension in the 2000s, the H2 commuter satellite was demolished. In 2007, with the opening of the South Terminal's immigration and customs facilities, the third floor of Concourse H was closed off and converted into a "sterile circulation" area for arriving international passengers. Gates H4, H6, H8, and H10 were made capable of handling international arrivals, and currently serve Copa Airlines, Air France, and Alitalia. Simultaneously, headhouse gates H16, H17, H18, and H20 were closed to allow for the construction of a second parallel taxiway leading to the new Concourse J. Gate H19 has since been renumbered to Gate H17 There are plans to convert Gates H11 and H15 into additional international-capable gates, but the concourse does not yet require their use. Instead, the airport is focusing on completing the long-delayed North Terminal project. Concourse H historically served as the base of operations for Piedmont's Miami focus city and US Air Express's commuter operations. Concourse H continues to serve original tenant Delta Air Lines, which uses all but one of the gates on the west side of the pier. Concourse JConcourse J has one bus station and 15 gates: J2-J12, J14-J18 Concourse J is the newest concourse, having entered service on August 29, 2007. Part of the airport's South Terminal project, the concourse was designed by Carlos Zapata and M.G.E., one of the largest Hispanic-owned architecture firms in Florida. The concourse features 15 international-capable gates as well as the airport's only gate capable of handling the Airbus A380. The concourse added a third international arrivals hall to the airport, supplementing the existing ones at Concourses B (now closed) and E while significantly relieving overcrowding at these two facilities. In the initial stages of its development, the South Terminal (Concourses H and J) was planned to serve United Airlines and its partners in the Star Alliance. Concourse H would serve United's partner airlines, while Concourse J would be the new home of United's Latin American hub. When United dismantled its MIA hub in 2004, Concourse H became intended to serve Delta Air Lines and its partners in the SkyTeam alliance, while Concourse J would serve United's remaining operations as well as their partner carriers. Once the North Terminal is completed, oneworld member airlines will be housed in Concourse D (North Terminal), with SkyTeam and Star Alliance members in Concourses H and J (South Terminal). Terminals, airlines and destinationsPassenger ServicesNote: All flights to Cuba are operated as scheduled Special Authority Charters
CargoThe airport is one of the largest in terms of cargo in the United States, and is the main connecting point for cargo between Latin America and the world. It was first in International freight and third in total freight for 2008. In 2000, LAN Cargo opened up a major operations base at the airport and currently operates one of the largest cargo facilities at the airport, second only to UPS. Most major passenger airlines, such as American Airlines use the airport to carry hold cargo on passenger flights, though most cargo is transported by all-cargo cairlines. UPS Airlines and FedEx Express both base their major Latin American operations at MIA.
Ground transportationMiami International Airport has direct public transport links to Miami-Dade Transit's Metrobus network, free shuttles are also provided to and from the Miami Airport and Hialeah Market Stations on the Tri-Rail commuter rail line. Both stations are close, within a 5 minute drive from the main terminal. The Miami-Dade Aviation Department is currently constructing the MIA Mover, a link to the airport by people mover, to the upcoming Miami Intermodal Center which already opened its Rental Car Center (RCC) in July 2010 and provide access to car rentals. Soon to follow will be a new airport Metrorail station, a relocated Tri-Rail station, and an Amtrak station located within the Miami Central Station, scheduled to open in late 2011/early 2012. A consolidated shuttle service will run to-and-from the terminals at MIA and the RCC for approximately one year until the MIA Mover begins service. Once the MIA Mover is in service, car rental desks and shuttles will disappear from the airport's arrivals level. Taxis, shuttle services, limousines, and rental cars are currently available within the airport. Taxis and shuttles provide flat rates to popular destinations within Miami, such as the beaches or the city center. Accidents and incidentsAirline accidents and incidents involving MIA include:
Satellite Transit Shuttle (STS) Accident:
In popular cultureMiami International Airport has been used for scenes in many movies and TV shows, including:
Military useThe Army Air Force began using Miami Airport in the 1930s, assigning the 21st Reconnaissance Squadron to the airfield to fly search and rescue along with weather reconnaissance patrols. After the Pearl Harbor attack and the United States entry into World War II, the Air Force's use of the airport changed to being a base for antisubmarine patrols, with the airport becoming the Headquarters, for the 26th Antisubmarine Wing of the Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command (AAFAC) from 20 November 1942 – 15 October 1943. The AAFAC flew antisubmarine patrols, searching for and attacking German U-Boats from the airport using B-18 Bolo and B-24 Liberator bombers specially equipped with RADAR. After the war, Miami Airport became the home of numerous cargo and troop carrier units of the United States Air Force Reserve, the major one being the 435th Troop Carrier Group (later Wing), operating from the airport from July 1949 to February 1951, and again from December 1952 to December 1958. The above content comes from Wikipedia and is published under free licenses – click here to read more.
Runway InformationRunway 08L/26R
Runway 08R/26L
Runway 09/27
Runway 12/30
Radio Navigation Aids
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Based Aircraft
Major Carriers Serving This Airport
Most Popular Destinations
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Operational StatisticsTime Period: 2005-01-01 - 2005-12-31
Miami International Airport Address: Dade County, FL Tel: 305-876-7077 Images
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