University Park Airport

In the 1950s a small airport was built on land leased from Penn State, just north of State College. The Centre County Airport Authority was created to manage the development of the airport. The October 1959 chart shows 2350-foot runway 6; the August 1965 chart shows 3000 feet; the November 1967 chart adds 2350-foot runway 16. (The intersection of those two 50-foot runways is still visible at 40.8492°N 77.85315°W / 40.8492; -77.85315). The present runway was built parallel to the old runway 6 about 1975–76; it was then 5000 feet long.

The first airline flights (All American DC-3s) at State College were at the old airport southwest of town 40.7704°N 77.8815°W / 40.7704; -77.8815 from 1949 to 1951. In 1965 Harrisburg Commuter began flights from State College to Harrisburg, two flights each weekday; the 1965 Official Airlines Guide does not state which airport they served, but starting in 1978 Allegheny Commuter flights were at University Park.

Penn State assumed the lease and assets of the airport in 1972.[4] A permanent passenger terminal was built in 1985. A new passenger terminal was completed in 1993, and cargo operations moved to the old terminal. In 1997 the runway was lengthened to 6,701 ft (2,042 m).[5] A new general aviation hangar was built in 2001.[6]

Construction on the control tower began on January 8, 2010[7] and was completed in early August 2011. The Airport Traffic Control Tower (ATCT) went operational on September 1, 2011, and is operated by Midwest Air Traffic Control under the Federal Contract Tower Program.

The U.S. Department of Transportation says in 2019 there were 190,930 enplanements, making University Park Airport the 6th busiest airport in Pennsylvania.[8]

The Centre County Airport Authority owns and operates the commercial airline terminal. The terminal consists of a snack bar, free Wi-Fi, charging stations for mobile devices and a conference room. Taxi, limousine services and car rentals are available. The airport does not have jet bridges, and all aircraft board from ground-level hardstands.

Penn State University fixed-base operator (FBO), offers fuel, flight planning services, aircraft repair, and hangar rental. American Airlines is serviced by Piedmont Airlines, Delta Air Lines is serviced by Endeavor Air, and United Airlines is serviced by GoJet Airlines and SkyWest Airlines. Private aircraft are serviced by fixed-base operator Penn State Aviation Center.[9]

University Park Airport features one active runway. The end closest to Rock Road is Runway 24, bearing a magnetic heading of 243 degrees. Runway 24 is equipped with an ILS and is used as the primary landing and departing runway. Runway 6 is used as a visual runway; however, infrastructure has been considered to improve satellite-based approaches.[10] Runway 16 and 34 was formerly used for general aviation but was closed.

University Park Airport regularly operates Bombardier CRJ700 series, Embraer ERJ145s, Embraer E175s and members of the Airbus A320 family as commercial aircraft; De Havilland Canada Dash 8s were common until their replacement by the regional jets. Cessna 208 Caravans are operated by Wiggins Airways contracted under FedEx Express cargo flights. Wiggins services Pittsburgh International Airport. Geisinger operates an Airbus H145 helicopter as a LifeFlight service. The airport sees numerous general aviation aircraft; Piper PA-28 Cherokees and business jets are common, while larger aircraft up to Boeing 757s can be seen as charter jets.[11]