Palm Springs International Airport , formerly Palm Springs Municipal Airport, is an airport two miles (3 km) east of downtown
Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs (Cahuilla: ''Séc-he'') is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. The city covers approximately , making it the largest city in Riverside County by land a ...
, United States. The airport covers and has two
runway
According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and takeoff of aircraft". Runways may be a man-made surface (often asphalt concrete, as ...
s.
The facility operates year-round, with most flights occurring in the fall, winter, and spring.
The airport was named as number 3 in a 2011 list of "America's Most Stress-Free Airports" by ''Smarter Travel''.
History
Military use
PSP was built as a
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical r ...
emergency landing field in 1939 on land owned by the
Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians
The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians of the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation is a federally recognized tribe of the Cahuilla, located in Riverside County, California, United States.[March Field
March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the second of seven months to have a length of 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of Ma ...]
and the Los Angeles area.
In March 1941, the War Department certified improvements to the existing airport in Palm Springs as essential to National Defense. The airport was approved to serve as a staging field by the
Air Corps Ferrying Command
Air Transport Command (ATC) was a United States Air Force unit that was created during World War II as the strategic airlift component of the United States Army Air Forces.
It had two main missions, the first being the delivery of supplies ...
21st Ferrying Group in November 1941. Land was acquired to build a major airfield a half mile from the old airfield site. The new airfield, Palm Springs Army Airfield, was completed in early 1942, and the old air field was then used only as a backup.
Many of the field's
Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command (ATC) was a United States Air Force unit that was created during World War II as the strategic airlift component of the United States Army Air Forces.
It had two main missions, the first being the delivery of supplies and ...
560th Army Air Forces Base Unit personnel stayed at the comfortable Lapaz Guest Ranch nearby. Training conducted at the airfield was by the 72d and 73d Ferrying Squadrons in long-distance over-water flying and navigation. Later, training was also provided to pursuit pilot training by
IV Fighter Command
The IV Fighter Command is a disbanded United States Air Force unit. It was activated under Fourth Air Force at March Field, California in June 1941, when it replaced a provisional organization. It was responsible for training fighter units and ...
459th Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron. Training was in
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in April 1940 by a team headed by James ...
s,
P-40 Warhawk
The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground-attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and ...
s and
P-38 Lightning
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinctive tw ...
s.
On June 1, 1944, training moved to
Brownsville Army Airfield
Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport is east of downtown Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas.
The Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport serves two airlines, six air taxis and offers three fixed-base operations ...
, Texas, and the airfield was used for Army and Navy transport flights until the end of April 1945. The auxiliary field or backup field was declared surplus on May 12, 1945, and the main airfield was declared excess and transferred to the
War Assets Administration
The War Assets Administration (WAA) was created to dispose of United States government-owned surplus material and property from World War II. The WAA was established in the Office for Emergency Management, effective March 25, 1946, by Executive Ord ...
for disposal in 1946 and it was sold to private buyers. The City of Palm Springs purchased the land in 1961 and converted it to Palm Springs Municipal Airport.
Historical Airline Service
Palm Springs had scheduled passenger service in 1934 operated by Palm Springs Air Lines with
Ford Trimotor
The Ford Trimotor (also called the "Tri-Motor", and nicknamed the "Tin Goose") is an American three-engined transport aircraft. Production started in 1925 by the companies of Henry Ford and ended on June 7, 1933, after 199 had been made. It w ...
aircraft with flights to the
Union Air Terminal
Hollywood Burbank Airport, legally and formerly marketed as Bob Hope Airport after entertainer Bob Hope , is a public airport northwest of downtown Burbank, California, Burbank, in Los Angeles County, California, United States.. Federal Aviatio ...
(now the
Hollywood Burbank Airport
Hollywood Burbank Airport, legally and formerly marketed as Bob Hope Airport after entertainer Bob Hope , is a public airport northwest of downtown Burbank, in Los Angeles County, California, United States.. Federal Aviation Administration. ef ...
) in Burbank.
Western Airlines
Western Airlines was a major airline based in California, operating in the Western United States including Alaska and Hawaii, and western Canada, as well as to New York City, Boston, Washington, D.C., and Miami and to Mexico City, London and N ...
flights began in 1945–46 followed by
Bonanza Air Lines
Bonanza Air Lines was an airline (known at the time as a "local service" air carrier as defined by the federal Civil Aeronautics Board) in the Western United States (and eventually Mexico) from 1945 until it merged with two other local service ai ...
in 1957–58. In 1964, Western
Lockheed L-188 Electra
The Lockheed L-188 Electra is an American turboprop airliner built by Lockheed. First flown in 1957, it was the first large turboprop airliner built in the United States. Initial sales were good, but after two fatal crashes that led to expensiv ...
s flew nonstop to Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Diego. Bonanza and successors Air West and
Hughes Airwest
Hughes Airwest was a regional airline in the western United States, backed by Howard Hughes' Summa Corporation. Its original name in 1968 was Air West and the air carrier was owned by Nick Bez. Hughes Airwest flew routes in the w ...
served Palm Springs for many years with the
Fairchild F-27
The Fairchild F-27 and Fairchild Hiller FH-227 were versions of the Fokker F27 Friendship twin-engined turboprop passenger aircraft manufactured under license by Fairchild Hiller in the United States. The Fairchild F-27 was similar to the standa ...
followed by
Douglas DC-9
The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 is an American five-abreast single-aisle aircraft designed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It was initially produced by the developer company as the Douglas DC-9 until August 1967 and then by McDonnell Douglas.
After ...
s.
American Airlines
American Airlines is a major airlines of the United States, major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the world when measured ...
Boeing 707
The Boeing 707 is an American, long-range, narrow-body airliner, the first jetliner developed and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
Developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype first flown in 1954, the initial first flew on December 20, ...
s appeared in winter 1967–68. By 1969, American had four Boeing 707 departures a day from the airport, two nonstops to Los Angeles and two nonstops to Phoenix and on to Chicago.
Trans World Airlines
Trans World Airlines (TWA) was a major American airline which operated from 1930 until 2001. It was formed as Transcontinental & Western Air to operate a route from New York City to Los Angeles via St. Louis, Kansas City, and other stops, with F ...
(
TWA
Trans World Airlines (TWA) was a major American airline which operated from 1930 until 2001. It was formed as Transcontinental & Western Air to operate a route from New York City to Los Angeles via St. Louis, Kansas City, and other stops, with ...
)
Boeing 707
The Boeing 707 is an American, long-range, narrow-body airliner, the first jetliner developed and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
Developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype first flown in 1954, the initial first flew on December 20, ...
s arrived in 1978, flying to Chicago via Phoenix.
Scheduled nonstops did not reach beyond
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
,
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
, and
Phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:
* Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore
* Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States
Phoenix may also refer to:
Mythology
Greek mythological figures
* Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
until winter 1969–70, when American Airlines started a nonstop to
Chicago O'Hare Airport
Chicago O'Hare International Airport , sometimes referred to as, Chicago O'Hare, or simply O'Hare, is the main international airport serving Chicago, Illinois, located on the city's Northwest Side, approximately northwest of the Loop business ...
. In the 1970s, American
McDonnell Douglas DC-10
The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 is an American trijet wide-body aircraft manufactured by McDonnell Douglas.
The DC-10 was intended to succeed the DC-8 for long-range flights. It first flew on August 29, 1970; it was introduced on August 5, 1971, ...
s appeared, the largest aircraft ever scheduled to PSP. In 1976, American was flying the DC-10 to New York
LaGuardia Airport
LaGuardia Airport is a civil airport in East Elmhurst, Queens, New York City. Covering , the facility was established in 1929 and began operating as a public airport in 1939. It is named after former New York City mayor Fiorello La Guardia. ...
via Chicago
O'Hare Airport
Chicago O'Hare International Airport , sometimes referred to as, Chicago O'Hare, or simply O'Hare, is the main international airport serving Chicago, Illinois, located on the city's Northwest Side, approximately northwest of the Loop business ...
as well as
Boeing 727-100
The Boeing 727 is an American Narrow-body aircraft, narrow-body airliner that was developed and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
After the heavy Boeing 707, 707 quad-jet was introduced in 1958, Boeing addressed the demand for shorter f ...
s to Dallas/Fort Worth, Phoenix and Los Angeles.
[Feb. 1, 1976 Official Airline Guide] In 1976 Western
Boeing 727-200
The Boeing 727 is an American narrow-body airliner that was developed and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
After the heavy 707 quad-jet was introduced in 1958, Boeing addressed the demand for shorter flight lengths from smaller airpor ...
s and
Boeing 737-200
The Boeing 737 is a narrow-body aircraft produced by Boeing at its Boeing Renton Factory, Renton Factory in Washington (state), Washington.
Developed to supplement the Boeing 727 on short and thin routes, the twinjet retains the Boeing 707, 7 ...
s flew nonstop to Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
In 1987, Western was merged into
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc., typically referred to as Delta, is one of the major airlines of the United States and a legacy carrier. One of the List of airlines by foundation date, world's oldest airlines in operation, Delta is headquartered in Atla ...
which continues to serve PSP with year-round service to Seattle and seasonal services to other destinations. Other jet service to Palm Springs in the past included flights operated by
Air21
Air21 Airlines was a short-lived United States airline based in Fresno, California, led by Mark Morro, founded by David Miller and co-founded by David J. VanderLugt. The airline operated five Fokker F28 Fellowship 64-passenger twin engine jet ...
,
Air California
Air California, later renamed AirCal, was an American airline company, founded by William E. Myers and Bill Perrera, a partnership of Orange County businessmen. It began as an intrastate airline operating solely within California.
Air Californ ...
and successor
Air Cal,
America West Airlines
America West Airlines was a major American airline, founded in 1981, with service commencing in 1983, and having reached US$1 billion in annual revenue in 1989, headquartered in Tempe, Arizona. At the time of its acquisition of US Airways, Americ ...
,
CP Air
Canadian Pacific Air Lines was a Canadian airline that operated from 1942 to 1987. It operated under the name CP Air from 1968 to 1986. Headquartered at Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, British Columbia, it served domestic Canadian a ...
, the original
Frontier Airlines (1950–1986)
Frontier Airlines was a United States airline formed by a merger of Arizona Airways, Challenger Airlines, and Monarch Airlines on June 1, 1950. Headquartered at the now-closed Stapleton Airport in Denver, Colorado, the airline ceased operations ...
,
Hughes Airwest
Hughes Airwest was a regional airline in the western United States, backed by Howard Hughes' Summa Corporation. Its original name in 1968 was Air West and the air carrier was owned by Nick Bez. Hughes Airwest flew routes in the w ...
,
Morris Air
Morris Air was a low-fare airline in the western United States, based in Salt Lake City, Utah. It began scheduled operations in 1992, and was sold to Southwest Airlines in December 1993 for over $120 million in stock. The airline officially became ...
,
Pacific Express
Pacific Express was an all-jet airline in the western United States from 1982 to early based in marketed itself as Pan Am Pacific Express reflecting a marketing agreement between Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) and the carrier for connectin ...
,
Pacific Southwest Airlines
Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA) was a regional U.S. airline headquartered in San Diego, California, that operated from 1949 to 1998. It was the first large discount airline in the United States. PSA called itself "The World's Friendliest Airl ...
(PSA),
Pan Am
Pan American World Airways, originally founded as Pan American Airways and commonly known as Pan Am, was an American airline that was the principal and largest international air carrier and unofficial overseas flag carrier of the United States ...
,
Reno Air
Reno Air was a scheduled passenger airline headquartered in Reno, Nevada, United States. Reno Air provided service from its hubs at Reno/Tahoe International Airport in Reno, Nevada, San Jose International Airport in San Jose, California and Las ...
,
Republic Airlines (1979–1986)
Republic Airlines was an American airline formed by the merger of North Central Airlines and Southern Airways on July 1, 1979. Their headquarters were at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, in what is now Fort Snelling, Minnesota, Fort ...
and
USAir
US Airways (formerly USAir) was a major United States airline that operated from 1937 until its merger with American Airlines in 2015. It was originally founded in Pittsburgh as a mail delivery airline called All American Aviation, which soon b ...
.
Commuter and regional airlines at Palm Springs from the late 1970s to the 1990s included
Air Bahia Air Bahia was an airline with flights to Mexico which also served Las Vegas and Tucson during its existence.
History
The short-lived Air Bahia, based in San Diego, operated its first scheduled service on August 18, 1979. Its operations included ser ...
,
Air Nevada
Pacific Wings Airline was an American commuter airline headquartered in Mesa, Arizona, United States in Greater Phoenix. The airline operated flights under the brands New Mexico Airlines in New Mexico, GeorgiaSkies in Georgia, TennesseeSkies ...
,
American Eagle
The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies the same niche as ...
operated by
Wings West Airlines
Wings West Airlines was an American regional airline headquartered at McChesney Field (SBP), unincorporated San Luis Obispo County, California. The airline initially began scheduled passenger service as an independent commuter air carrier and t ...
,
America West Express
America West Express was the brand name for America West Airlines commuter and regional flights operated by Mesa Air Group's Mesa Airlines under a code share agreement. Today Mesa Airlines operates for American Eagle.
Mesa Airlines operated Ameri ...
operated by
Mesa Airlines
Mesa Airlines, Inc., is an American regional airline based in Phoenix, Arizona. It is an FAA Part 121–certificated air carrier operating under air carrier certificate number MASA036A issued on June 29, 1979. It is a subsidiary of Mesa Air Gr ...
, Cable Commuter Airlines, California Seaboard Airlines, Dash Air,
Delta Connection
Delta Connection is a regional airline brand name for Delta Air Lines, under which a number of individually owned regional airlines primarily operate short- and medium-haul routes. Mainline major air carriers often use regional airlines to ope ...
operated by
SkyWest Airlines
SkyWest Airlines is an American regional airline headquartered in St. George, Utah, United States. SkyWest is paid to staff, operate and maintain aircraft used on flights that are scheduled, marketed and sold by a partner mainline airline. The ...
,
Imperial Airlines
Imperial Airlines was a United States commuter airline that operated from 1964 to 1986. Imperial served a number of cities in Southern California and for a brief period several cities in Arizona.
History
Imperial was founded as Visco Flying Se ...
, Inland Empire Airlines,
Scenic Airlines
Scenic may refer to:
* Scenic design
* Scenic painting
* Scenic overlook
* Scenic railroad (disambiguation)
* Scenic route
* Scenic, South Dakota, United States
* Scenic (horse), a Thoroughbred racehorse
Aviation
*Airwave Scenic, an Austrian p ...
,
SkyWest Airlines
SkyWest Airlines is an American regional airline headquartered in St. George, Utah, United States. SkyWest is paid to staff, operate and maintain aircraft used on flights that are scheduled, marketed and sold by a partner mainline airline. The ...
(operating independently),
Sun Aire Lines
Sun Aire Lines was a United States commuter airline that operated from 1968 to 1985. Sun Aire served a number of cities in Southern California and Arizona.
History
Sun Aire Lines was founded as Borrego Springs Airlines in 1968. Its operations in ...
,
Swift Aire Lines
Swift Aire Lines was a U.S. commuter air carrier that was based in San Luis Obispo, California. The airline's two letter code was "WI". Swift Aire provided scheduled passenger air service wholly within California from the late 1960s until 1981 ...
,
Trans World Express
Trans World Express (TWE) was the fully owned and certificated, regional carrier for Trans World Airlines (TWA) and an airline trademark name for TWA's corporation.
* Trans World Express - The formerly independent regional airline known as Ranso ...
operated by Alpha Air,
United Express
United Express is the brand name for the regional branch of United Airlines, under which six individually owned regional airlines operate short- and medium-haul feeder flights.
On October 1, 2010, UAL Corporation and Continental Airlines merged t ...
operated by
WestAir
WestAir Commuter Airlines (IATA:OE, VB/ICAO WCA, SDU), was a U.S.-based regional airline formed when Stol Air Commuter changed its name in 1978 to WestAir Airlines; it was renamed WestAir Commuter Airlines in 1986. One of the founders was Maur ...
and later by
SkyWest Airlines
SkyWest Airlines is an American regional airline headquartered in St. George, Utah, United States. SkyWest is paid to staff, operate and maintain aircraft used on flights that are scheduled, marketed and sold by a partner mainline airline. The ...
, and
USAir Express
US Airways Express was the brand name for the regional affiliate of US Airways, under which a number of individually owned commuter air carriers and regional airlines operate short and medium haul routes. This code sharing service was previously o ...
followed by
US Airways Express
US Airways Express was the brand name for the regional affiliate of US Airways, under which a number of individually owned commuter air carriers and regional airlines operate short and medium haul routes. This code sharing service was previously ...
operated by
Trans States Airlines
Trans States Airlines was a regional airline owned by Trans States Holdings and headquartered in Bridgeton, Missouri. At the time of its closing, the airline operated flights for United Airlines under the United Express brand. Trans States Airline ...
and
StatesWest Airlines
StatesWest Airlines was a regional airline, commuter airline headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona that operated to destinations in the Southwestern United States.
History
StatesWest was founded by Phoenix entrepreneur Rudy Millein 1986 and began o ...
.
1990-2020: Growth and Expansion
During the 1990's, the airport transformed from a single runway into a dual-runway airport with the completion of a nearly 5,000 foot general runway in 1993 and the expansion of the existing runway to 10,000 feet as part of a 1994 master plan. On the terminal side, the airport grew with the addition of the Sonny Bono Concourse in 1999, outdoor courtyard in 2007, and renovated South Concourse by 2007. The airport installed Wi-Fi in December 2004. The renovations and expansions allowed PSP to handle aircraft as large as the Boeing 747. However, commercial flights are limited to aircraft as large as the Boeing 767 due to terminal size limitations.
On December 30, 2006, a
U.S. Air Force Presidential Boeing VC-25 (the USAF military version of the
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a large, long-range wide-body airliner designed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes in the United States between 1968 and 2022.
After introducing the 707 in October 1958, Pan Am wanted a jet times its size, t ...
), departed Palm Springs International Airport with the body of the 38th President of the United States,
Gerald R. Ford
Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. ( ; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected ...
, and delivered it to Washington, D.C., for memorial services. Air Force One continues to make an appearance at PSP, most recently in February 2020 with a visit from then-President
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
.
Despite the terminal renovations and expansions in the 1990's and 2000's, rapid airline growth and expansion started in the 2010's.
In 2010,
WestJet
WestJet Airlines Ltd. is a Canadian airline headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, near Calgary International Airport. It is the second-largest Canadian airline, behind Air Canada, operating an average of 777 flights and carrying more than 66,130 ...
launched flights to PSP with service to Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver. In 2011, the airline added service to Toronto, and upgraded Calgary to year-round service. The airline has since dropped Toronto, but has since added seasonal service to Winnipeg and upgraded Vancouver to year-round. In November 2011,
Frontier Airlines
Frontier Airlines is a major ultra-low-cost U.S. airline headquartered in Denver, Colorado. It operates flights to over 100 destinations throughout the United States and 31 international destinations, and employs more than 3,000 staff. The ca ...
launched service to PSP with seasonal service to Denver. The airline served PSP from 2011 to 2021, when it pulled out in favor of expanding flights at Ontario. In December 2011, low-cost carrier
Virgin America
Virgin America Inc. was a low-cost U.S. airline that operated from 2007 until 2018, when it was acquired by Alaska Airlines. The airline primarily focused on operating low-fare service between cities on the West Coast and other major metropoli ...
launched seasonal service to PSP from San Francisco, and in 2012, launched the airport's first ever service to New York's JFK Airport. The airline upgraded service to year-round in 2016.
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines is a major American airline headquartered in SeaTac, Washington, within the Seattle metropolitan area. It is the sixth largest airline in North America when measured by fleet size, scheduled passengers carried, and the numb ...
, Virgin America's successor, continues to operate Virgin's PSP-SFO route multiple times daily using the Embraer E175 (and occasionally, the Boeing 737), but dropped JFK nonstops altogether. Alaska still offers service between PSP and JFK via San Francisco and Seattle.
In 2013, a new Air Traffic Control Tower opened at the airport, replacing the airport's old tower (which had been in operation since 1967) while giving controllers a better view of planes on the airfield and at the airport. The airport also boosted perimeter security with a radar-based system to better detect airport intrusions.
Delta Airlines
Delta Air Lines, Inc., typically referred to as Delta, is one of the major airlines of the United States and a legacy carrier. One of the world's oldest airlines in operation, Delta is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline, along wit ...
began flights to Seattle in December 2014 with the Embraer E175.
JetBlue
JetBlue Airways Corporation (stylized as jetBlue) is a major American low cost airline, and the seventh largest airline in North America by passengers carried. The airline is headquartered in the Long Island City neighborhood of the New York C ...
launched flights to New York-JFK in 2016 and Boston in 2019. In December 2016,
Air Canada Rouge
Air Canada Rouge, ''Rouge'' meaning "red" in French, is a subsidiary of Air Canada. It is fully integrated into the Air Canada mainline and Air Canada Express networks; flights are sold with AC flight numbers but are listed as "operated by Ai ...
launched service between PSP and Toronto using the Airbus A319. In December 2018, Delta launched seasonal flights to Atlanta. For the 2019-20 season, Delta upgraded Seattle to mainline and expanded Atlanta to three times weekly, using the Boeing 757. The airline also deployed the Embraer E175 on one of its Salt Lake City flights. In November 2019, Alaska Airlines launched flights to Everett’s
Paine Field
Paine Field , also known as Snohomish County Airport, is a commercial and general aviation airport serving the Seattle metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Washington. It is located in unincorporated Snohomish County, Washington, between the ...
, supplementing the airline's existing service to nearby Seattle-Tacoma.
However, in 2020, as a result of the onset of the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, airlines suspended most seasonal and some year-round destinations as traffic plummeted during the month of March, and Canadian service being almost eliminated entirely due to the temporary closure of the Canada-United States border (even though WestJet continued serving PSP with reduced frequency). However, thanks to increased popularity in outdoor destinations and residents from larger cities relocating to Palm Springs (and the surrounding areas), the pandemic gave airlines a unique opportunity to tap into and/or expand their presence at PSP.
2020-Present: Record-Breaking Growth
In September 2020,
Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines Co., typically referred to as Southwest, is one of the major airlines of the United States and the world's largest low-cost carrier. It is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and has scheduled service to 121 destinations in the U ...
announced plans to serve Palm Springs, year-round. Flights to Oakland, Phoenix, and Denver launched in November 2020, and flights to Las Vegas launched in May 2021.
In December 2020, Delta resumed service to Atlanta and Minneapolis-St. Paul with the Boeing 737 and Seattle with the Embraer E175. Also, Alaska added flights to San Jose, Reno, and Boise using the Embraer E175. Simultaneously, American and JetBlue announced flights to Philadelphia and Fort Lauderdale, respectively. Although Philadelphia, Fort Lauderdale, and Reno have since been discontinued, Alaska upgraded San Jose to daily, year-round service, and expanded Everett to twice daily during peak season. American also upgraded select Phoenix flights to mainline, and increased frequency to Dallas/Fort Worth during peak season using the Boeing 737 and Airbus A321. JetBlue even upgraded select Boston and JFK flights to the Airbus A321, although the vast majority of flights utilize the Airbus A320.
Delta has upgraded Atlanta from three-times weekly to daily, seasonal service from December through April with the Boeing 737, and upgraded Minneapolis-St. Paul to double-daily service during peak season using the Boeing 737 or Airbus A320 (depending on passenger demand). The airline also restored mainline service to Seattle using the Boeing 737 and Airbus A220, becoming the first (and currently only) airline operating the A220 into PSP. Delta also added capacity on the long-running Salt Lake City route by swapping out the CRJ-200 in favor of the larger CRJ-900 and Embraer E175, and increased frequency to 3x daily (4x daily during peak season).
In August 2021, the airport renovated and expanded the ticketing area. It also installed a new baggage handling system to cope with increased passenger growth and demand.
During the 2021-22 winter season, airlines continued expanding at PSP, allowing passenger traffic to meet and even exceed pre-pandemic levels.
In October 2021, Southwest Airlines launched daily, year-round flights to Sacramento. In November, the airline inaugurated flights to Chicago-Midway, Dallas-Love Field, and Portland, Oregon. Although Chicago-Midway has since been dropped, the airline upgraded Sacramento and Las Vegas to double daily service. Portland remains a Saturday-only service during peak season. Simultaneously, Allegiant launched seasonal flights to Nashville, Tennessee and Des Moines. On November 19, Alaska Airlines launched flights to Austin, Texas and later expanded its seasonal PDX service into June (using the Embraer E175 from April through June). With the reopening of the Canada-United States Border, Canadian service was restored with the return of Air Canada on November 4, 2021 and the entrance of Canadian ultra-low cost carriers Swoop and Flair in December.
In January 2022, AHA! Airlines launched flights to Reno using the Embraer E145 operated by ExpressJet. However, AHA! ceased operations in August of that year (due to ExpressJet's bankruptcy), and Swoop has since pulled out. Flair continues to connect PSP to Vancouver, Toronto, and Edmonton during the winter tourist season, while WestJet resumed its own seasonal service to Edmonton. Air Canada also fully restored seasonal service to Toronto (via Air Canada Rogue) and Vancouver using the Airbus A320 family and Boeing 737 MAX, respectively. Reno can still be reached via a connection on American, Southwest, or United.
In March, PSP launched a new incentive program to attract more year-round domestic and international service (from cities with U.S. Border Preclearance), along with nonstop flights to Hawaii. That summer, PSP was ranked as America's 62nd busiest airport and one of America's fastest growing airports in the midst of a record-breaking summer. WestJet also restored year-round service to Vancouver and Calgary, becoming the only Canadian carrier to serve PSP year-round.
For the 2022-23 season, airlines further ramped up their schedules to keep pace with passenger demand.
In September, American and Alaska relaunched their respective seasonal services to Chicago O’Hare and Portland one month early, owing to record passenger growth during the summer. In November, Air Canada Rogue began flying the Airbus A321 on select frequencies to Toronto, while American upgraded Chicago O’Hare to double-daily service during peak season, filling the void left by the discontinuation of its PSP-Philadelphia flight. Southwest Airlines launched daily flights to San Jose, California, making the airline the largest in terms of destinations served.
Avelo Airlines
Avelo Airlines () is an ultra low-cost U.S. carrier headquartered in Houston, Texas. It previously operated charter flights as ''Casino Express Airlines'' and ''Xtra Airways'', before transitioning to scheduled operations and rebranding as Av ...
launched seasonal flights to Eugene, Santa Rosa, and Redmond/Bend, with PSP becoming Avelo’s 30th destination. Meanwhile, Alaska Airlines dropped flights to Austin, Texas, while American Eagle launched their own flights to Austin using Embraer E175's operated by Envoy Air. Alaska still offers PSP-AUS via San Francisco.
In December 2022, PSP announced it will be doubling the number of restaurants and renovating the airport's current shops, along with adding duty-free shopping for the first time in the airport's history. The multi-phase project is expected to begin in February 2023, and be completed by the end of 2024.
U.S. customs clearance
Although a true
international airport
An international airport is an airport with customs and border control facilities enabling passengers to travel between countries around the world. International airports are usually larger than domestic airports and they must feature longer ...
, PSP only has U.S. customs and immigration facilities for general aviation aircraft including business jets. All international airline flights are currently operated from Canadian cities that have
pre-clearance facilities.
Terminals
![KPSPTower2021](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/KPSPTower2021.jpg)
PSP's passenger terminal consists of three parts—the main building, the elevated
Sonny Bono
Salvatore Phillip "Sonny" Bono (; February 16, 1935 – January 5, 1998) was an American singer, actor, and politician who came to fame in partnership with his second wife Cher as the popular singing duo Sonny & Cher. A member of the Republica ...
Concourse to the north, and a yet-unnamed concourse to the south. The airport has 19 total gates.
Airside
An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surface ...
, it has a unique open-air layout in that all passenger walkways connecting these structures are roofless.
Main Building
The main building is the land side of the airport. Road traffic accesses the airport directly off of Tahquitz Canyon Way (from downtown) or Kirk Douglas Way, itself fed by Ramon Road from points east. Uncovered parking areas are directly in front of the building. The center section houses the security screening area and automatic doors to/from the open-air walkways airside. Ticketing is on the right (south) wing, while baggage claim and car rental counters are on the left (north). The main building opened in 1966 and was designed by Donald Wrexler.
Departing passengers are routed first to airline ticket counters or kiosks for checking in. Since all gates at Palm Springs are in the two outlying concourses, passengers must pass through the security screening area for admittance into the secure air side of the airport.
Outdoor Courtyard
After clearing security, passengers leave the main building via the automatic doors and enter the open-air courtyard, which contains a full-service restaurant, coffee shop, and multiple sets of restrooms. A children's playground and pet relief area are adjacent to the Sonny Bono concourse. It is through this courtyard that passengers access the nineteen full-service gates at the two concourses. There is also a hardstand adjacent to the restaurant (Gate 1) that can be used as a boarding gate when gates at the two concourses are unavailable or if an aircraft needs to park for mechanical reasons.
Sonny Bono Concourse (Gates 4–11)
On November 4, 1999, the new
Sonny Bono
Salvatore Phillip "Sonny" Bono (; February 16, 1935 – January 5, 1998) was an American singer, actor, and politician who came to fame in partnership with his second wife Cher as the popular singing duo Sonny & Cher. A member of the Republica ...
Concourse opened as part of the 1994–2000 expansion. Named in honor of the late singer, congressman and former mayor of the city, this newer concourse has 8 gates (all with jet bridges) and is the elevated one of the two. It is designed to handle larger aircraft (such as the
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a narrow-body aircraft produced by Boeing at its Renton Factory in Washington.
Developed to supplement the Boeing 727 on short and thin routes, the twinjet retains the 707 fuselage width and six abreast seating with two un ...
and the
Airbus A320 family
The Airbus A320 family is a series of narrow-body airliners developed and produced by Airbus.
The A320 was launched in March 1984, first flew on 22 February 1987, and was introduced in April 1988 by Air France.
The first member of the famil ...
) because of its
jet bridge
A jet bridge (also termed jetway, jetwalk, airgate, gangway, aerobridge/airbridge, skybridge, finger, airtube, expedited suspended passenger entry system (E-SPES), or its official industry name passenger boarding bridge (PBB)) is an enclosed, ...
s. Although it is capable of handling aircraft as large as the Boeing 767, it is commonly used by the Boeing 737, Airbus A320 family, and the Embraer E175. SB's outdoor escalator and walkway are shaded by a designer roofline similar to that of the
Denver International Airport
Denver International Airport , locally known as DIA, is an international airport in the Western United States, primarily serving metropolitan Denver, Colorado, as well as the greater Front Range Urban Corridor. At , it is the largest airport in ...
.
Amenities include a full-service restaurant, golf pro shop, and two newsstands.
Regional Concourse (Gates 12–20)
The older Regional Concourse on the south side, simply known as the Regional Concourse on the airport website, or "Gates 12–20" on airport signage, is at the tarmac level and hosts smaller aircraft such as the Embraer ERJ and Bombardier CRJ. There are 11 gates, which are all hardstands, 6 of which are capable of handling larger aircraft (up to the
Airbus A321
The Airbus A321 is a member of the Airbus A320 family of short to medium range, narrow-body, commercial passenger twin engine jet airliners; it carries 185 to 236 passengers. It has a stretched fuselage which was the first derivative of the ba ...
) should the need arise. It also contains the airport's only hardstands for the Airbus A220. Boarding uses ramps or
airstair
An airstair is a set of steps built into an aircraft so that passengers may board and alight the aircraft. The stairs are often built into a clamshell-style door on the aircraft. Airstairs eliminate the need for passengers to use a mobile st ...
s.
Amenities include a restaurant, newsstand, and restrooms. There is also a fountain adjacent to the concourse entrance.
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
Cargo
Statistics
In the year ending December 31, 2018, the airport had 57,512 aircraft operations, average 158 per day: 41%
general aviation
General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...
, 37% airline, 19%
air taxi
An air taxi is a small commercial aircraft that makes short flights on demand.
In 2001 air taxi operations were promoted in the United States by a NASA and aerospace industry study on the potential Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) an ...
, and 3% military.
81 aircraft at the time were based at the airport: 62 single-engine, 8 multi-engine, 10 jet, and 1 helicopter.
Airport traffic
Top destinations
Airline market share
Ground transportation
State Route 111 (Gene Autry Trail) is accessible to PSP via Ramon Road.
PSP is served by both municipal and regional routes.
Sunline
Sunline (29 September 1995 – 1 May 2009) was a champion New Zealand-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who was the world's highest earning race mare of her time. She won 32 of her 48 races with earnings of NZ$14,200,000. She was named the New Zealand ...
's ''SunBus'' routes 2 and 4 provide direct service to downtown Palm Springs via the bus stops at El Cielo/Kirk Douglas and Tahquitz/Civic.
Morongo Basin Transit Authority
Basin Transit, formally Morongo Basin Transit Authority (MBTA) is the transit agency that serves the Morongo Basin in San Bernardino County, California. It is a joint powers authority between Yucca Valley, Twentynine Palms, and San Bernardino C ...
provides service to Twentynine Palms. An
Amtrak Thruway
Amtrak Thruway is a system of through-ticketed transportation services to connect passengers with areas not served by Amtrak trains. In most cases these are dedicated motorcoach routes, but can also be non-dedicated intercity bus services, transit ...
bus stop is located just outside the baggage claim area, with service to Cabazon (
Morongo Casino
Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa is a Native American gaming casino, of the Morongo Band of Cahuilla Mission Indians, located in Cabazon, California, United States, near San Gorgonio Pass. The casino has 310 rooms and suites. A , 27-story resort, Mor ...
), Riverside, and Fullerton. The Idyllwild Shuttle provides weekly connections to
Mountain Center and
Idyllwild–Pine Cove.
Accidents and incidents at or near PSP
![KPSPFire](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/KPSPFire.jpg)
*On October 23, 1942,
American Airlines Flight 28
American Airlines Flight 28 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight that crashed on October 23, 1942, in Chino Canyon near Palm Springs, California, United States, after being struck by a United States Army Air Forces B-34 bomber. The B-34 s ...
, a
Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller-driven airliner
manufactured by Douglas Aircraft Company, which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II.
It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper version ...
(reg. NC16017) en route to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, crashed in
Chino Canyon Chino Canyon is a desert canyon in Riverside County, California, United States. It is one of the steepest canyons in North America, dropping from over at the south rim to less than on the valley floor in less than a mile. The Palm Springs Aerial ...
, 3.1 miles (5 km) north of then Palm Springs Municipal Airport after being clipped by a
United States Army Air Force
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
Lockheed B-34
The Lockheed Ventura is a twin-engine medium bomber and patrol bomber of World War II.
The Ventura first entered combat in Europe as a bomber with the RAF in late 1942. Designated PV-1 by the United States Navy (US Navy), it entered combat in 1 ...
Ventura II bomber. All nine passengers and three crew were killed on the DC-3. The bomber (reg. 41–38116) landed safely at Palm Springs Municipal Airport with minor damage.
*On February 13, 1958,
Western Airlines
Western Airlines was a major airline based in California, operating in the Western United States including Alaska and Hawaii, and western Canada, as well as to New York City, Boston, Washington, D.C., and Miami and to Mexico City, London and N ...
Flight 19, a
Convair CV-240
The Convair CV-240 is an American airliner that Convair manufactured from 1947 to 1954, initially as a possible replacement for the ubiquitous Douglas DC-3. Featuring a more modern design with cabin pressurization, the 240 series made some inroa ...
crash-landed and was destroyed after striking boulders and large mounds of drifted sand on desert terrain 4.1 miles NNW of PSP due to separation of the right wing leading edge in flight. Of the 18 passengers and three crew, there were no fatalities, but five passengers were seriously injured, and most of the rest had minor injuries. The aircraft was heavily damaged and written off.
*On November 14, 1965, a Paul Kelly Flying Service
Learjet 23
The Learjet 23 (originally Lear Jet 23) is an American six-to-eight-seat (two crew and four to six passengers) twinjet, high-speed business jet manufactured by Learjet. Introduced in 1964, it was Learjet's first model and created a new market f ...
crashed 13.1 miles east of PSP at night when the aircraft lost control and crashed in a 55-degree nose-down vertical left bank attitude due to spatial disorientation of the pilot. Both crew and all six passengers died.
*On September 23, 1967, a Bird Corp. Oakland Centaurus, a modified
Lockheed Ventura
The Lockheed Ventura is a twin-engine medium bomber and patrol bomber of World War II.
The Ventura first entered combat in Europe as a bomber with the RAF in late 1942. Designated PV-1 by the United States Navy (US Navy), it entered combat in 1 ...
, crashed in the initial climb after the right engine failed. Both occupants survived, but the aircraft was written off.
*On January 6, 1977, a Jet Avia
Learjet 24
The Learjet 24 is an American six-to-eight-seat (two crew and four to six passengers) twin-engine, high-speed business jet, which was manufactured by Learjet as the successor to the Learjet 23.
History
The Learjet 24 was designed as an improved ...
B impacted a mountain at 9,700 feet 21.9 miles NW of PSP en route to
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
. The crew misinterpreted
instrument flight rules
In aviation, instrument flight rules (IFR) is one of two sets of regulations governing all aspects of civil aviation aircraft operations; the other is visual flight rules (VFR).
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) ''Instrument Fly ...
clearance and
air traffic control
Air traffic control (ATC) is a service provided by ground-based air traffic controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and through a given section of controlled airspace, and can provide advisory services to aircraft in non-controlled airs ...
instructions, and maintained the runway heading. All four occupants (two crew, two passengers) were killed.
*On December 4, 2020, a Cessna 172N Skyhawk crashed nose-first onto the main runway during an emergency landing. The sole occupant, the female pilot, was seriously injured and was rushed to a nearby hospital.
See also
*
California World War II Army Airfields
During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in California for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers.
Most of these airfields were under the command of Fourth Air Force or the A ...
*
Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command (ATC) was a United States Air Force unit that was created during World War II as the strategic airlift component of the United States Army Air Forces.
It had two main missions, the first being the delivery of supplies and ...
*
Palm Springs Air Museum
The Palm Springs Air Museum (PSAM), is a non-profit educational institution in Palm Springs, Riverside County, California. The Museum's mission is to exhibit, educate and eternalize the role of the World War II combat aircraft and the role the pil ...
References
www.airfieldsdatabase.com
External links
Palm Springs International Airport(official site)
Signature Flight Support*
{{authority control
Airports in Riverside County, California
Buildings and structures in Palm Springs, California
Coachella Valley
1961 establishments in California
Airports established in 1961