Atlantic City International Airport is a shared civil-military airport northwest of

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

, in

Egg Harbor Township Egg Harbor Township is a township in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The U.S. Census Bureau in the 2020 census reported the population as 47,842, an increase of 4,519 over the 43,323 counted in the previous decade in the 201 ...

, the Pomona section of Galloway Township and in Hamilton Township. The airport is accessible via Exit 9 on the

Atlantic City Expressway The Atlantic City Expressway, officially numbered, but unsigned, as Route 446 and abbreviated A.C. Expressway, ACE, or ACX, and known locally as the Expressway, is a long toll road in the U.S. state of New Jersey, managed and operated by ...

. The facility is operated by the

South Jersey Transportation Authority The South Jersey Transportation Authority (SJTA) is a quasi-private agency created by the New Jersey Legislature in 1991 to manage transportation-related services in the six southern New Jersey counties: Atlantic, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, G ...

(SJTA) and the

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, PANYNJ; stylized, in logo since 2020, as Port Authority NY NJ, is a joint venture between the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, established in 1921 through an interstate compact authorize ...

, which performs select management functions. Most of the land is owned by the

Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic ...

and leased to the SJTA, while the SJTA owns the terminal building. The facility also is a base for the

New Jersey Air National Guard The New Jersey Air National Guard (NJ ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of New Jersey, United States of America. It is, along with the New Jersey Army National Guard, an element of the New Jersey National Guard. As state militia units, the ...

177th Fighter Wing The 177th Fighter Wing (177 FW) is a unit of the New Jersey Air National Guard, stationed at Atlantic City Air National Guard Base, New Jersey. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Combat Command ...

operating the

F-16C/D Fighting Falcon A large number of variants of the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon have been produced by General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, and various licensed manufacturers. The details of the F-16 variants, along with major modification programs and der ...

, and the

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, m ...

's Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City operating the Eurocopter HH-65 Dolphin. The airport is next to the FAA's

William J. Hughes Technical Center The FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center is an aviation research and development, and test and evaluation facility. The Technical Center serves as the national scientific test base for the Federal Aviation Administration. Technical Center progr ...

, a major research and testing hub for the

and a training center for the

Federal Air Marshal Service The Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS) is a United States federal law enforcement agency under the supervision of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Because of the natu ...

. It was also a designated alternative landing site for the

Space Shuttle The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated from 1981 to 2011 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program. Its official program n ...

. The airport is served by

Spirit Airlines Spirit Airlines Inc. (stylized as spirit) is a major ultra-low-cost U.S. carrier headquartered in Miramar, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. Spirit operates scheduled flights throughout the United States, the Caribbean and Latin Americ ...

which operates

Airbus A319 The Airbus A319 is a member of the Airbus A320 family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger twin-engine jet airliners manufactured by Airbus. The A319 carries 124 to 156 passengers and has a maximum range of . Final assem ...

Airbus A320 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 fam ...

and

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 b ...

jetliners. Additionally,

Caesars Entertainment Caesars Entertainment, Inc., formerly Eldorado Resorts, Inc., is an American hotel and casino entertainment company founded and based in Reno, Nevada that operates more than 50 properties. Eldorado Resorts acquired Caesars Entertainment Corporat ...

has flights to cities east of the Mississippi River on its Total Rewards Air. This is offered as a scheduled charter year-round.

United Airlines United Airlines, Inc. (commonly referred to as United), is a major American airline headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois.

operated a series of flights starting in April 2014, but decided the flights were not viable and discontinued service on December 3, 2014. The South Jersey Transportation Authority has outlined plans for massive terminal expansions (on top of current initiatives) which might be needed if more airlines serve the airport. Passenger traffic at the airport in 2011 was 1,404,119, making it the 102nd busiest airport in the country. The SJTA owns a small area around the terminal and leases runways and other land from the FAA.

History

In 1942, Naval Air Station Atlantic City was built on of leased private land in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey. Its purpose was to train various carrier air groups consisting of fighter, bomber and torpedo squadrons. In August 1943, NAS Atlantic City changed its mission to strictly fighter training, consisting of low and high altitude gunnery tactics, field carrier landing practice (FCLP), carrier qualifications (CQ), bombing, formation tactics, fighter direction, night operations and an associated ground school curriculum. NAS Atlantic City was decommissioned in June 1958 and transferred to the Airways Modernization Board (AMB), later taken over by the FAA. In November 1958 the then-Federal Aviation Agency, now

(FAA), took over operations of the AMB. The lease transferred to the FAA and was sold for $55,000. Atlantic City decided to retain 84 of the 4,312 acres. The FAA expanded the former U.S. Navy land parcel to about and established the

National Aviation Facilities Experimental Center The National Aviation Facilities Experimental Center (NAFEC) was founded July 1, 1958, by the Airways Modernization Board (AMB) and located in Galloway Township, New Jersey, near Atlantic City, New Jersey. On November 1, 1959, after passage of the ...

research facility that eventually became the

. The

(SJTA) initially leased portions of the airport from the FAA and now serves as the airport owner and operator of the facility. When the Navy departed in 1958, the

119th Fighter Squadron The 119th Fighter Squadron is a unit of the New Jersey Air National Guard 177th Fighter Wing located at Atlantic City Air National Guard Base, New Jersey. The 119th is equipped with the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft and is the oldest active flyi ...

of the

relocated to Atlantic City from their former base at

Newark International Airport Newark Liberty International Airport , originally Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport straddling the boundary between the cities of Newark in Essex County and Elizabeth in Union Cou ...

with their

F-84F Thunderstreak The Republic F-84F Thunderstreak was an American swept-wing turbojet fighter-bomber. While an evolutionary development of the straight-wing F-84 Thunderjet, the F-84F was a new design. The RF-84F Thunderflash was a photo reconnaissance version. ...

aircraft, establishing an

Air National Guard The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the ter ...

base on the site of the former naval air station. The current

of the New Jersey Air National Guard has been at this location ever since. During the 1960s and early 1970s, the active duty U.S. Air Force's 95th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, stationed at

Dover AFB Dover Air Force Base or Dover AFB is a United States Air Force base under the operational control of the Air Mobility Command (AMC), located southeast of the city of Dover, Delaware. 436th AW is the host wing and runs the busiest and largest air ...

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent ...

, maintained an Operating Location and Alert Detachment of

F-106 Delta Dart The Convair F-106 Delta Dart was the primary all-weather interceptor aircraft of the United States Air Force from the 1960s through to the 1980s. Designed as the so-called "Ultimate Interceptor", it proved to be the last specialist interceptor ...

s at Atlantic City ANGB on 24-hour alert. After the 177th Fighter Wing reequipped with the F-106 in 1973, the 177th took on the air defence alert mission. In the fall of 1983, American International Airways attempted to operate a small hub at the airport with Douglas DC-9-30 jetliners with passenger service to Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Orlando, Pittsburgh, Tampa and West Palm Beach. ACY has also had

US Airways 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 ...

jet service to Pittsburgh as well as

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 ...

turboprops to Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, and

Continental Express Continental Express was the operating brand name used by a number of independently owned regional airlines providing commuter airliner and regional jet feeder service under agreement with Continental Airlines. In 2012 at the time of the merger ...

turboprops and regional jets to

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...

Hopkins International Airport. This regional jet service for

Continental Airlines Continental Airlines, simply known as Continental, was a major United States airline founded in 1934 and eventually headquartered in Houston, Texas. It had ownership interests and brand partnerships with several carriers. Continental started ...

was operated by ExpressJet, ExpressJet Airlines with Embraer E-Jet family, Embraer ERJs. Delta Air Lines also had flights to Boston on Delta Connection regional jets operated by Atlantic Coast Airlines until a few years ago. In addition, Delta Connection via its partner Comair (USA), Comair operated flights to Cincinnati and Orlando, Florida, Orlando, which ended on May 1, 2007. WestJet had Boeing 737 jetliner flights from ACY to Toronto, but ended them on May 9, 2010, leaving the airport with no international service. On April 1, 2014,

United Airlines United Airlines, Inc. (commonly referred to as United), is a major American airline headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois.

started service from Atlantic City to O'Hare International Airport, Chicago–O'Hare and George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston, but the service was discontinued on December 3, 2014. Air Canada had seasonal flights to Toronto in the Summer of 2015, but has decided not to return in the Summer of 2016, once again leaving the airport without international scheduled flights. Spirit is currently the sole tenant at the airport. Early in 2022, American Airlines announced they would start bus service from the airport to their airplanes hub located at Philadelphia International Airport. The bus service will be carried by American's bus service partner, Landline.

Atlantic City Air National Guard Base

Since 1958, the airport has been home to Atlantic City Air National Guard Base and the

(177 FW), an Air Combat Command (ACC)-gained unit of the

, operating the

. Since October 1998, the wing has had an active involvement in Operation Noble Eagle, Operation Southern Watch, Operation Northern Watch, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. As an

unit, the 177 FW has dual federal (USAF augmentation) and state (support to New Jersey) missions.

Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City

ACY is also home to Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City. CGAS Atlantic City was opened on May 18, 1998, and is the newest and largest single airframe unit and facility of the Coast Guard Air Stations, Coast Guard's air stations. It is a product of the merging of the former CGAS Brooklyn/Floyd Bennett Field, NY and Group Air Station Cape May, NJ into one unit. CGAS Atlantic City consists of 10 HH-65 Dolphin, HH-65C Dolphin helicopters and it maintains two HH-65 Dolphin, Dolphin helicopters in 30-minute response status. Approximately, 250 aviation personnel comprise the facility's full-time staff, augmented by additional part-time United States Coast Guard Reserve, Coast Guard Reserve and United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, Coast Guard Auxiliary personnel. CGAS Atlantic City also provides aircrews and aircraft to the Washington, D.C., area as part of Operation Noble Eagle, the United States Department of Defense, Department of Defense USNORTHCOM / NORAD mission to protect U.S. airspace and, in this case, specifically around the nation's capital.

Facilities

Atlantic City International Airport covers at an elevation of 75 feet (23 m) above mean sea level. It has two runways: 4/22 is 6,144 by 150 feet (1,873 x 46 m) asphalt/concrete; 13/31 is 10,000 by 150 feet (3,048 x 46 m) asphalt.

Terminal

Atlantic City International Airport has one terminal. Several charter carriers operate out of the terminal, along with scheduled flights of Spirit Airlines. The terminal has a small layout, making it an alternative to Philadelphia International Airport or Newark Liberty International Airport. Passengers enter the terminal on the lower-level which has the check-in counters, a small grill and a gift shop. Baggage claim is on this level, with three carousels. After check-in, passengers proceed to the security checkpoint, also on this level. After the security checkpoint, stairs and escalators lead to the departures level. The 10 gates are here, with several open for use by charters and several used by the scheduled carriers. All gates are uniform, with no customization by the airlines. Also on the second level are a café, a bar and a newsstand. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the terminal.

Parking

Atlantic City International Airport has a six-story parking garage with a covered walkway within steps to the terminal building. Surface parking is within walking distance and shuttle service is provided from the economy parking area to the terminal building. The parking garage has rental car facilities for Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Enterprise, The Hertz Corporation, Hertz, Avis Rent A Car System, Avis and Budget Rent A Car, Budget.

Ground transportation

Taxi service is available at curbside and a shuttle service is provided by the Atlantic City Jitney Association, located in the airport terminal, outside of baggage claim. A shuttle bus brings passengers to the Egg Harbor City (NJT station), Egg Harbor City rail station, which provides service to the Atlantic City Line, which runs between the 30th Street Station in Philadelphia to the Atlantic City Rail Terminal. Shuttles to the Egg Harbor rail station connect to shuttles to the visitor's center at the FAA Technical Center and the Stockton University, as well as bus lines to the PATCO Speedline at the Lindenwold (NJT station), Lindenwold station.

Restaurants and lounges

*Euro Cafe/Hudson News *American Bagel Co. (1st and 2nd floor) *Beach House Restaurant

Current construction projects

The South Jersey Transportation Authority will begin construction of a new aircraft rescue and firefighting station at Atlantic City International Airport. The new 45,000 square foot building will feature vehicle bays, administrative and staff living areas, enhanced equipment and apparatus facilities as well as room for training requirements. Work began in August 2011 upgrading the passenger screening facilities at airport. The checkpoint expansion will consist of the addition of three new screening lanes as well as improvements to the airport's infrastructure. The Transportation Security Administration, TSA will supply the new screening equipment for the expanded area. The expansion also includes development of a Federal Inspection Services station. Under this project, equipment will include additional passenger loading bridges and gates, new technological upgrades, baggage carousel improvements, added retail space and improved check-in capabilities.

Possible future construction projects

A bill has been submitted in the New Jersey legislature that would provide for a rail station at the airport that would become a part of NJ Transit's Atlantic City Line. No specific funding or budget has been drawn up, but estimates for the project are in the range of $25 million to $30 million.

Airlines and destinations

In 2017 the airport had 53,506 aircraft operations, an average of 147 per day: 41% military aviation, military, 15% airline, scheduled commercial, 35% general aviation and 9% air taxi. 46 aircraft were then based at this airport: 24% single-aircraft engine, engine, 4% jet aircraft, jet, 24% helicopter and 48% military aircraft, military.

Statistics

Top destinations

Annual traffic

Plans

NextGen Technical Park

A technology park housing Next Generation Air Transportation System is currently under construction on the airport property on a lot near Amelia Earhart Boulevard and Delilah Road. The seven-building complex is set to contain of offices, laboratories and research facilities. The park will focus on developing new computer equipment that will transform the country's air-traffic control program into a satellite-based system. The first of the buildings was originally set to open in April 2012 and will contain a lab for the FAA as well as research space for other tenants. A second office park, the NextGen International Aviation Center for Excellence, is set to be built in nearby Hamilton Township, adjacent to the Hamilton Mall and Atlantic City Race Course, the latter of which is set to be renovated. A new transportation center at the site would transfer workers between the two complexes.

Hotel and conference center

In 2009, the SJTA awarded a contract to a Ventnor City, New Jersey, Ventnor City-based construction firm to construct a hotel on a property leased from the FAA at the intersection of Tilton and Delilah Roads. Plans call for a 135-room hotel including some extended-stay suites, about of conference space, of retail space and possibly a restaurant. The hotel would be built to accommodate a new flood of business travelers brought by the NextGen technical park.

Atlantic City Expressway connector

The SJTA revealed plans for a major road improvement project that would link the airport directly to the

, with construction beginning in 2013. The plan includes new ramps with two overpasses over the expressway. The road would connect Amelia Earhart Boulevard with a bridge over Airport Circle (Pomona), Airport Circle. Plans also call for building a service road with another overpass that would provide access to Delilah Road. Another project involves the installation of an overpass at the end of Amelia Earhart Boulevard next to the entrance to the FAA tech center. The proposed roadway would intrude upon a small section of a mobile home park and land owned by Egg Harbor Township. The project was delayed due to a lack of financing. The 2018 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program included the direct connector, with an estimated cost of $60 million, to be built from 2019 to 2020.

Port Authority takeover

In February 2011, the New Jersey Legislature authorized the Atlantic City Tourism District, which would promote continued development of tourism in the region. A provision included the potential transfer of operations for ACY to the

. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie in March 2013 ordered a takeover of the airport's operations by the

Accidents and incidents

On July 26, 1969, TWA Flight 5787, a Boeing 707 operating as a training flight, crashed while performing a practice missed approach with an engine out on runway 13. All five crew members aboard were killed. The NTSB subsequently attributed the cause of the accident to be poor procedures for simulating engine failures and failure to apply the correct procedure for hydraulic failure, as well as loss of hydraulic power to the rudder in a critical flight condition. On October 2, 2021, Spirit Airlines Flight 3044, an Airbus A320neo, suffered a birdstrike on takeoff, resulting in the right engine catching on fire. After performing a successful takeoff rejection, the plane was evacuated safely, with only two minor injuries reported between the 102 passengers and seven crew members.

References

External links

* * * {{USAAF Antisubmarine Command Airports in New Jersey Transportation buildings and structures in Atlantic County, New Jersey Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey Galloway Township, New Jersey Hamilton Township, Atlantic County, New Jersey Airports established in 1942 1942 establishments in New Jersey