Mesa Gateway Airport – also known as Phoenix–Mesa Airport – is an

international airport An international airport is an airport with customs and border control facilities enabling passengers to travel between countries. International airports are usually larger than domestic airports, and feature longer runways and have faciliti ...

in southeastern

Mesa, Arizona Mesa ( ) is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. The population was 504,258 at the 2020 census. It is the List of municipalities in Arizona, third-most populous city in Arizona, after Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona, T ...

, located approximately southeast of Phoenix, in

Maricopa County Maricopa County () is a county in the south-central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census the population was 4,420,568, or about 62% of the state's total, making it the fourth-most populous county in the United States and ...

. effective May 15, 2025, AirportIQ 5010, GCR Inc. The airport, owned and operated by the Mesa Gateway Airport Authority, is a reliever airport for Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. It is a base for

Allegiant Air Allegiant Air is an American ultra low-cost carrier, ultra-low cost airline headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. The airline focuses on serving leisure traffic from small and medium-sized cities which it considers to be underserved, using an ult ...

. The FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2007–2011 called Mesa Gateway a reliever airport, which is a

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations except for commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services for other ...

airport used to relieve congestion at a large airline airport. Allegiant Air began scheduled service from Mesa in October 2007. Mesa Gateway Airport reports the airport had 1,772,678 passenger boardings in 2019. Although most U.S. airports use the same three-letter

location identifier A location identifier is a symbolic representation for the name and the location of an airport, navigation aid, or weather station, and is used for staffed air traffic control facilities in air traffic control, telecommunications, computer program ...

for the FAA and

IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA ) is an airline trade association founded in 1945. IATA has been described as a cartel since, in addition to setting technical standards for airlines, IATA also organized tariff conferences tha ...

, Mesa Gateway Airport has different codes for each. The aviation community generally uses the FAA code of IWA, while commercial passenger-flight organizations use the IATA code of AZA.

History

The airport was built in 1941 as Higley Field. It was renamed Williams Field on February 24, 1942, in honor of Arizona native First Lieutenant Charles Linton Williams (1898–1927), who was killed while serving with the 19th Pursuit Squadron at

Wheeler Field Wheeler Army Airfield , also known as Wheeler Field and formerly as Wheeler Air Force Base, is a United States Army post located in the City & County of Honolulu and in the Wahiawa District of the Island of O'ahu, Hawaii. It is a National H ...

, Oahu, when he had to ditch his Boeing PW-9A, 26-353, in the Pacific Ocean about a mile off of Fort DeRussy. The fort was located in the

Territory of Hawaii The Territory of Hawaii or Hawaii Territory (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ''Panalāʻau o Hawaiʻi'') was an organized incorporated territories of the United States, organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from Apri ...

(Hawaii would become a

state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

in 1959). In 1948, Williams Field was acquired by the US military and renamed Williams Air Base. It was a flight-training field during World War II. In 1948, Williams became the first jet training base. In 1966, it was the first site of the Undergraduate Pilot Training program. The 1991 Base Realignment and Closure Commission recommended closing the base, and it closed in 1993. As the base was being shut down, growing traffic at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix was figured to warrant an alternative airport. The runway was expanded to accommodate airliners, and the facility opened in 1994 as Williams Gateway Airport. Bids were submitted by some airlines to begin flights almost immediately. In 2004,

charter airline Air charter is the business of renting an entire aircraft (i.e., chartering) as opposed to individual aircraft seats (i.e., purchasing a ticket through a traditional airline). Regulation Charter – also called air taxi or ad hoc – flight ...

Ryan International Airlines began MD-82 flights to Bullhead City International Airport in Bullhead City, Arizona, next to Laughlin, Nevada, and many resorts. Shortly thereafter, the airport once again became a flight training center to take advantage of the area's clear weather. On July 31, 2007, the low-cost

Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

–based carrier Allegiant Air announced plans to open a focus city at Phoenix–Mesa Gateway Airport, connecting the Phoenix area to 13 cities. Service commenced on October 25, 2007, with cities being added until November 21, 2007. In a September 17, 2007, press release, the Williams Gateway Airport Authority governing board approved a name change for Williams Gateway Airport effective October 15 to Phoenix–Mesa Gateway Airport. On June 16, 2015, after Elite Airways announced non-stop flights from

San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

and

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...

to Phoenix–Mesa, Allegiant threatened to leave the airport. This was primarily due to the incentives the airport offered to Elite. If Allegiant were to leave, it would consider relocating to the nearby Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. On January 21, 2017, Phoenix–Mesa welcomed its first international flight and first two international destinations, as WestJet inaugurated its seasonal service to

Calgary Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...

and

Edmonton Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...

Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...

. WestJet had seen success at Phoenix Sky Harbor for years, with Calgary and Edmonton being the first- and sixth-most popular international destinations at Sky Harbor, respectively. From Mesa, WestJet flew nonstop to Calgary; its subsidiary Swoop flew nonstop to Edmonton and Winnipeg. In May 2023, it was announced that WestJet and Swoop would not return for seasonal flights for the 2023–24 season, citing low profitability. A third Canadian airline, ultra-low-cost carrier Flair Airlines, previously announced in March 2023 that it would move its Phoenix–Canada operations to Sky Harbor in October. On May 3, 2021, Phoenix–Mesa Gateway welcomed

Avelo Airlines Avelo Airlines, Inc. () is an American ultra-low cost airline headquartered in Houston, Texas. It previously operated charter flights as ''Casino Express Airlines'' and ''Xtra Airways'' before transitioning to scheduled operations and rebrandi ...

, which is based at Hollywood Burbank Airport. The service was short-lived and the airline's final flight to/from Phoenix–Mesa was on August 16, 2021. In 2022, a new

control tower 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 a ...

was added to help with increased air traffic to the airport. On December 17, 2024, following Phoenix's withdrawal from the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Authority, the board voted to officially change the airport's name to Mesa Gateway Airport.

The Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport control tower

Board of directors

In 1994, the Phoenix–Mesa Gateway Airport Authority was established with a three-member board with representation from the three cities immediately adjacent to the then-named Williams Field. The original governing board consisted of the mayors of the towns of Gilbert and Queen Creek and the city of

Mesa A mesa is an isolated, flat-topped elevation, ridge, or hill, bounded from all sides by steep escarpments and standing distinctly above a surrounding plain. Mesas consist of flat-lying soft sedimentary rocks, such as shales, capped by a ...

. Reflecting the growth of the airport, the

Gila River Indian Community The Gila River Indian Community (GRIC) ( O'odham language: Keli Akimel Oʼotham, meaning "Gila River People", Maricopa language: Piipash) is an Indian reservation in the U.S. state of Arizona, lying adjacent to the south side of the cities of ...

joined the board in 1995, with the cities of Phoenix and Apache Junction subsequently joining in 2006 and 2013.

Facilities

The airport covers and has three parallel paved runways: * 12C/30C: , asphalt/concrete * 12L/30R: , concrete * 12R/30L: , concrete In the year ending December 31, 2022, the airport had 254,599 aircraft operations averaging 697 per day, with 80%

, 14%

air taxi An air taxi is a small commercial aircraft that makes short flights on demand. History The concept of air taxis existed as early as the 1910s. This concept goes back as early as 1917 with Glenn Curtiss’ prototype, the auto-plane. Furthermor ...

, 5% airline, and 2% military. At that time, 72 aircraft were based at the airport – 21 single-engine, 38 jet, and 13 helicopter.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

Other

* Air Evac International (

Medevac Medical evacuation, often shortened to medevac or medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to patients requiring evacuation or transport using medically equipped air ambulances, helicopters an ...

airline) * Fighter Combat International

Training

* Advanced Training Systems International * ATP Flight School * Aviation Performance Solutions *

University of North Dakota The University of North Dakota (UND) is a Public university, public research university in Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States. It was established by the Dakota Territory, Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishm ...

Aerospace Foundation * Chandler–Gilbert Community College

Statistics

Top destinations

Annual traffic

Airline market share

Future plans

The number of passengers has increased greatly since Allegiant Air started operations. IWA/AZA did not anticipate this growth within the first year. Due to an increase from 14,588 enplanements in 2007 to 159,481 in 2008, facilities were becoming crowded. To alleviate this problem, extensive renovations and expansions were completed within the existing west side terminal, adding nearly of new space. This added eight gates since IWA/AZA was established in 1994. The airport broke ground on an expansion plan in early 2013, to increase gates to ten. However, because IWA/AZA is running out of real estate on the west side of the airfield, a halt to further expansions will occur until East terminal facilities are built.

East Side Terminal plans

In response to the expansion issues, PMGAA began planning for a new east terminal. The plan, titled Gateway 2030, was developed in June 2012. The Gateway 2030 plan outlines the process, major findings, and recommendations associated with the cost feasible phasing approach to the development of approximately of airport property and the supporting city infrastructure critical to ensure its success" (IWA, 2012b). The plan will be implemented in four phases. With the completion of phase one, IWA/AZA will be able to accommodate 1.5 million enplanements (3 million passengers). Much of phase one will address infrastructure for the new terminal. The addition will include access roads, parking, taxiways, aprons capable of Group III and IV aircraft, and the new pier concept terminal. The new terminal will have 14 gates, constructed to make room for 12 Group III aircraft and two Group IV aircraft. Phase two has yet to be planned in detail, but will add another pier terminal to the main concourse, adding up to six gates, parking for 10,500 vehicles, and a extension of RW 12L/30R. Phase two will enable IWA/AZA to handle 2.2 million enplanements. Phase three for the Gateway 2030 plan will add another pier terminal and second level to the main concourse and will create an additional eight gates, a new apron, more parking, and an additional taxiway. Phase three will focus on privately owned retail, office, and hotel buildings that will be located on airport property. Phase three will allow IWA to accommodate 5 million enplanements. Phase four will complete the 2030 plan, allowing IWA able to handle 10 million enplanements (20 million passengers) annually with a total of 60 gates and 21,000 vehicle parking spaces. Phase four will likely not be undertaken until 2030 or beyond, making cost estimates nearly impossible. Due to the changing market, phase two, three, and four are likely to change. Gateway 2030 is estimated to cost more than $1.4 billion.

Private Development

On November 9, 2021, Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation announced that the airport would be the site for the West Coast Service Center Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility. The construction cost would be more than $100 million and include a facility in Phase One. On July 14, 2022,

Virgin Galactic Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. is a British-American spaceflight company founded by Richard Branson and the Virgin Group conglomerate, which retains an 11.9% stake through Virgin Investments Limited. It is headquartered in California, and opera ...

announced it had signed a long-term lease for a new final assembly manufacturing facility for its next-generation Delta class spaceships. The facility will be capable of producing up to six spaceships per year and will bring hundreds of highly skilled aerospace engineering and manufacturing jobs to the area.

Ground transportation

By road, the airport terminal is served by Sossaman Road. Travelers can access Sossaman Road by exiting at either Hawes or Power Road, which are fed by the Arizona State Route Loop 202, and turning onto Ray Road. There are several taxis, limousine, ride share and shuttle companies to local hotels, the nearby ASU Polytechnic Campus and downtown

. Multiple car rental agencies are available inside of the arrivals lobby. Valley Metro bus route 184 stops at the terminal building before heading north to Mesa. Travelers can park at the hourly or daily parking lots and walk to the terminal. There is also an economy lot, south of the airfield, which is served by a complimentary shuttle to the main terminal.

Historic landmarks

Notes

References

External links

Mesa Gateway Airport
official website
Mesa Gateway Airport (IWA)
at Arizona DOT airport directory
Williams Air Force Base
at GlobalSecurity.org * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mesa Gateway Airport Airports in Maricopa County, Arizona Buildings and structures in Mesa, Arizona Transportation in Mesa, Arizona Airports established in 1941 1941 establishments in Arizona