Mobile International Airport

For the primary commercial airport serving Mobile, AL, see Mobile Regional Airport.
For the United States Air Force use of the airport before 1969, see Brookley Air Force Base.
Mobile International Airport
USGS aerial image, 2002
Summary
Airport typePublic
Owner/OperatorMobile Airport Authority
ServesMobile, Alabama
Elevation AMSL26 ft / 8 m
Coordinates30°37′36″N 088°04′05″W / 30.62667°N 88.06806°W / 30.62667; -88.06806
Websitehttp://www.flybfm.com
Maps
FAA airport diagram
FAA airport diagram
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
14/32 9,618 2,932 Asphalt/concrete
18/36 7,800 2,377 Asphalt/concrete
Statistics (2023)
Aircraft operations (year ending 10/31/2023)21,276
Based aircraft25
Source: FAA[1] and airport website[2]

Mobile International Airport (IATA: BFM, ICAO: KBFM, FAA LID: BFM) is a public use airport located three nautical miles (6 km) south of the central business district of Mobile, a city in Mobile County, Alabama, United States.[1] The airport is a principal component of the Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley, a 1,650-acre (668 ha) industrial complex. Presently the facility covers 1,616 acres (654 ha) of land.[1] It is owned and operated by the Mobile Airport Authority.[2] Prior to 1969, the airport was part of an active military installation known as Brookley Air Force Base.

According to the FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2009–2013, it is categorized as a general aviation facility.[3] This was a change from the 2007–2011 NPIAS Report, when it was categorized as a reliever airport.[4]

Facilities

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The airport has a control tower and has both a 9,618-by-150-foot (2,932 m × 46 m) runway and a 7,800-by-150-foot (2,377 m × 46 m) runway. Various instrument approaches to all runways are available, including an on-site VORTAC and instrument landing system (ILS). The complex is served by a 24-hour fixed-base operator, Signature Flight Services.

Starting in late 2018, the Mobile Airport Authority began renovating an underutilized building partially occupied by Airbus into a low cost carrier passenger airport facility called Terminal 1. Since its opening on May 1, 2019, Terminal 1 has housed two boarding gates and five ticket counters. Frontier Airlines Flight 410 from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport was the first scheduled revenue flight, arriving at the facility on May 1. In the summer of 2019, the authority plans to take over the remaining space in the building to completely build out Terminal 1. After this build-out, Terminal 1 will have four gates and additional holding and concession space. The total square footage will be around 50,000 square feet.[5]

Terminal 1 is located at the southern terminus of Michigan Avenue in the Brookley complex, less than a mile south of Interstate 10.

Operations

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For the 12-month period ending October 31, 2023, the airport had 21,276 aircraft operations, an average of 68 per day: 53% military, 30% general aviation, 9% air taxi, and 7% scheduled commercial. At that time there were 25 aircraft based at this airport: 16 single-engine, 2 multi-engine, 6 jet and 1 helicopter.[1]

Airlines and destinations

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In 2018, the Mobile Airport Authority commissioned a study on whether to move passenger service to Mobile Downtown Airport from Mobile Regional Airport and announced ViaAir would start a route to Orlando in the spring.[6] In January 2019, Frontier Airlines announced new service to Denver and Chicago beginning in May 2019.[7] ViaAir announced they were ending most scheduled services network-wide, including at BFM, on May 23, 2019.[8] On January 7, 2020, Frontier announced it would suspend all service to BFM, leaving the airport with no commercial passenger service.[9] However, on April 13, 2020, Frontier announced it would stay at the Downtown Airport and commence service to Orlando.[10] On June 4, 2020, it was announced that Frontier had ceased all operations at BFM.

In August 2020 it was announced that Mobile airport authority will shift commercial airline flights to the more convenient downtown airport. Following two years of study, the Mobile Airport Authority has unveiled a master plan that calls for all commercial air service to move to the centrally-located Mobile Downtown (BFM) from Mobile Regional (MOB) airport in the next few years. A new airline terminal at the Downtown facility would feature eight gates and be located adjacent to Interstate 10 that runs through the city.

The move would make the airport more convenient to flyers, encouraging more airlines to add service thus lowering airfares, the airport authority says.[11]

On March 7, 2023, Avelo Airlines announced twice weekly service to Orlando.[12] The service was suspended indefinitely beginning March 4, 2024.

On January 24, 2024, Breeze Airways announced twice weekly service to Orlando.

Passenger

AirlinesDestinations
Breeze Airways Orlando[13]

Cargo

AirlinesDestinations
Amazon Air Fort Worth/Alliance[14]
FedEx Express Memphis

Destinations map

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Destinations map
class=notpageimage|
Destinations from Mobile International Airport
Red = Year-round destination
Green = Seasonal destination
Blue = Future destination
Black = Cargo destination

Accidents and incidents near BFM

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  • On May 3, 1943, a USAAF Douglas C-53 Skytrooper, a version of the Douglas C-47 Skytrain crashed into Mobile Bay after takeoff, 0.5 miles S of then Mobile-Brookley AAF (BFM). Number of occupants/fatalities unknown.[15]
  • On April 4, 1952, a mid-air collision occurred at night between a Douglas C-124 Globemaster II and a Douglas C-47 Skytrain 9km N of Mobile-Brookley AFB. Both aircraft spun down, crashing on top of parked railroad box cars and bursting into flames. Six occupants died on the Globemaster and 9 occupants on the Skytrain were killed.[16][17]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d FAA Airport Form 5010 for BFM PDF. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective 16 May 2024.
  2. ^ a b "The People of Brookley Complex". Brookley Complex website. Archived from the original on 2007-10-23. Retrieved 2007-12-06.
  3. ^ National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2009–2013: Appendix A: Part 1 (PDF, 1.33 MB). Federal Aviation Administration. Updated 15 October 2008.
  4. ^ 2007–2011 NPIAS Report: Appendix A: Part 1 (PDF, 1.26 MB). Federal Aviation Administration. Updated 6 October 2006.
  5. ^ "Mobile readies for airport's May 1 opening". 28 March 2019.
  6. ^ Specker, Lawrence (February 28, 2018). "Passenger flights from Downtown Mobile Airport feasible by year's end". AL.com. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  7. ^ Liesch, Dale (January 22, 2019). "Frontier Airlines announces nonstop low-cost flights to Denver and Chicago". Lagniappe. Archived from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  8. ^ Beahm, Anna (May 23, 2019). "Via Airlines leaving all Alabama airports effective immediately". AL.com. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  9. ^ "Frontier flights from Mobile Downtown Airport ending in April | Mobile County Alabama News | fox10tv.com".
  10. ^ "Frontier Airlines to stay in Mobile with Orlando route". 13 April 2020.
  11. ^ "Frontier Airlines pulls flights from Downtown Mobile Airport, again". 4 June 2020.
  12. ^ "Avelo Airlines to offer nonstop service from Mobile International to Orlando". WKRG. 7 March 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  13. ^ "Breeze Airways to send travelers to 2 new destinations from Orlando with fares starting at $39". January 23, 2024. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  14. ^ "Amazon Air". Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  15. ^ "Accident description for 42-15534 at aviation-safety.net". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  16. ^ "Accident description for 45-926 at aviation-safety.net". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  17. ^ "Accident description for 50-1260 at aviation-safety.net". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
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