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Bishop International Airport

Bishop International Airport is a rapidly growing airport located in the city of Flint, Michigan. It is the third busiest airport in Michigan, surpassing competitor MBS International Airport in 2002. In 2007, 1,072,420 passengers used Bishop Airport. There are currently six commercial airlines flying into and out of Flint today. It is also served by numerous cargo operators. Accompanying the airlines is a fixed base operator that handles both general aviation and airline operations as well as a flight school.

Facilities

Bishop International Airport covers 1,550 acres (6 km²) and has three runways:

Runway 18/36: 7,849 x 150 ft. (2,391 x 46 m), Surface: Asphalt/Concrete
Runway 9/27: 7,201 x 150 ft. (2,195 x 46 m), Surface: Asphalt
Runway 5/23: 4,253 x 150 ft. (1,296 x 46 m), Surface: Asphalt/Concrete

Airlines and destinations

AirTran Airways Gates 4, 5 (Atlanta, Fort Myers [seasonal], Orlando, Tampa)
American Airlines Gate 3

American Eagle (Chicago-O'Hare)

Continental Airlines Gate 7

Continental Connection operated by CommutAir (Cleveland)

Delta Airlines Gate 6

Delta Connection operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines (Atlanta)

Midwest Airlines Gate 4

Midwest Connect operated by SkyWest Airlines (Milwaukee)

Northwest Airlines Gates 1, 2, 8 (Detroit, Orlando [seasonal])

Northwest Airlink operated by Mesaba Airlines (Detroit)
Northwest Airlink operated by Pinnacle Airlines (Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York-LaGuardia)

Recent history

Air traffic and passenger numbers have grown since AirTran started service in the early 2000s. At a time when passenger numbers dropped around the US, Flint's Bishop Airport was one of only a few airports to show growth. Passengers from the Detroit area were choosing Flint because of low fares and conveniences including short check-in and security lines and a hassle-free terminal building. In 2002, Flint bypassed MBS International Airport in Saginaw, Michigan to carrying more passengers to more destinations. Flint has also gone over some recent baggage claim extensions adding two more carousels bringing the total number to four.

Today, there is a great variety of airlines that fly their aircraft to many destinations from Flint. As a result of the popularity of some Flint-based routes, competition has sparked among airlines. AirTran and Northwest Airlines are a great example. In 2005, AirTran announced service to Fort Myers. A day later, Northwest announced the same service. Two days after Northwest's announcement, AirTran also announced nonstop flights from Flint to Las Vegas service starting a day before Northwest's planned start, and a 20-minute earlier departure. AirTran discontinued nonstop service to Las Vegas June 24, 2008, blaming the high price of Jet-A fuel.

In 2005 and 2006, Flint resumed operation to Chicago O'Hare on American Eagle. In September 2007, American Eagle added a non-stop flight to Dallas Fort Worth. In November 2007, a non-stop flight to New York's LaGuardia airport was added by both American Eagle and Northwest Airlink, a subsidiary of Northwest Airlines. American Eagle stopped the flight to LaGuardia April 1, 2008.

American Eagle plans to terminate service to Dallas-Fort Worth and drop one daily flight to Chicago-O'Hare on September 28, 2008.

Ground transportation

Bishop International Airport is accessible from I-69, I-75, and US 23 by exiting Bristol road. The airport is also served by a bus line operated by the Flint MTA.

Cargo Operations

In addition to airline operations, Flint's Bishop International Airport is also becoming a notable player in the air cargo industry. With nearby connections to two major interstates and one U.S. highway, in addition to numerous rail lines, a cargo hub is in development at Bishop Airport that is hoped to become a major factor for the area's industry.

Flint has been served by three major cargo operators, including Federal Express, Airborne Express, and DHL. Milwaukee-based Skyway Airlines began cargo operations out of Flint in early 2008, adding to the list of cargo operators at Bishop Airport.