Portsmouth International Airport at Pease
USGS 1998 orthophoto
Summary
Airport typePublic / military
OwnerPease Development Authority
ServesPortsmouth, New Hampshire
LocationPortsmouth / Newington, New Hampshire, USA
Elevation AMSL100 ft / 30 m
Coordinates43°04′41″N 070°49′24″W / 43.07806°N 70.82333°W / 43.07806; -70.82333
WebsiteFlyPSMairport.com
Maps
FAA airport diagram
FAA airport diagram
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
16/34 11,322 3,451 Asphalt/concrete
Statistics (2019)
Aircraft operations (year ending September 30, 2019)42,282
Based aircraft132
Sources: airport website[1] and FAA[2][3]

Portsmouth International Airport at Pease[1][2] (IATA: PSM, ICAO: KPSM, FAA LID: PSM), formerly known as Pease International Airport, is a joint civil and military use airport located one nautical mile (2 km) west of the central business district of Portsmouth, a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. It is owned by the Pease Development Authority.[2] It is included in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2017–2021, in which it is categorized as a non-hub primary commercial service facility.[4]

The airport is located within the Pease International Tradeport,[5] a result of the ongoing redevelopment of the former Pease Air Force Base which was closed under Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission action in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Usage

Military

The airport shares its runway with the Pease Air National Guard Base, which is actively utilized by the 157th Air Refueling Wing (157 ARW) of the New Hampshire Air National Guard, an Air Mobility Command (AMC)-gained Air National Guard unit operating KC-46A Pegasus aerial refueling tankers.[6][7][8] The 64th Air Refueling Squadron (64 ARS), an active duty Air Force unit of the 22nd Air Refueling Wing (22 ARW) at McConnell AFB, is also embedded and located with the 157 ARW at Pease ANGB.[6]

Pease was one of seven Launch Abort Sites and one of 18 Emergency Landing Sites for NASA Space Shuttle orbiters.[9]

Civilian

Domestic and international terminal passenger service by the third iteration of Pan American Airways began in 1999[10] and lasted until the airline's demise in 2004.[11] This version of Pan American (also known as "Pan Am III") had its corporate offices located in Portsmouth and in 2001 was operating Boeing 727-200 jet service nonstop and also direct one stop to Orlando Sanford International Airport in Florida in addition to nonstop flights to Bangor, Maine and Worcester, Massachusetts with direct service also being offered to San Juan, Puerto Rico via Orlando.[12][13] Other scheduled passenger airlines included Business Express Airlines operating Delta Connection service via a code sharing agreement on behalf of Delta Air Lines in the early 1990s,[14] Allegiant Air (2005–2007),[15] and Skybus Airlines (2007-2008).[16] According to the Official Airline Guide (OAG), in early 1994 Business Express operating as the Delta Connection was operating up to fourteen flights every weekday into the airport with nonstop as well as direct one stop services from Boston (BOS), New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and New York Newark Airport (EWR) flown with Beechcraft 1900, Saab 340 and Short 360 commuter turboprops.[17] The January 1994 OAG also lists nonstop service from New York Newark Airport being operated twice every weekday by Atlantic Coast Airlines flying United Express service via a code sharing agreement on behalf of United Airlines with British Aerospace BAe Jetstream 31 commuter propjets.[18] Frontier Airlines began offering service to their hub in Orlando, Florida, on December 6, 2018, but abandoned the route after only 6 months.[19][20][21]

Allegiant Air then returned in October 2013, and currently offers nonstop jet service flown with Airbus aircraft to several destinations.[22] An expanded passenger terminal opened on January 22, 2021, for customers of Allegiant Air.[23]

The airport is the current base for PlaneSense, a company that offers fractional aircraft ownership programs.[24]

Facilities and aircraft

Allegiant Air offers scheduled passenger service out of Pease.

Portsmouth International Airport at Pease covers an area of 3,000 acres (1,200 ha) at an elevation of 100 feet (30 m) above mean sea level. It has one concrete and asphalt paved runway designated 16/34 which measures 11,322 by 150 feet (3,451 x 46 m).[2]

For the 12-month period ending September 30, 2019, the airport had 42,282 aircraft operations, an average of 116 per day: 68% general aviation, 10% military, 17% air taxi and 4% scheduled commercial. At that time there were 132 aircraft based at this airport: 96 single-engine, 12 multi-engine, 16 jet, 6 helicopter and 2 military.[3]

In May 2019, the Pease Development Authority approved a $24 million runway reconstruction project,[25] which was completed in September 2020.[26]

In December 2021, work was completed on a $19.5 million passenger terminal expansion project. Improvements included an updated and expanded passenger state-of-the-art holding area with floor-to-ceiling windows providing passengers with vast views of the entire runway, a dedicated baggage screening room with new conveyer belts and an automatic X-ray baggage scanning system for TSA personnel, more expedient and advanced screening capabilities through the addition of a second security station for improved passenger flow, about 4,000 square feet of upgraded concession space with conventional bar and high top table seating, a new gate and second jet bridge to allow seamless processing of two jets coming in and out at the same time if needed, and an indoor service animal relief area (SARA) room.[27]

Airline and destinations

AirlinesDestinations
Allegiant Air Orlando/Sanford, Punta Gorda (FL)[28]
Seasonal: St. Petersburg/Clearwater

Statistics

Top destinations

Busiest domestic routes from PSM (June 2022 – May 2023)[29]
Rank Airport Passengers Airlines served
1 Florida Punta Gorda, Florida 23,540 Allegiant
2 Florida Sanford, Florida 18,680 Allegiant
3 Florida Clearwater, Florida 7,380 Allegiant
4 Tennessee Nashville, Tennessee 2,240 Allegiant
5 South Carolina Myrtle Beach, SC 2,120 Allegiant

Airline market share

Largest airlines at PSM (Dec 2021 - Nov 2022)[30]
Rank Airline Passengers Share
1 Allegiant 109,000 100%

Count includes enplaned arriving and departing passengers.

Annual traffic

Annual traffic[31]
Passengers Change from previous year Cargo landed weight
(lbs.)
2000 37,786 N/A 89,369,840
2001 37,235 Increase01.5% 25,476,012
2002 34,841 Decrease06.4% 148,880
2003 27,096 Decrease022.2% 1,673,642
2004 22,279 Decrease017.8% 2,522,877
2005 7,312 Decrease067.2% 1,893,004
2006 26,065 Increase0356.5% 5,459,076
2007 58,057 Increase0122.7% 2,054,080
2008 49,962 Decrease013.9% 2,246,340
2009 17,079 Decrease065.8% 3,417,444
2010 10,257 Decrease040.0% 1,413,000
2011 2,012 Decrease080.38% 18,992,900
2012 13,517 Increase0571.8% 11,050,312
2013 22,540 Increase066.8% 8,247,636
2014 45,708 Increase0102.8% 19,313,869
2015 45,933 Increase00.5% 4,150,632
2016 73,247 Increase059.5% 2,492,318
2017 105,077 Increase043.5% 2,517,435
2018 92,836 Decrease011.7% 4,760,040
2019 116,903 Increase025.9% 9,914,976
2020 41,737 Decrease064.3% 2,243,479
2021 66,972 Increase060.5% 2,919,413

Accidents at or near PSM

Civilian aircraft incidents at or near the airport, per National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) records:

A number of incidents, some with fatalities, occurred during military use of the facility.

Further information: Pease Air National Guard Base § Incidents/accidents

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Portsmouth International Airport at Pease, official site
  2. ^ a b c d FAA Airport Form 5010 for PSM PDF. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective June 5, 2008.
  3. ^ a b "Based Aircraft & Operations". gcr1.com. June 22, 2017. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  4. ^ "List of NPIAS Airports" (PDF). FAA.gov. Federal Aviation Administration. October 21, 2016. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  5. ^ Pease International Tradeport, official site
  6. ^ a b "157th Operations Group". Air National Guard. Retrieved July 4, 2017.
  7. ^ Briand, Paul (February 2, 2019). "KC-46A to arrive at Pease by fall". Foster's Daily Democrat. Dover, New Hampshire. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  8. ^ McMenemy, Jeff (August 8, 2019). "First KC-46A tanker arrives at Pease". seacoastonline.com. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  9. ^ "DOD Support to manned space operations for STS-117". United States Northern Command. 2007. Archived from the original on September 15, 2012.
  10. ^ Holland, Roberta (September 13, 1999). "Pan Am starts flights from Portsmouth to Orlando". Boston Business Journal. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  11. ^ Haberman, Shir. "Pan Am closes up shop at Pease". seacoastonline.com. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  12. ^ https://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/paa/pa0105/pa0105-1.jpg
  13. ^ https://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/paa/pa0105/pa0105-2.jpg
  14. ^ Binole, Gina (March 22, 1993). "Closed air force base key to future dreams". Katsap Sun. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  15. ^ Macalaster, Gretyl (August 30, 2013). "Passenger service returning to Pease with roundtrip fares to Orlando for $100". New Hampshire Union Leader. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  16. ^ Howe, Peter (May 24, 2007). "With fares as low as $10, no-frills airline lifts off". The Boston Globe. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  17. ^ Jan. 1994 OAG Pocket Flight Guide, North American Edition, Portsmouth (PSM) flight schedules
  18. ^ Jan. 1994 OAG Pocket Flight Guide, North American Edition, Portsmouth (PSM) flight schedules
  19. ^ McMenemy, Jeff (September 12, 2018). "Frontier Airlines to fly from Pease". seacoastonline.com. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
  20. ^ McMenemy, Jeff (December 6, 2018). "Frontier makes first flights in Portsmouth". Foster's Daily Democrat. Dover, New Hampshire. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
  21. ^ McMenemy, Jeff (June 3, 2019). "Frontier to halt flights at Pease". seacoastonline.com. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  22. ^ Early, Brian (August 30, 2016). "Allegiant Air offers new Florida destination from Portsmouth". seacoastonline.com. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  23. ^ "Sneak peek at Portsmouth airport's new terminal". seacoastonline.com. January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
  24. ^ "Pro Con Inc. completes 84,000 s/f aviation facility for Alpha Flying Inc. at Pease International Airport". New England Real Estate Journal. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  25. ^ McMenemy, Jeff (May 16, 2019). "Pease board OKs $24M runway reconstruction". seacoastonline.com. Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  26. ^ Briand, Paul (September 17, 2020). "Pease runway scheduled to reopen Sept. 23". seacoastonline.com. Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
  27. ^ McMenemy, Jeff (December 21, 2021). "What's new with Portsmouth airport at Pease and where will Allegiant be flying in 2022?". seacoastonline.com. Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  28. ^ "Allegiant announces two new routes from Key West". February 17, 2021.
  29. ^ "Portsmouth, NH: Portsmouth International Airport at Pease (PSM)". Bureau of Transportation Statistics. U.S. Department of Transportation. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  30. ^ "Portsmouth, NH: Portsmouth International Airport at Pease (PSM)". Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  31. ^ Passenger Boarding (Enplanement) and All-Cargo Data for U.S. Airports - Previous Years (Report). Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  32. ^ "National Transportation Safety Board Aviation Accident Data Summary". NTSB.gov. February 10, 1994. Retrieved February 5, 2021. Accident Number: NYC93LA078
  33. ^ "Aurora pilot survives out-of-state crash". Northwest Herald. Woodstock, Illinois. AP. April 11, 1993. p. 3. Retrieved February 5, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
  34. ^ Bennett, Philip (April 11, 1993). "Pilot takes to sky to aid fellow airman". The Boston Globe. p. 21. Retrieved February 5, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
  35. ^ Bennett, Philip (April 11, 1993). "Pilot takes to air to aid a stranger in trouble (cont'd)". The Boston Globe. p. 26. Retrieved February 5, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
  36. ^ "National Transportation Safety Board Aviation Accident Data Summary". NTSB.gov. December 28, 2004. Retrieved February 5, 2021. Accident Number: NYC05CA003
  37. ^ Leech, Adam (October 10, 2004). "Small plane crashes in Eliot". seacoastonline.com. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  38. ^ "N80657 accident description". planecrashmap.com. Retrieved February 5, 2021.

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