What makes JIA international?

Cricket · October 30, 2009, 09:06:33 AM

Are there any direct international flights from JIA?

blizz01 · October 30, 2009, 09:21:51 AM

This has come up in the past. I believe it has to do more with having U.S. Customs on site. I do know that there are directs to the Bahamas from time to time; there used to be directs from Toronto in an effort to attract snowbirds, but that slowly fizzled. Last year, my company took a direct "charter" round trip to St. Kitts.

Cricket · October 30, 2009, 09:29:38 AM

Interesting. If there are no direct international flights coming or going, why would there be a US Customs? US Customs usually operate at the port of entry.

Overstreet · October 30, 2009, 09:59:01 AM

Direct scheduled flights are only one component of the traffic. There may be charters, corporate and private aircraft.

I think it may be a case of want to be instead of obivious need.

Steve · October 30, 2009, 11:28:02 AM

JIA is international because it has US Customs facilities available to process international passengers. They have chartered flights I believe about once a month.

Jason · October 30, 2009, 11:37:13 AM

Also because it handles cargo from overseas.

Cricket · October 30, 2009, 11:47:17 AM

Well, it's a beautiful, well managed airport. I just wish I could catch a direct non-chartered flight once in a while to the Caribbean without having to change planes in that armpit of an airport, MIA.

Johnny · October 30, 2009, 12:04:36 PM

I agree that our airport is top notch and it would be nice to have more direct flights. I can name many that are much worse and while sitting in a major delay out of Baltimore just 2 months ago, myself and some people from other areas of the country were stuck in a line that lasted 2 hours (just to check luggage)! All flights were delayed because of it. There were complaints about what was going on from everyone, then some of us started talking and a few said something to the tune of "It's not as bad as the airport I fly out of" or "I've seen worse at Cincinnati" (This was a consistent remark, obviously Cincinnati's airport is awful). They then asked me about my home airport and I told them, JIA is awesome. I always get in & out quickly & it's always on time. Never lost luggage and parking is great. Then a couple that had been agreed. It was like a complaint killer, we then just chatted for the next hour or so.

buckethead · October 30, 2009, 08:18:41 PM

I fear that one day, our lovely and user friendly ariport will grow up to be like that of other cities with flights to everywhere.

I welcome economic growth, but I'll miss that uncrowded, clean and freindly airport.

Cricket · October 30, 2009, 10:24:13 PM

Quote from: Overstreet on October 30, 2009, 09:59:01 AM
Direct scheduled flights are only one component of the traffic. There may be charters, corporate and private aircraft.

I think it may be a case of want to be instead of obivious need.

I still think it's a misnomer. Lots of domestic airports feature occasional charter flights out of the country but they are not designated as international airports and the once or twice monthly involvement of US customs would hardly make it so. Maybe technically. So I agree it may be just a case of a wannabe. But IMO it is not an international airport in the true sense.

stjr · October 30, 2009, 11:37:27 PM

The T-U has covered this issue before. From time to time, regular charter flights to the Bahamas have flown from JIA. Other than that, it is mostly special flights, if it's an airliner. Once, British Airways landed a sold out Concorde at JIA as part of a fly/sail leg to/from England using the Concorde/Cunard QE II.

Concorde arrives in Jax - May '87

I don't know about freight, but my understanding is Customs staffs its facility for passengers on an "on call" basis with officers from the port. Some of these calls are actually for general aviation (i.e. private and corporate planes) and are done at Signature or other commercial facilities at JIA, not the main terminal. Even then, it takes special arrangements in advance as Ft. Pierce is the normally required "airport of entry" for private plane flights entering the U.S. from the south.

In the end, its a marketing term for now, a wannabe term for the future.

reednavy · October 30, 2009, 11:45:04 PM

Panama City's current airport is Int'l designated due to Customs facilities as well, that being the only reason.

That said, their new airport is going to be incredible, and total built-out acreage equals that of Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson and will likely receive true int'l flights to Canada within 2-3 years of opening.

Ocklawaha · October 31, 2009, 12:55:19 AM

Really it's pretty damn sad that we don't even rate a single COPA, or TRANS BRASIL, flight in and out daily. These two airlines, especially COPA, hubed in the "REAL" Panama City, Panama, is like the Latin American version of Southwest. Their hub is simply huge, they fly mostly 737's which are smaller jet airliners of around 120 passengers, depending on configuration. They must have 10,000 flights, hell I think you can get to almost anywhere on COPA, with a change in Panama. EASY and CHEAP... and they STILL FEED YOU! Canada would be... uh... "Cool". Okay, bad joke!

Colombia, and some EU countrys have OPEN SKYS with the USA, so the door is there, we just have to push through it.

OCKLAWAHA

chipwich · October 31, 2009, 01:05:52 AM

There is a guy trying to start an airline using JIA as a hub with direct flights to Puerto Rico and the Bahamas as well as several other cities in the FL as well as Pittsburgh, Providence, and New York. The airline is called CityLink Air.

I really hope he succeeds. It would be great to have an actual airline hub here in Jacksonville, not to mention a host of direct flights to more cities (including international locations). I do however think it is a terrible time to try and start an airline right now (especially out of a city with only about 6 million total passengers a year)

I love JIA and think it is by far one of the bet airports in the country, but the lack of flights definitely hurts our city. Businesses look at flight access before opening offices in any particular city. Our lack of connectivity also hurts our ability to gain more tourists and conventions (though lack of a proper convention center probably hurts that most of all). Anyway, below is the link for this possible start-up:

http://www.citylinkair.com/

St. Auggie · October 31, 2009, 08:03:45 AM

Quote from: reednavy on October 30, 2009, 11:45:04 PM
will likely receive true int'l flights to Canada within 2-3 years of opening.

Reed, lets be realistic here. This will be a big airprort someday, but rightnow this is just a nice regional airport. The folks behind Pensacola's airport having been pushing for these things for years with a larger facility and have not been able to make it happen. PCB is not going to overnight have int'l flights. Right now PCB's airport gets around 500 passengers a day. There are FLIGHTS landing in Atl with about 500 people, lets not get carried away.