Atlantic City International Airport

In 1942, Naval Air Station Atlantic City was built on of leased private land in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey. Its purpose was to train various carrier air groups consisting of fighter, bomber and torpedo squadrons. In August 1943, NAS Atlantic City changed its mission to strictly fighter training, consisting of low and high altitude gunnery tactics, field carrier landing practice (FCLP), carrier qualifications (CQ), bombing, formation tactics, fighter direction, night operations and an associated ground school curriculum. but even sooner than that, NAS Atlantic City was decommissioned in June 1958 and transferred to the Airways Modernization Board (AMB), later taken over by the FAA. In November 1958 the then-Federal Aviation Agency, now Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), took over operations of the AMB. The lease transferred to the FAA and was sold for $55,000. Atlantic City decided to retain 84 of the 4,312 acres. The FAA expanded the former U.S. Navy land parcel to about and established the National Aviation Facilities Experimental Center research facility that eventually became the William J. Hughes Technical Center. The South Jersey Transportation Authority (SJTA) initially leased portions of the airport from the FAA and now serves as the airport owner and operator of the facility. ACY has also had US Airways jet service to Pittsburgh as well as US Airways Express turboprops to Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, and Continental Express turboprops and regional jets to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. This regional jet service for Continental Airlines was operated by ExpressJet Airlines with Embraer ERJs. People Express Airlines (PeopleExpress) provided Boeing 737 service from / to EWR (Newark Airport), in the 1980's. Delta Air Lines also had flights to Boston on Delta Connection regional jets operated by Atlantic Coast Airlines. In addition, Delta Connection via its partner Comair operated flights to Cincinnati and Orlando, which ended on May 1, 2007. WestJet had Boeing 737 jetliner flights from ACY to Toronto, but ended them on May 9, 2010, leaving the airport with no international service. On April 1, 2014, United Airlines started service from Atlantic City to Chicago–O'Hare and Houston, but the service was discontinued on December 3, 2014. Air Canada had seasonal flights to Toronto in the Summer of 2015, but has decided not to return in the Summer of 2016, once again leaving the airport without international scheduled flights. Work began in August 2011 upgrading the passenger screening facilities at airport. The checkpoint expansion saw three new screening lanes be added, as well as improvements to the airport's infrastructure. The expansion also includes development of a Federal Inspection Services station. Under this project, additional passenger loading bridges and gates were added, technological upgrades & baggage claim improvements were made, additional retail space was added, and improved check-in capabilities were made. The new, building includes emergency vehicle bays, administrative & staff living areas, and enhanced equipment & apparatus facilities – in addition to space for training requirements. This airside-to-airside service, which is solely for screened passengers who booked a seat on the route, is operated by American's bus service partner, Landline, on the airline's behalf. However, the start of the service was delayed. In April 2024, Spirit Airlines announced that it would be closing its crew base at the Atlantic City Airport. In August 2025, Allegiant Air announced it will begin operations out of Atlantic City Airport in December 2025. It will add four new routes to Florida, including Fort Lauderdale, St. Petersburg, Sanford, and Punta Gorda. ==Facilities==

Atlantic City International Airport covers at an elevation of 75 feet (23 m) above mean sea level. It has two runways and one helipad: 4/22 is 6,145 by 150 feet (1,873 x 46 m) asphalt/concrete; 13/31 is 10,001 by 150 feet (3,048 x 46 m) asphalt; Helipad H1 is 102 x 102 feet (31 x 31 m) asphalt. Terminal Atlantic City International Airport has one terminal. Several charter carriers operate out of the terminal, along with scheduled passenger flights. The terminal has a small layout, making it an alternative to Philadelphia International Airport or Newark Liberty International Airport. Passengers enter the terminal on the lower-level which has the check-in counters, a restaurant, a gift shop, and the TSA security checkpoint. The baggage claim area is on this level, with three carousels. After the security checkpoint, stairs and escalators lead to the departures level and its ten gates – along with airside shops and restaurants. Atlantic City Air National Guard Base Since 1958, the airport has been home to Atlantic City Air National Guard Base and the 177th Fighter Wing (177 FW), an Air Combat Command (ACC)-gained unit of the New Jersey Air National Guard, operating the F-16C/D Fighting Falcon. Since October 1998, the wing has had an active involvement in Operation Noble Eagle, Operation Southern Watch, Operation Northern Watch, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. As an Air National Guard unit, the 177 FW has dual federal (USAF augmentation) and state (support to New Jersey) missions. CGAS Atlantic City consists of 10 HH-65C Dolphin helicopters and it maintains two Dolphin helicopters in 30-minute response status. Approximately, 250 aviation personnel comprise the facility's full-time staff, augmented by additional part-time Coast Guard Reserve and Coast Guard Auxiliary personnel. CGAS Atlantic City also provides aircrews and aircraft to the Washington, D.C., area as part of Operation Noble Eagle, the Department of Defense USNORTHCOM / NORAD mission to protect U.S. airspace and, in this case, specifically around the nation's capital. == Access ==

Taxi service is available at curbside and a shuttle service is provided by the Atlantic City Jitney Association, located in the airport terminal, outside of baggage claim. A shuttle bus brings passengers to the Egg Harbor City rail station, which provides service to the Atlantic City Line, which runs between the 30th Street Station in Philadelphia to the Atlantic City Rail Terminal. Shuttles to the Egg Harbor rail station connect to shuttles to the visitor center at the FAA Technical Center and the Stockton University, as well as bus lines to the PATCO Speedline at the Lindenwold station. The nearest highway is the Atlantic City Expressway, which has an exit for County Route 563 (Tilton Road) and Delilah Road, which runs into a traffic circle with Amelia Earhart Boulevard, which leads directly into the airport. ==Airlines and destinations==

Passenger aircraft at Atlantic City International Airport in 2007. ==Bus service==

Tarmac-to-tarmac shuttle American Airlines offers a connecting bus to and from Philadelphia International Airport from Atlantic City International Airport. The service is ticketed & operated as an airline flight but utilizes buses, given Philadelphia's close proximity to Atlantic City and available connections as a major hub for American Airlines. This airside-to-airside service, which is solely for screened passengers who booked a seat on the route, is operated by American's bus service partner, Landline, on the airline's behalf. == Statistics ==

Top destinations Annual traffic ==Future==

NJ Transit rail station A bill has been submitted in the New Jersey legislature that would provide for a rail station at the airport that would become a part of NJ Transit's Atlantic City Line. No specific funding or budget has been drawn up, but estimates for the project are in the range of $25 million to $30 million. NextGen Technical Park A technology park housing Next Generation Air Transportation System is currently under construction on the airport property on a lot near Amelia Earhart Boulevard and Delilah Road. The seven-building complex is set to contain of offices, laboratories and research facilities. The park will focus on developing new computer equipment that will transform the country's air-traffic control program into a satellite-based system. The first of the buildings was originally set to open in April 2012 and will contain a lab for the FAA as well as research space for other tenants. A second office park, the NextGen International Aviation Center for Excellence, is set to be built in nearby Hamilton Township, adjacent to the Hamilton Mall and Atlantic City Race Course, the latter of which is set to be renovated. A new transportation center at the site would transfer workers between the two complexes. The FAA earmarked the for the technical park's development in 2021. The project was delayed due to a lack of financing. The 2018 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program included the direct connector, with an estimated cost of $60 million. Port Authority takeover In February 2011, the New Jersey Legislature authorized the Atlantic City Tourism District, which would promote continued development of tourism in the region. A provision included the potential transfer of operations for ACY to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie in March 2013 ordered a takeover of the airport's operations by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. However, the deal never went through. In 2019, the Atlantic County freeholders passed a resolution to have the Port Authority conduct a feasibility study to take over operations of the airport due to the airport's struggling financials. ==Accidents and incidents==

• On July 26, 1969, TWA Flight 5787, a Boeing 707 operating as a training flight, crashed while performing a practice missed approach with an engine out on runway 13. All five crew members aboard were killed. The NTSB subsequently attributed the cause of the accident to be poor procedures for simulating engine failures and failure to apply the correct procedure for hydraulic failure, as well as loss of hydraulic power to the rudder in a critical flight condition. ==References==