Jack Brooks Regional Airport

Jack Brooks Regional Airport
IATA: BPT – ICAO: KBPT – FAA LID: BPT
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner Jefferson County
Serves Beaumont / Port Arthur, Texas
Location Nederland, Texas
Elevation AMSL 15 ft / 5 m
Coordinates 29°57′03″N 094°01′14″W / 29.95083°N 94.02056°W / 29.95083; -94.02056
Website http://flysetx.com
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
12/30 6,750 2,057 Concrete
16/34 5,070 1,545 Asphalt/Concrete
Statistics (2006)
Aircraft operations 59,010
Based aircraft 87

Jack Brooks Regional Airport (IATA: BPT, ICAO: KBPT, FAA LID: BPT), formerly Southeast Texas Regional Airport, is near Port Arthur, Texas, nine miles (14 km) southeast of Beaumont and northeast of Port Arthur. It was formerly the Jefferson County Airport, but its name was changed to honor former U.S. Representative Jack Brooks (D - Beaumont). The airport is southwest of the city of Nederland in unincorporated Jefferson County, and is used for general aviation. Jack Brooks Regional Airport is one of only two destinations where Southwest Airlines ended scheduled service (in 1980) and never returned. A number of other airlines have also initiated and then ceased service including American Eagle, Continental, Delta/Delta Connection and United Express. The latest chapter with regard to passenger airline service at the airport involves the resumption of service by American Eagle on behalf of American Airlines to Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW).[2]

Facilities

Jack Brooks Regional Airport covers 1,799 acres (728 ha) and has two paved runways: 12/30 is 6,750 x 150 ft (2,057 x 46 m) and 16/34 is 5,070 x 150 ft (1,545 x 46 m).[1]

In the year ending January 31, 2007 the airport had 59,010 aircraft operations, average 161 per day: 82% general aviation, 11% air taxi, 7% military and <1% scheduled commercial. 87 aircraft are based at this airport: 67% single engine, 15% multi-engine, 10% jet aircraft and 8% helicopters.[1]

Airlines and destinations: past & present

The airport was served by United Express until July 1, 2012.[3] Colgan Air operated the United Express service with Saab 340 turboprop flights to Houston (IAH) before this service was suspended.

Currently, ground transportation is provided by United Express bus service to Houston Intercontinental Airport (IAH) several times a day.

American Airlines then announced their American Eagle affiliate would once again serve the airport effective February 14, 2013 with flights to Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW). The current American Eagle service is operated by ExpressJet flying Embraer-145 regional jets configured with 50 coach passenger seats.[4]

Trans-Texas Airways (TTa) and its successor Texas International Airlines served the Beaumont/Port Arthur area for over 30 years. In the fall of 1949, Houston-based TTa was operating 21-seat Douglas DC-3 aircraft (which the airline called the "Starliner") into the airport six times a day with all flights operating a daily round trip routing of Houston Hobby Airport - Galveston - Beaumont/Port Arthur - Lufkin, TX - Palestine, TX - Dallas Love Field.[5] Beaumont/Port Arthur was also served by Eastern Air Lines during the 1950s and 1960s with Convair 340, Convair 440, Lockheed Constellation and Martin 4-0-4 propliners with flights to Houston/Hobby Airport, TX as well as direct service to Baton Rouge, LA and New Orleans, LA.[6] Some Eastern flights continued to Atlanta, GA; Newark, NJ, Boston, MA, Corpus Christi, TX and Brownsville, TX.[7] Delta Air Lines began passenger service in the 1950s with a linear multistop route: Houston Hobby Airport, TX - Beaumont/Port Arthur - Shreveport, LA - Little Rock, AR - Memphis, TN - St. Louis, MO - Chicago Midway Airport, IL. Delta operated this round trip service with a Convair 440.[8] Delta had inherited this Houston - Chicago route via Beaumont/Port Arthur when it acquired and merged with Chicago & Southern Airlines which was serving the airport in 1950 with Douglas DC-3 aircraft.[9]

The airport also had scheduled passenger jet service provided by no less than six airlines at different times over the years. Trans-Texas Airways (which later changed its name to Texas International Airlines) operated Douglas DC-9-10 jetliners as well as Convair 600 turboprops with service to Houston and Dallas. According to the February 1, 1976 edition of the Official Airline Guide (OAG), Texas International was operating direct, no change of plane DC-9 jet service from Los Angeles (LAX) to Beaumont/Port Arthur, although five (5) intermediate stops were made en route between LAX and BPT.[10] Texas International was then merged into Continental Airlines which in turn continued to operate jet service from the airport. In 1979, Southwest Airlines was operating Boeing 737-200 jetliners nonstop to Dallas Love Field (DAL) with four flights a day.[11] In July 1983, Continental was flying Boeing 727-100 and McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 jetliners nonstop to Houston (IAH).[12] Delta Air Lines flew Boeing 727-200 jetliners as well as McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 jet aircraft on nonstop services to Houston (IAH) and Shreveport (SHV) with direct flights to Atlanta (ATL).[10] At one point, Delta also operated direct, no change of plane Boeing 727-200 jet service from Beaumont/Port Arthur to New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA).[10] Delta Connection, operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA), flew Canadair CRJ-200 regional jets to Atlanta and also operated Embraer EMB-120 Brasilia propjets to Dallas/Ft. Worth, which ended when Delta closed their DFW hub in early 2005. ExpressJet operating as Continental Express flew Embraer ERJ-145 regional jets to Houston (IAH). American Eagle also served the airport with Saab 340 turboprop service to Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) on behalf of American Airlines. USAir Express served the airport as well on behalf of USAir (now US Airways) with nonstop Beechcraft 1900C turboprop service to New Orleans (MSY).[13]

In addition, a number of independent commuter airlines served Beaumont/Port Arthur at various times over the years including Metro Airlines with de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter and Short 330 turboprop flights nonstop to Houston (IAH), Royale Airlines with Embraer EMB-110 Bandeirante turboprop service nonstop to Houston (IAH) and direct to New Orleans (MSY), Air Texana with nonstop Beechcraft prop aircraft service to Houston/Hobby Airport (HOU) as well as nonstop Douglas DC-3 flights to New Orleans (MSY), and Conquest Airlines with Beechcraft 1900C and Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner turboprop service nonstop to Austin (AUS) and Dallas Love Field (DAL). Conquest Airlines was originally based in the Beaumont/Port Arthur area before this air carrier moved its corporate headquarters to Austin where a hub and spoke operation was then established.

Current passenger service

AirlinesDestinations
American Eagle Dallas/Fort Worth[14]

Incidents

On May 20, 1983, a tornado struck the airport, destroying a Short 330 commuter turboprop aircraft operated by Metro Airlines.

Hurricane Rita

On September 24, 2005, Hurricane Rita hit the Beaumont-Port Arthur area. The then-named Southeast Texas Regional Airport passenger terminal had to be shut down with the airport authority then using the old terminal on a temporary basis. The renovated terminal reopened in May 2009[15] after several delays. However, due to the reduction in airline service experienced by the airport since 2000, only a portion of the terminal was reopened. Much of the terminal building was walled off with renovations to that portion being left unfinished. However, the terminal facilities can be expanded in the future should the demand exist for reopening the closed gate areas.

References

  1. 1 2 3 FAA Airport Master Record for BPT (Form 5010 PDF), effective 2007-07-05
  2. ↑ http://www.blogsouthwest.com/blog/flashback-fridays-southwest-airlines-tiniest-airport
  3. ↑ http://investor.jetblue.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=131045&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1713025&highlight=
  4. ↑ American Airlines 7/1/2015 system timetable
  5. ↑ http://www.timetableimages.com, Nov. 1, 1949 Trans-Texas Airways system timetable
  6. ↑ http://www.timetableimages.com, Dec. 1, 1958 Eastern Air Lines system timetables
  7. ↑ timetableimages.com, Eastern Air Lines January 7, 1950 timetable
  8. ↑ timetableimages.com, Delta Air Lines August 1, 1958 system timetable
  9. ↑ http://www.timetableimages.com, Oct. 1, 1950 Chicago Southern Airlines system timetable
  10. 1 2 3 February 1, 1976 Official Airline Guide, North American edition
  11. ↑ http://www.departedflights.com, Nov. 15, 1979 Official Airline Guide (OAG), Dallas Love Field-Beaumont schedules
  12. ↑ departedflights.com, July 1, 1983 Official Airline Guide, Houston Intercontinental schedules
  13. ↑ departedflights.com, April 2, 1995 Official Airline Guide (OAG), New Orleans schedules
  14. ↑ http://www.kiiitv.com/story/19901208/american-airlines-returning-to-jack-brooks-regional-airport
  15. ↑ "Southeast Texas Regional Airport prepares to open refurbished terminal". Beaumont Enterprise. Retrieved 5 September 2012.
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