Idaho Falls Regional Airport facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Idaho Falls Regional Airport Fanning Field
IATA: IDA ICAO: KIDA FAA LID: IDA
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner/Operator	City of Idaho Falls
Serves	Idaho Falls, Idaho
Location	2140 N. Skyline Dr.
Elevation AMSL	4,744 ft / 1,446 m
Coordinates	43°30′49″N 112°04′15″W / 43.51361°N 112.07083°W / 43.51361; -112.07083
Map
IDA Location in Idaho Show map of Idaho IDA Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Runway
Runway Length Surface ft m 3/21 9,002 2,744 Asphalt 17/35 4,051 1,235 Asphalt
Statistics (2016)
Aircraft operations 33,152 Based aircraft 171
Source: Federal Aviation Administration

The Idaho Falls Regional Airport (also known as Fanning Field) is an airport in Idaho Falls, Idaho. It is about two miles north of the city center. This airport is the second busiest in Idaho, right after Boise Airport.

The airport is important for travel in the region. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) calls it a "primary commercial service" airport. This means it has many flights for passengers. In 2010, over 144,000 passengers boarded planes here.

Airport Facilities

The baggage claim area at the airport

The Idaho Falls Regional Airport covers a large area, about 866 acres. This is like 650 football fields! It sits at an elevation of 4,744 feet (1,446 meters) above sea level.

The airport has two main runways. The longest one is 9,012 feet (2,744 meters) long. The shorter one is 4,051 feet (1,235 meters) long. Both runways are made of asphalt.

In 2010, there were about 38,447 aircraft movements at the airport. This means planes took off or landed about 105 times each day. Most of these flights (74%) were for general aviation. This includes private planes and small charter flights. About 19% were air taxis, and 6% were regular airline flights.

Many aircraft call this airport home. In 2010, 169 planes were based here. Most were single-engine planes (73%). There were also multi-engine planes, jets, helicopters, and even gliders.

Airport History

A special part of the airport on the east side is very old. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. This area includes buildings and a structure from 1930. These include an aircraft hangar, a small cabin, and a beacon tower. This historic spot shows where the airport first started operating. The old hangar was still being used in 1996.

Terminal Building

The airport's main building, called the terminal, has changed a lot over the years. The current terminal was built in 1959. It was made bigger in 1982.

In the mid-2000s, the part where people board planes was rebuilt. It got jetways for smaller aircraft. Before that, it had jetways for larger planes like the Boeing 737.

More changes happened in 2014. A project moved the baggage screening area. This allowed airlines to check bags at the ticket counters again. In 2019, the airport needed a bigger space for baggage claim. The old baggage carousel was replaced with two new ones. A new parking lot for rental cars was also built.

A big remodeling project started in 2020. This project will make the airport even better. It includes two new gates and a new area for security checks and airline check-in.

Food and Drinks

Since December 2018, a company called Tailwind has been in charge of food, drinks, and small shops at the airport. They are making changes to the concession areas. The airport wanted a company that would offer good service and be open during flight times.

Before Tailwind, the airport restaurant was called Kathryn's. It was run by a local owner from 1999 to 2018. Kathryn's served American food for breakfast and lunch. There was also Kathryn's Snack Shack, which sold coffee, drinks, and souvenirs.

The airport has had trouble keeping a restaurant in the past. Some of the old restaurants included "Dolores' Place" and "Das Kinder Haus," which served German food. "Runway 21" tried to be a fancy steak house.

Airlines and Destinations

Many airlines fly to and from Idaho Falls Regional Airport. You can fly to different cities across the United States.

Cargo Destinations

Passenger Statistics

This table shows the most popular places people flew to from Idaho Falls. This data is from November 2020 to October 2021.

In 2019, about 175,028 passengers flew directly into or out of Idaho Falls Airport.

Airline History

Many airlines have served Idaho Falls over the years. Here's a look at some of them:

• Early Flights: The first airline flights to Idaho Falls were by National Parks Airways in 1934–35. Later, Western Air Express and Western Airlines took over. They flew planes like the Douglas DC-3 and Boeing 727 jets. In 1976, Western Airlines flew direct to Idaho Falls from cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco.
• Delta Air Lines: After merging with Western Airlines, Delta continued flights to Idaho Falls. In 1989, they had three daily flights to Salt Lake City using Boeing 737s. Today, Delta flights are often operated by SkyWest Airlines as Delta Connection. They use smaller jets like the Canadair CRJ-200 and Embraer 175.
• West Coast Airlines and Hughes Airwest: West Coast Airlines started service in 1951. They later merged to form Air West, which became Hughes Airwest. By the mid-1970s, Hughes Airwest used McDonnell Douglas DC-9 jets. They flew direct to San Francisco and Seattle.
• Other Airlines in the 1970s and 80s: By 1979, four airlines served Idaho Falls. These included Hughes Airwest and Western Air Express with jets. Gem State Airlines and Mountain West Airlines-Idaho flew smaller propeller planes. Cascade Airways also served the airport from 1980 to 1985.
• Frontier Airlines: Frontier Airlines flew between Idaho Falls and Denver from June 2014 to January 2015.
• Horizon Air: Horizon Air started serving Idaho Falls in 1985. They flew to Boise and later to Seattle. They stopped service in 2010.
• United Express: United Express, operated by SkyWest Airlines, added nonstop flights to Denver in June 2006. They use Canadair CRJ-200 jets.
• Allegiant Air: Allegiant Air began flying to Las Vegas in November 2005. They use McDonnell Douglas MD-80 planes.
• Northwest Airlines: Northwest Airlines flew to Minneapolis-St. Paul from 2005 until they merged with Delta Air Lines.
• SeaPort Airlines: SeaPort Airlines offered flights between Boise and Idaho Falls in 2011. However, they stopped service due to maintenance issues.
• Big Sky Airlines: Big Sky Airlines flew to Denver from October 2002 to January 2003.
• American Airlines: American Airlines used to fly large McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jets to Dallas/Fort Worth and Chicago. This service ended in 1994.
• Republic Airlines: Republic Airlines served Idaho Falls in the early 1980s. They flew McDonnell Douglas DC-9 jets to Boise and Denver.