Key West International Airport facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Key West International Airport
Aerial view of Key West International Airport
IATA: EYW ICAO: KEYW FAA LID: EYW WMO: 72201
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	Monroe County
Operator	Monroe County
Serves	Key West, Florida
Elevation AMSL	3 ft / 1 m
Coordinates	24°33′22″N 081°45′34″W / 24.55611°N 81.75944°W / 24.55611; -81.75944
Map
EYW Location in Florida Show map of Florida EYW Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Runway
Runway Length Surface ft m 9/27 5,076 1,547 Asphalt
Statistics (2011)
Aircraft operations 62,293 Based aircraft 59
Source: Federal Aviation Administration

Key West International Airport (EYW) is an airport in Key West, Florida. It is about 2 miles (3.2 km) east of the main part of Key West. This airport is important because it connects the beautiful island of Key West to many other cities.

Because the airport's runway is only 5,076 feet (1,547 meters) long, some flights leaving EYW have to limit how much weight they carry. This is to make sure planes can take off safely from the shorter runway.

Aviation History in Key West

First scheduled service between Miami and Key West by National Airlines (February 10, 1944)

Key West has a long history with airplanes. It all started in 1913 with a flight to Cuba by Augustin Parla. Later, in 1928, Pan American World Airways began offering regular flights from Key West.

During World War II, the airport, then called Meacham Field, was used by the United States Army and later the United States Navy. It served as an important base for planes and even blimps. After the war, the city took over the airport. In 1953, it became Key West International Airport.

Early Airlines and Jet Travel

In 1944, National Airlines started flights to Miami. At first, the runway wasn't even paved! It got a paved runway around 1956. National Airlines was the first to bring jet flights to Key West in 1968, using Boeing 727 jets. This made travel much faster.

Other airlines also started flying jets to Key West. In the 1970s and 80s, airlines like Air Florida and Eastern Air Lines used Boeing 737s and Boeing 727s. Later, Piedmont Airlines and US Airways flew smaller Fokker F28 Fellowship jets. Even Southwest Airlines flew Boeing 737s here for a while, connecting Key West to cities like New Orleans and Orlando.

Over the years, many smaller airlines also served Key West. They used planes with propellers, called turboprops, for flights to nearby cities in Florida. These planes were perfect for the shorter runway. In 2017, the airport received a grant to make the runway even better. They added 277 feet (84 meters) to the runway and made the sides wider. This work was done at night to avoid disturbing flights.

Airport Facilities

Ticketing Hall

Key West International Airport is built on 334 acres (135 hectares) of land. It sits only 3 feet (1 meter) above sea level. The airport has one main runway, which is 5,076 feet (1,547 meters) long and 100 feet (30 meters) wide. It is made of asphalt.

The airport has two main buildings for passengers. The older building, built in 1957, is now used for people arriving at the airport. A newer, second building was added in 2009. This new building is where you go to buy tickets, check in for your flight, and go through security. It's much larger and helped the airport handle more travelers. The two buildings are connected by a covered walkway.

There's also parking for about 300 cars right under the newer terminal building.

In 2011, there were over 62,000 aircraft operations at the airport. This means planes took off or landed about 170 times a day! Most of these flights were for general aviation (private planes), but many were also airline flights. At that time, 59 aircraft were based at the airport.

Airlines and Destinations

Passenger Flights

American Eagle uses E175 regional jets for their flights to Key West. In 2019, American Airlines started flying larger Airbus A319 jets directly between Key West and Dallas/Fort Worth.

Delta Air Lines also flies Airbus A319 jets to Key West. It's interesting to note that Key West's runway is the shortest in North America that regularly handles these types of larger jets! Delta's partner, Delta Connection, uses Canadair CRJ-700 and E170 regional jets for some flights, including seasonal service to New York.

Silver Airways uses Saab 340B and ATR 42-600 propeller planes for their flights.

United Express flies E-170s to cities like Newark, Chicago O'Hare, and Houston. Some of these routes are seasonal, meaning they fly more often during certain times of the year, like winter.

Airport Statistics

Annual Passenger Traffic

The number of passengers at Key West International Airport has changed over the years. It stayed about the same for a while, but then started to grow in the late 2000s. This was partly because of the new terminal building and new airlines offering lower-cost flights.

When Southwest Airlines bought AirTran Airways in 2011, they continued flights to Key West for a few years. However, Southwest Airlines stopped flying to Key West in 2014. Even so, the airport has continued to grow, especially in recent years.

Top Destinations from Key West

Here are the busiest flight routes from Key West International Airport to other cities in the United States, based on data from November 2019 to October 2020:

See also

In Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional de Cayo Hueso para niños