L.F. Wade International Airport facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
L.F. Wade International Airport
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Owner | Government of Bermuda | ||||||||||
| Operator | Bermuda Skyport Corporation Limited | ||||||||||
| Serves | Hamilton, Bermuda | ||||||||||
| Location | St. David's Island | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 18 ft / 5 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 32°21′51″N 064°40′43″W / 32.36417°N 64.67861°W | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
 BDA
Location in Bermuda
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Source: Bermuda AIP
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L.F. Wade International Airport (IATA: BDA, ICAO: TXKF) is the only airport serving Bermuda. This British overseas territory is located in the north Atlantic Ocean. The airport was once called Bermuda International Airport.
You can find the airport on St. George's island. It is about 6 nautical miles (11 km) northeast of Hamilton, Bermuda's capital city. In 2016, over 400,000 passengers used the airport.
The airport has one terminal for passengers and another for cargo. It also has eight places where aircraft can park. It can handle all sizes of planes, even very large ones like the Airbus A380. Currently, nine airlines offer flights to and from Bermuda. These flights go to places like the Azores, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Contents
How the Airport Was Built and Grew
The airport's history began during World War II. It was built between 1941 and 1943. To create enough flat land, workers leveled Long Bird Island and other small islands. They filled in the water between them and St. David's Island. This made one large landmass connected to St. David's.
Early Military Use
The airfield was first known as Kindley Field. It was used by both the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) and the Royal Air Force (RAF). After World War II ended, the RAF left Bermuda. However, their local commander stayed to help.
He turned the RAF facilities into the Civil Air Terminal. The local government then ran this terminal. Before this, Bermuda had a flying boat airport on Darrell's Island. When that airport closed in 1948, all air travel moved to Kindley Field.
Transfer of Control
The United States Air Force later took over the airport, calling it Kindley Air Force Base. In 1970, the airport was transferred to the United States Navy. They operated it as the US Naval Air Station, Bermuda, until 1995.
In 1995, the US Navy ended its 99-year lease. They gave control of the airport back to the Bermuda Government. The government then began running the airport as part of its Ministry of Tourism & Transport.
When the US Navy ran the airport, they didn't have to follow international rules for civilian airports. But when the Bermuda Government took over, they had to quickly meet these standards. This meant making many changes, like updating lights and fences. They even had to remove a hill near the runway.
Renaming and Modernization
On April 16, 2007, the airport was renamed L.F. Wade International Airport. This was done to honor L. Frederick Wade. He was a former leader of the Progressive Labour Party.
In March 2017, the Bermuda Government made a deal with the Canadian Commercial Corporation. This agreement gave Skyport a 30-year contract to manage and operate the airport. A brand new terminal building was finished in December 2020. This new terminal replaced the older one.
How the Airport Works Today
In 2017, nearly half a million passengers traveled through L.F. Wade International Airport. The busiest time for flights is usually during the summer, from June to August. The airport has received high scores in surveys about passenger happiness.
It was ranked first among North American airports in its size category in 2003. People praised the friendly staff, good security, and easy check-in process.
Aircraft and Services
The airport has a large hangar that was built in the 1990s. This hangar is now used for private and corporate jets. Because Bermuda is far from other land, only jets and long-range propeller planes can easily use the airport. Only jet fuel is available for planes.
L.F. Wade International Airport offers a special service called US Customs and Immigration preclearance. This means that passengers flying to the United States clear US Customs and Immigration in Bermuda. So, when their flights arrive in the US, they are treated like domestic flights.
Air Traffic Control
CI2 Aviation provides air traffic control services for the airport. The control tower is located on the north side of the airport. It helps guide planes for most of the day and night.
New York Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZNY) manages air traffic in the wider ocean area. They work closely with the Bermuda tower controllers. This helps ensure safe flights in and out of Bermuda.
The airport also has a modern Doppler Weather radar. It can see weather up to 150 miles away. Important navigation aids, like the Instrument Landing System (ILS), are also at the airport. Skyport owns these, and CI2 Aviation maintains them.
Airport Community Involvement
The airport is an active member of the Airports Council International (ACI). This is a group for airports around the world. In 2010, the airport hosted the ACI World Assembly in Bermuda. Hundreds of airport representatives from all over the world attended.
Who Helps Run the Airport?
Many different groups work together to make the airport run smoothly. Here are some of the main agencies:
- Bermuda Skyport Corporation Limited: This company manages and operates the airport.
- Bermuda Airport Authority: This group helps oversee airport operations.
- The Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority (BCAA): They are in charge of registering aircraft, making sure flights are safe, and investigating accidents.
- Bermuda Immigration: They handle people entering and leaving Bermuda.
- HM Revenue and Customs: This agency deals with taxes and customs duties.
- US Customs and Border Protection: They pre-clear passengers on most flights going to the US.
- Airport Rescue Firefighting (ARFF): The Bermuda Fire Service operates this team, which responds to airport emergencies.
- Bermuda Fire Service: They provide support to the ARFF team.
- Airport Security Police: They enforce security rules inside the airport area where planes operate.
- Bermuda Police Service: They handle traffic and parking rules outside the main airport area and deal with arrested people.
- Bermuda Weather Service: This service provides weather information for the airport.
Airlines and Where They Fly
Passenger Flights
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Air Canada Rouge | Toronto–Pearson |
| American Airlines | Charlotte, New York–JFK Seasonal: Miami, Philadelphia |
| Azores Airlines | Seasonal: Ponta Delgada |
| British Airways | London–Heathrow |
| Delta Air Lines | Atlanta, New York–JFK |
| JetBlue | Boston, New York–JFK, New York–LaGuardia |
| United Airlines | Seasonal: Newark |
| WestJet | Calgary (begins October 30, 2023), Toronto–Pearson (ends October 28, 2023) |
| Canadian and European destinations map |
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| United States destinations map |
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Cargo Flights
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Cargojet | New York–JFK, Newark |
Past Incidents at the Airport
- On December 6, 1952, a Cubana de Aviación DC-4 plane crashed after taking off. Sadly, 37 out of 41 people on board died.
- On October 27, 1962, a U.S. Air Force Boeing RB-47 Stratojet crashed during takeoff. All four crew members on the plane died.
See also
In Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional L.F. Wade para niños
- Royal Air Force, Bermuda (1939–45)
- Hurricane Fabian
- Hurricane Igor
- Transport in Bermuda
- The Causeway, Bermuda
- Hurricane Gonzalo
