Laughlin/Bullhead International Airport

Infobox Airport
name = Laughlin/Bullhead International Airport
nativename =
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IATA = IFP
ICAO = KIFP
FAA = IFP
type = Public
owner =
operator = Mohave County
city-served = Laughlin, Nevada
location = Bullhead City, Arizona
elevation-f = 695
elevation-m = 212
coordinates = Coord|35|09|27|N|114|33|34|W|type:airport_region:US
website =
metric-elev =
metric-rwy =
r1-number = 16/34
r1-length-f = 7,520
r1-length-m = 2,292
r1-surface = Asphalt
stat-year =
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Laughlin/Bullhead International Airport Airport codes|IFP|KIFP|IFP, also known as Bullhead City International Airport, is a public airport located one mile (2 km) north of the central business district of Bullhead City, in Mohave County, Arizona, USA. [FAA-airport|ID=IFP|use=PU|own=PU|site=00640.5*A] The airport is across the Colorado River and one block away from the city of Laughlin, Nevada. Many of the rooms at Laughlin's hotels offer a view of the airport's action.

History

Bullhead City in itself is not a large city. However, after the expansion, by Don Laughlin and other casinos, the city of Laughlin needed a larger airport in the area. Don Laughlin had envisioned his city as a competitor to Las Vegas in the gambling and other tourist related markets, and soon, he set up the Don Laughlin Riverside Resort. Many other hotels began to open franchises in Laughlin soon after.

Bullhead City airport was expanded to become Laughlin Bullhead City International Airport and was completed by 1985, with a large runway to accommodate commercial jets. The location of the airport would benefit both the cities of Bullhead City and Laughlin: The city of Bullhead City would be getting extra revenue from the passenger operations at the airport, and the city of Laughlin would be filling their hotel rooms and experiencing an economical growth because most of the passengers that land at the airport are actually headed to Laughlin.

During the earlier days, Air Nevada used to operate there.

During the 1990s, such airlines as Air Laughlin, Vanguard Airlines, Viscount Air Services and others offered Boeing 737 and McDonnell Douglas DC-9 flights from Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix. Reno Air offered McDonnell Douglas MD-80 service there briefly during its short existence in 1995 serving San Jose International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport. Most of this service would be accompanied by hotel packages that went for about 17 dollars per night, including the round-trip flights.

Fed Ex became the airport's main cargo airline also during that decade, although they preferred to use Cessna aircraft instead of MD-11 airplanes for this airport.

In 2002, Sun Country decided to start Boeing 737 flights to Bullhead City from Minneapolis. The airline ultimately decided to make Laughlin/Bullhead International Airport a hub for the American Southwestern region.

In 2004, Ryan International Airlines returned the jet services from the Phoenix area, beginning to fly to Bullhead City from Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, using MD-82 airplanes.

Scheduled service to Phoenix Deer Valley Airport (Arizona) and Riverside Municipal Airport (California) on Western Express Air was discontinued when that airline ceased operations at the end of May 2007. [ [http://www.westernexpressair.com/ Western Air Express (official site)] ]

The Airport was featured in the 2003 film 'View from the Top' in which it was used for the setting of the fictional Sierra Airlines based there. The film stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Christina Applegate and Sherry Preston.

Facilities

Laughlin/Bullhead International Airport covers convert|650|acre|ha|0|lk=on and has one runway:
* Runway 16/34: 7,520 x 150 ft (2,292 x 46 m), Surface: Asphalt

Airlines and destinations

*Sun Country Airlines (La Crosse, Minneapolis/St. Paul)
*Vision Airlines (Carlsbad, North Las Vegas)

Charter

*Canadian North (Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver)
*Ryan International Airlines (Phoenix/Mesa)

Cargo airlines

*FedEx Express

References

External links

* [http://www.bullheadcity.com/index.asp?Type=B_LIST&SEC={0B21B529-F6E0-45E8-AA7D-C2F3E983BE1C} Laughlin/Bullhead International Airport] (Bullhead City web site)
* [http://www.azdot.gov/aviation/airports/airports_list.asp?FAA=IFP Laughlin ~ Bullhead City International Airport] (Arizona DOT web site)
*FAA-diagram|06967