Phoenix's Sky Harbor International Airport, located just three miles from downtown Phoenix, is one of the 10 busiest airports in the United States. More than 20 airlines serve the airport, and travelers can reach more than 100 domestic destinations as well as a number of international destinations. Sky Harbor was launched in 1935 and today is part of the Phoenix Airport System, which also includes Deer Valley and Goodyear airports. The airport has three terminals, each with its own parking garage and ground transportation. Each terminal also boasts a number of shops and restaurants. Free wireless internet is available on the gate levels of all three terminals.
With the Smoke Free Arizona legislation effective May 1, 2007, most of Sky Harbor is smoke-free. However, there are plenty of options for those who need to light up. There are two smoking areas around Terminal 2, four smoking areas around Terminal 3, and seven smoking areas around Terminal 4.
Sky Harbor is easy to navigate, bright and clean, and not overly crowded or antiseptic like some larger airports such as LaGuardia in New York or Chicago's O'Hare airport. New projects and construction keep the airport moving on a path of constant rejuvenation - there are 150 projects budgeted at more than $600 million in various phases going on at the airport.
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Sky Harbor has several parking options: terminal garages, economy lots, and economy garages, as well as cell phone waiting areas. Accessible parking is available in all garages and lots. High-profile parking for large trucks, vans, SUVs, etc., is available on all the surface lots as well as in the garages at terminals 2 and 4. In addition, there are off-airport private parking facilities nearby, although transportation to and from the airport is on your own with this option.
Terminal Garages - For short-term parking, there are numerous spaces in the terminal garages. The fee is $3 per hour ($20 daily maximum) and the spaces are secure and covered. However, fees are less in the Terminal 2 garage on the upper level since it is not covered ($8 day fee).
Stage & Go Wait Areas - In addition to pay parking areas, Sky Harbor offers free staging areas for drivers waiting to pick up passengers (commonly called cell phone waiting areas). These lots are available east of Terminal 4, where there are 88 parking spaces, and west of the Terminal 2 parking garage, where there are 90 parking spaces. These spots are designed to be used for 30 minutes or less, and you have to stay with your vehicle.
Long Term Parking - The airport encourages the use of economy lots for long-term parking. There are two economy surface lots at the airport as well as two economy garages. Both the lots and the garages are located on the east and west sides of the airport. The rate for the surface lots is $8 per day and there is free shuttle service to the terminals. The rate for the economy garages is $10 per day, and free shuttle service is available. There are Express Pay machines in the economy garages; parkers have to pay at tollbooths at the economy lots.
There is free Airport Shuttle bus service that runs all day from the economy parking areas. Three buses serve the economy lots: Jackrabbit Bus: west economy lot Gecko Bus: east economy surface lot (bus stops 1 through 5) Roadrunner Bus: east economy garage (bus stops 6 through 9)
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (IATA: PHX, ICAO: KPHX, FAA LID: PHX) is a public airport located three miles (5 km) east of the central business district of Phoenix, a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States.[1] It is Arizona's main international airport and one of the largest aviation facilities in the American Southwest. Currently, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is the ninth busiest airport in the United States in terms of traffic.
Sky Harbor has been operating under its current name since prior to 1935, when it was purchased by the City of Phoenix. In the 1950s it was serviced by four airline companies. Today, the airport is the primary hub for Tempe-based US Airways, the third largest hub for Great Lakes Airlines and is also the third-largest departure point for Southwest Airlines, the airport's second largest operator. Since beginning service in 1982 Southwest has grown to capture more than 34 percent of the market share. Since 1990, Southwest traffic from PHX has increased more than 352 percent. US Airways and Southwest Airlines currently share Sky Harbor's Terminal 4, which handles about 75 percent of the traffic through the airport.[2]
British Airways provides the only service outside of North America at the airport, to London-Heathrow.
Federal Aviation Administration records show the airport had 20,315,544 commercial passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2005 and 20,591,906 enplanements in 2006.[3]
In 2006, the airport served 41,439,819 passengers, making it the eighth busiest in the United States[4], and eighteenth busiest airport in the world,[5] in terms of passengers. City of Phoenix officials have estimated that Sky Harbor also served 42 million passengers in 2007, and that they anticipate serving 50 million passengers by 2015.[6] On a daily basis the airport handles 1,486 aircraft that arrive and depart, along with 108,887 passengers daily. Sky Harbor has grown so rapidly that Phoenix is in the process of utilizing Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport in Mesa as a secondary airport.
Because of Phoenix's consistent wind patterns, Sky Harbor is one of the largest airports in the world with all runways running parallel.
Sky Harbor's private airplane area also serves as one of eight service centers for the Medevac airline Air Evac.
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport provides 121 aircraft gates throughout three Terminals (2, 3, 4). Terminal 1, the original terminal from 1952, was torn down in 1990. The airport administration states that the designation Terminal 1 has been "retired", and that it did not wish to renumber the other terminals since passengers were already familiar with the numbers in place.
For complete information on flights to and from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, please see the airport's Flights and Information Page[1].
Free wireless Internet access is available in all terminals.
The new ATC tower at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport began operations at midnight on January 14, 2007, and is currently the world's fifth tallest control tower after Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Munich and Atlanta, at 335 feet. The new tower stands just east of Terminal 3. The tower also houses the new Phoenix TRACON.
Terminal 2
Terminal 2, opened in 1962, provides 17 gates on 1 concourse (C, D, 1A, 1B, 2 - 5, 6A, 6B, 7 - 13), and the Red Carpet Club, operated by United Airlines. The terminal was designed by Fred Weaver, FAIA, Dick Drover, AIA of the Phoenix architectural firm, Weaver & Drover, along with their senior staff member, Herman Jacobi. This terminal included a mural by French-American artist Paul Coze.
In November 2006, a Military and Veterans Hospitality Room was opened on the mezzanine level of Terminal 2. The Hospitality Room is sponsored by the Phoenix Military and Veterans Commission.
Terminal 3
Terminal 3 opened in 1979 and provides 16 gates on 2 concourses, and the Crown Room Club, operated by Delta Air Lines. Designed by the Phoenix architectural firm, Drover, Welsh, and Lindlan [formerly Weaver & Drover]. The Crown Room Club in Phoenix permanently closed on April 30, 2008 due to cost cutting moves at Delta Air Lines.
Terminal 4 (Barry M. Goldwater Terminal)
Terminal 4, opened in 1990 and named after former Arizona Senator and 1964 Presidential candidate Barry M. Goldwater, provides 88 gates on 4 concourses. There are three US Airways Clubs in Terminal 4, at gates A7, A19 and B5. British Airways also operates an Executive Club Lounge between gates B23 and B25.
The terminal was originally built with 5 concourses: N2 and N3 on the north side and S3 and S4 on the south side. In 1994, the N4 International Concourse was opened, adding 10 new gates and a sterile walkway connecting it to the S4 concourse. In 1997, construction began on the 14-gate N1 concourse, for America West Airlines. It was completed in June 1998 at a cost of $50 million[7], completing the expansion of the north side of the terminal. On the south side of the terminal, construction began in 2002 on the 8-gate S2 concourse for Southwest Airlines. This project was completed in 2004 and features a different architectural design than the other 6 concourses. As of 2008, the S1 project is still in the preliminary phases of design. The project calls for an 8-gate facility comprising of a 38,500 sq. ft. passenger level and 32,000 sq. ft. apron.[8] A later phase of this project may include a 47,000 sq. ft. basement. Additionally, a walkway connecting to the N1 concourse will be built. The City of Phoenix has not yet indicated who will occupy the new concourse.
Possible new airline service - Phoenix is currently in the process of negotiating a deal with Emirates Airline that could possibly bring service from Phoenix to Dubai by 2009.[9]. Virgin America and Mexicana have also expressed interest in starting service to Phoenix in the future.
On 23 February 2007 Sky Harbor became the first airport to operationally use backscatter X-ray technologies for screening passengers.[10] This technology allows screeners to tell if passengers are carrying hidden weapons, explosives or drugs by allowing them to see through passengers' clothing. For this reason, these devices, which are available both as freestanding equipment and mobile 'cameras' have been dubbed 'naked machines' by some civil rights advocates[11] concerned that the devices essentially show screeners nude images of passengers and have been deployed without making passengers aware of this infringement on their privacy.
