Reviewing the Fort Wayne, Indiana International Airport

Fort Wayne International Airport, referred to by some as FWA, is a regional airport serving portions of Northeast Indiana. The airport is located seven miles southwest of downtown Fort Wayne and is owned and operated the Allen County Airport Authority. The airport today serves as a vital link for Fort Wayne to many cities in the Midwest, as well as a few destinations across the country.

Originally built during World War II as a training field, the airport opened in 1941. The military spent around 10 million dollars in order to construct a field which allow for vast training operations. The base was primarily designed for bomber pilots to practice take-offs and landings. This created the need for a large runway, and today FWA has one of the largest runways in the country. After the war, the airport was sold by the federal government to Allen County, where Fort Wayne is located. Today, while the airport is an international airport, the airport is also used by the military, with the 122^nd Fighter Wing of the Indiana Air National Guard. This Fighter Wing uses the F-16 Falcon fighter jet, and operates out of a secured area on the premises.

Today, the airport features a modern terminal, named after Lieutenant Paul Bear, an aviator who flew during World War II. The terminal is fairly modern, and for a small regional airport, very convenient to transit through. Check-in facilities are very accommodating, with very short wait times for most flights. Proceeding towards security is quick, and for such a small airport, there are ample restaurants and duty free shops. Baggage claims have very short wait times, due to the size of aircraft operating to the airport, and the size of the airport.

Most flights in and out of the airport go to major hub airports across the United States, including Chicago O'Hare, Atlanta, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Cleveland and Cincinnati. However, other airlines serve major vacation destinations, including Orlando, Tampa and Las Vegas. The airport utilizes eight gates, of which seven are equipped to handle jet aircraft, while a single gate is allocated to propeller airliners. Also located at the airport is a significant cargo operation hub. Kitty Hawk Aircargo operates a 600,000 square foot cargo center, allowing for operations to be based in Fort Wayne. This allows for quick delivery of cargo, due to the fact that the airport has only light usage.

Overall, the Fort Wayne International airport is a very nice airport fly to. If you're looking at traveling to locations around Northern Indiana, check out flights to Fort Wayne. While they may be priced higher than flights to Indianapolis or Chicago, what you pay for in flight costs is made up in the convenience of flying straight to your destination.