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Erie International Airport

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Erie International Airport
Tom Ridge Field
View of the airport from 1000 ft above ground level
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerErie Regional Airport Authority
ServesErie, Pennsylvania
LocationMillcreek Township, Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States
Elevation AMSL732 ft (223 m)
Coordinates42°4′59″N 80°10′55″W / 42.08306°N 80.18194°W / 42.08306; -80.18194
Websitewww.erieairport.org
Maps
FAA airport diagram
FAA airport diagram
Map
Interactive map of Erie International Airport
Tom Ridge Field
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
2/20 3,508 1,069 Asphalt
6/24 8,420 2,566 Asphalt / concrete
Statistics
Total Passengers (2025)130,152
Total Operations (2025)31,007
Source: Erie Regional Airport Authority[1]

Erie International Airport Tom Ridge Field (IATA: ERI, ICAO: KERI, FAA LID: ERI) is a public airport five miles (8.0 km) southwest of Erie, in Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. Airline service at Erie faces stiff competition from the Buffalo, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh airports, all within three hours of Erie by car. Erie is 97 miles from the Buffalo airport, 113 miles from the Cleveland airport, and 137 miles from the Pittsburgh airport.

The airport is named for former Pennsylvania governor, former United States Secretary of Homeland Security, and Erie native Tom Ridge.

History

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History

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In 1924, Roger Griswold purchased 22.12 acres (9.0 ha) of land 6 miles (10 km) west of Erie at the intersection of West Lake and Asbury Roads for use as an airfield.[2] Soon after, a flight training school was based at the field. In 1927, as part of a nationwide tour by Charles Lindbergh after his transatlantic flight, Erie was selected as one of the cities where Lindbergh would make a brief stopover.[3] Griswold Field proved inadequate for the larger Spirit of St. Louis and an alternative site could not be located, so a flyover by Lindbergh had to suffice.

This showed the need for a proper airport and prompted the Erie City Council to consider establishing a municipal airport.[4] City Council was, initially, favoring a site 1⁄2-mile (0.8 km) east of Wesleyville for a municipal airport, but Lieutenant Jimmy Doolittle commented on the distance between it and the city; Doolittle noted that "you might as well take 40 minutes more and go on to Cleveland."[5] After recommendations made by Lindbergh to a Congressional committee that no airport less than 1 square mile (2.6 km2) be approved, the planning commission for Erie's airport began to reevaluate the site.[5]

Griswold Field officially closed in 1929 when Griswold moved to Long Island, but aircraft and the flight school continued to use it. That year two airfields were established: one on land next to the former Griswold Field, and another in Kearsarge that is now the site of the Millcreek Mall.

American Airlines[6] began the airport's airline service June 15, 1938; American remained until 1953 when Allegheny replaced it. Pennsylvania-Central Airlines (later Capital) began service July 5, 1940.[7] Mohawk arrived on December 1, 1956 and Lake Central on January 1, 1957; Capital Airlines flights ended in January 1961.

Prior to September 11, 2001, the airport was at its height with US Airways mainline jets to Pittsburgh and international service to Toronto.[8][9] After 9/11 US Airways replaced 737s and DC-9s with regional jets.[10] As air service rebounded in the mid-2000s, US Airways Express flew to Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Charlotte; Northwest Airlink to Detroit; Continental Connection to Cleveland; and Delta Connection to Cincinnati and Atlanta. US Airways discontinued Charlotte flights in 2006. Delta Air Lines discontinued Atlanta flights on September 6, 2007. In early 2008 US Airways discontinued Pittsburgh flights.

On August 22, 2018, Derek Martin was named Executive Director of the airport.[11]

On February 24, 2020, non-stop service to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) on United Express was announced.[12] The service was made possible by a $292,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Small Community Air Service Development Program.

On June 5, 2020, Delta announced that it would indefinitely suspend service starting July 8 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[13]

Current operations

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American Eagle offers two or three times daily service (depending on season) onboard ERJ-145 aircraft operated by Piedmont Airlines to Charlotte, North Carolina, and once daily service to Chicago onboard Bombardier CRJ-700 aircraft operated by PSA Airlines.[14].

Breeze Airways offers twice weekly service to Orlando, Florida, and twice weekly seasonal flights to Tampa, Florida.[15]

United Airlines will return to Erie in October 2027[16] with three daily flights to Chicago onboard CRJ-550 and CRJ-200 aircraft operated by SkyWest Airlines.[17]

Runway extension

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The 1,920-foot (590 m) extension of runway 6/24 was opened on November 8, 2012.[18] The total cost of the project was $80.5 million, or approximately $5 million under budget.[19] Owing to a mild winter in 2011–2012 that did not hinder construction work, the extension was also completed two years ahead of schedule.[18]

Facilities

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Erie International/Tom Ridge Field covers 450 acres (182 ha) and has two runways:

  • Runway 2/20: 3,508 ft × 150 ft (1,069 m × 46 m), surface: asphalt
  • Runway 6/24: 8,420 ft × 150 ft (2,566 m × 46 m), surface: asphalt/concrete

The airport has a passenger terminal building that opened in 1958 and has had several expansions and upgrades since its construction. The 1970s saw expansions to baggage claim facilities and later an office expansion for FAA office facilities on the second floor. A ticketing area on the western end of the terminal building was added in 1990. Upgrades to the lobby area and boarding gates and passenger boarding bridges followed in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The first floor of the passenger terminal building, which houses the baggage claim, check in desks, rental car counters, cafe, TSA checkpoint, and boarding gate areas occupies approximately 43,200 square feet.[20]

In August 2019, the public waiting area and in-terminal restaurant were renovated. The entrance to the restaurant was reconfigured to provide airside access from the secure side of the terminal.[21]

The terminal has seven gates, four with jetbridges for regional aircraft. Gate 5 was previously used by Delta Connection, and gates 1 and 3 were previously used by United Express, but both services have been suspended. Current regularly occupied gates are:

  • Gate 5 - Breeze Airways
  • Gate 7 - American Eagle

Airlines and destinations

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The last McDonnell Douglas DC-9 to fly for USAir arriving at Erie International Airport

Passenger

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AirlinesDestinations
American Eagle Charlotte,[22] Chicago–O'Hare[23]
Breeze Airways Orlando[24]
Seasonal: Tampa[25]

Statistics

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Airline market share

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Busiest airlines serving ERI (July 2025 – June 2026)[26]
Rank Carrier Passengers Share
1 Piedmont Airlines (as American Eagle) 87,710 67.59%
2 Breeze Airways 35,850 27.63%
3 PSA Airlines (as American Eagle) 4,400 3.39%
4 Skywest Airlines (as American Eagle) 1,790 1.38%

Top destinations

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Busiest domestic routes from ERI (July 2025 – June 2026)[26]
Rank City Passengers Carriers
1 North Carolina Charlotte, North Carolina 46,400 American
2 Florida Orlando, Florida 11,550 Breeze
3 Florida Tampa, Florida 6,430 Breeze
4 Illinois Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois 990 American

Annual traffic

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Annual enplanements per year[27][28]
Year Passengers
2025130,152
202493,312
202394,413
2022123,351
2021138,000
202043,354
2019106,720
201895,136
201785,580
201687,568
201588,953
201497,063
2013109,520
2012109,185
2011112,749
2010127,184
2009121,164
2008124,667
2007142,365
2006161,087
2005187,997
2004176,112
2003138,256
2002130,244
2001127,900
2000155,618
1999167,507

Ground transportation

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Bus

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The Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority's Route 31 includes a stop at the airport.[29]

Car rental

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Avis Rent a Car System, Budget Rent a Car, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, The Hertz Corporation, and National Car Rental have counters at the airport.[30]

Shuttle/limousine

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Various local hotels, along with the locally owned Hansen's Errand Service and Rupp Limousine, provide shuttle services to and from the airport.[31]

Rideshare

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Local drivers for Uber and Lyft provide ridesharing services to and from the airport and throughout the Erie area.[31]

Accidents and incidents

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The aftermath of the USAir Flight 499 runway overrun
  • On February 21, 1986, USAir Flight 499, a scheduled domestic passenger flight operated by a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31, aircraft registration N961VJ, overran the runway after the pilots broke off an approach to runway 6 due to poor visibility and landed in the opposite direction on runway 24 due to more favorable visibility minimums, despite a resulting tailwind. One passenger suffered minor injuries, while the other 17 passengers and 5 crew were uninjured. The aircraft was badly damaged and was written off. Challenging weather conditions were a factor; it was snowing and foggy, and snow covered the runway. The accident was attributed to poor judgment by the pilots; tailwind landings on runway 24 were not authorized in slippery conditions, but the pilots disregarded the prohibition, touched down past the normal landing zone at an excessive airspeed rather than performing a go-around, and failed to promptly deploy the spoilers manually, a standard DC-9 precautionary procedure on a slippery runway where the nosewheel may not spin up quickly enough to trigger the automatic spoiler system to slow the aircraft.[31][32]
  • June 8, 2000: A Beechcraft BE-55 Baron, registration number N777K, lost engine power on approach after the pilot realized the left-hand tank was empty and attempted to cross-feed the left-hand engine from the right-hand fuel tank. The aircraft was destroyed in the subsequent crash and post-crash fire; the pilot, who was the sole aircraft occupant, suffered minor injuries. The accident was attributed to fuel starvation caused by fuel system mismanagement and inadequate preflight planning.[33]
  • August 13, 2005: A Piper PA-28-180, registration number N7534W, lost engine power on approach and struck trees during an attempted forced landing about 1 mile (1.6 km) short of runway 24, killing the pilot and two passengers; another passenger suffered serious injuries. The accident was attributed to fuel starvation caused by inadequate preflight planning.[34]

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ , Erie Regional Airport Authority
  2. ↑ Freeman 2014, p. 1.
  3. ↑ Freeman 2014, p. 6.
  4. ↑ Freeman 2014, p. 9.
  5. 1 2 Freeman 2014, p. 11.
  6. ↑ Federal Writers' Project 1938, p. 103.
  7. ↑ The Daily Republican 7/5/40 p4
  8. ↑ Canadian 737 Parked at Terminal. Archived October 7, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  9. ↑ NTSB Accident Report involving a scheduled USAir flight from Toronto.
  10. ↑ US Airways 737 at terminal. Archived October 7, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  11. ↑ "Erie International Airport welcomes its new Executive Director Derek Martin". WJET/WFXP/YourErie.com. August 22, 2018.
  12. ↑ "Erie Airport to Offer Direct Flights to Washington Dulles Airport".
  13. ↑ "Delta to suspend flying in select U.S. Cities". Delta News Hub.
  14. ↑ "Westward ho! Erie-Chicago air service on horizon for 2026".
  15. ↑ "Breeze Announces New Service from Erie to Tampa from $69* One Way".
  16. ↑ "United Airlines scraps routes from O'Hare to 10 regional airports, blaming FAA flight caps".
  17. ↑ "United Airlines returns to Erie International Airport".
  18. 1 2 McCormick 2013.
  19. ↑ Myers, Valerie (November 19, 2015). "Final Erie runway extension cost: $80.5 million". Erie Times-News. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
  20. ↑ "Master Plan Update: Inventory" (PDF). Erie International Airport. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 20, 2024. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  21. ↑ Martin, Jim. "New restaurant opens at Erie International Airport".
  22. ↑ Palmer, Bill; Poole, DeAnne (January 22, 2026). "First responders put on standby after plane's flaps malfunction coming to Erie airport". WJET/WFXP/YourErie. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
  23. ↑ "Flights from Erie airport to Chicago postponed due to flight restriction order".
  24. ↑ "Breeze Airways to Offer Twice-Weekly Service Between Erie, Orlando". Erie News Now. Archived from the original on August 7, 2024. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  25. ↑ "Breeze Airways adds new service to Florida from Erie airport". YourErie.com. October 2024. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  26. 1 2 "Erie, PA: Erie International/Tom Ridge Field (ERI)". Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Retrieved September 23, 2026.
  27. ↑ "Passenger Boarding (Enplanement) and All-Cargo Data for U.S. Airports - Previous Years".
  28. ↑ "Documents & Reports". Retrieved September 2, 2026.
  29. ↑ "Routes". Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  30. ↑ "Car Rentals". Erie International Airport. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  31. 1 2 3 "Taxis and Shuttles". Erie International Airport. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  32. ↑ National Transportation Safety Board. "AAR87-02S.pdf" (PDF). AAR87-02S.pdf. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  33. ↑ "NTSB Aviation Accident Final Report IAD00LA049". National Transportation Safety Board. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  34. ↑ "NTSB Aviation Accident Final Report NYC05LA134". National Transportation Safety Board. Retrieved July 1, 2020.

Sources

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