Corpus Christi International Airport

Corpus Christi International Airport (IATA: CRP, ICAO: KCRP, FAA LID: CRP) is 6 miles (5.2 nmi; 9.7 km) west of Corpus Christi, in Nueces County, Texas.[2] It opened in 1960, replacing Cliff Maus airport at 27.767°N 97.44°W / 27.767; -97.44, where the Lozano Golf Center is now.

Corpus Christi International Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerCity of Corpus Christi
OperatorCorpus Christi Department of Aviation
ServesCorpus Christi, Texas
Elevation AMSL44 ft / 13 m
Coordinates27°46′13″N 097°30′04″W
Websitecorpuschristiairport.com
Map
CRP
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
13/31 7,510 2,289 Asphalt
18/36 6,080 1,853 Asphalt
Statistics
Aircraft operations (2017)97,012
Based aircraft (2020)65
Passenger volume (12 months ending January 2020)[1]645,000

The airport's six-gate 165,000 sq ft (15,300 m2) Hayden W. Head Terminal, designed by Gensler, opened on November 3, 2002 with a theme of "When the Sun Meets the Sea."[3]

The Corpus Christi International Airport has tried to attract airline service from Mexico, the latest attempt being in 2005. It had reached an agreement with Mexican airline Aeromar which planned to fly ATR 42s two or three times a week to Monterrey and had received U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) approval. But in a later letter to USDOT, Aeromar stated it would not seek renewal of the permit. Aeromar serves McAllen, TX with nonstop flights to Mexico City.[4] In 1974, Texas International Airlines was flying Douglas DC-9-10s between Corpus Christi and Mexico City via McAllen, TX and DC-9s twice a week to Tampico and Veracruz via McAllen in 1975.[5][6] In 1967, Mexicana de Aviacion Douglas DC-6s flew nonstop to Mexico City via Monterrey three days a week.[7]

With the arrival of the Chautauqua Airlines (United Express) Canadair CRJ-200 (with many Chautauqua - United Express flights in the region at the time), the airline established a crew base with about 75 pilots and flight attendants in Corpus Christi. Chautauqua closed this crew base in November 2008 and their CRJs no longer operate United Express flights to Corpus Christi. In May 2016, all United Express flights at Corpus Christi were Mesa Airlines Embraer ERJ-175s or ExpressJet Embraer ERJ-145.[8] The Dallas Love Field-Corpus Christi route operated by Southwest Airlines began on August 10, 2019, with one daily round-trip flight between the cities each Saturday. Southwest last flew the route nonstop in 1986.

Corpus Christi International Airport is included in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2019–2023, in which it is categorized as a non-hub primary commercial service facility.[9]

Facilities

The Corpus Christi International Airport covers 2,457 acres (994 ha) at an elevation of 44 feet (13 m). It has two asphalt runways: 13/31 is 7,510 by 150 feet (2,289 by 46 m) and 18/36 is 6,080 by 150 feet (1,853 by 46 m).[2]

In 2017, the airport had 97,012 aircraft operations, an average of 266 per day: 66% military, 18% general aviation, 8% air taxi, and 8% commercial airline. In April 2020, there were 65 aircraft based at this airport: 28 single-engine, 24 multi-engine, 9 jet, 3 helicopter, and 1 glider.[2]

Airlines and destinations

Corpus Christi International Airport has six gates, two of which (Gates 4 and 6) have direct access to the U.S. Customs office. The airport has five jetways and a sixth gate with stairs.

Passenger
AirlinesDestinations
American Eagle Dallas/Fort Worth
Southwest Airlines Houston–Hobby
United Express Houston–Intercontinental

Top destinations
Busiest domestic routes from CRP
(Feb 2019 – Jan 2020)[1]
Rank Airports Passengers Carriers
1 Dallas/Ft Worth, Texas 129,730 American
2 Houston–Intercontinental, Texas 91,940 United
3 Houston–Hobby, Texas 85,570 Southwest
4 Dallas–Love Field, Texas 15,570 Southwest

American Airlines August 2017 schedules show all American Eagle flights between the airport and Dallas/Fort Worth using Canadair CRJ-900s flown by Mesa Airlines. Earlier in 2017 American had a daily McDonnell Douglas MD-80 flight; daily McDonnell Douglas MD-80 service resumed in Summer 2018.[10]

All Southwest Airlines flights at Corpus Christi are on Boeing 737s; Southwest is the only all-main-line airline at Corpus Christi; American Airlines and United Airlines have seasonal mainline flights, AA to Dallas, and UA to Houston.

The United Airlines May 2, 2016, flight status listings show all United Express flights to Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport on Mesa Airlines Embraer ERJ-175s or ExpressJet Embraer ERJ-145s.[11] On June 7, 2018, United Airlines began flying a daily Airbus A319 to Houston (IAH).

Past airline service

Braniff International Airways, Eastern Air Lines and Trans-Texas Airways/Texas International Airlines served Corpus Christi's old and new airports.

In 1935, Braniff Lockheed Model 10 Electras flew Brownsville - Corpus Christi - San Antonio - Austin - Waco - Fort Worth - Dallas Love Field.[12] In 1940, a Braniff Douglas DC-3 flew Brownsville - Corpus Christi - San Antonio - Austin - Fort Worth - Dallas Love Field - Oklahoma City - Ponca City, OK - Wichita - Kansas City - Chicago.[13]

Eastern arrived at Corpus Christi in April 1939; its DC-3 direct from Newark connected to Pan Am's flight to Mexico City.[14][15] In 1958, Eastern Convair 440s flew Brownsville - Corpus Christi - Houston Hobby - Beaumont/Port Arthur - Lake Charles - Lafayette - Baton Rouge - New Orleans - Mobile - Pensacola - Montgomery - Birmingham - Atlanta.[16]

Pan Am started flying Houston to Mexico City in 1947; it flew nonstop, but for three years it also flew DC-3s and Convairs that stopped at Corpus Christi.

Trans-Texas Airways (TTa) arrived in 1950; in 1952 its Douglas DC-3s flew Brownsville - Harlingen - McAllen - Alice - Corpus Christi - Beeville - Victoria - Houston.[17] By 1963, most TTa flights to the airport were Convair 240s direct to Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, Fort Worth, Harlingen, McAllen and Victoria; DC-3s flew Corpus Christi - San Antonio - San Angelo - Midland/Odessa - Pecos - El Paso.[18] By 1969, TTa had changed its name to Texas International Airlines which continued at Corpus Christi.

Scheduled jets arrived in Spring 1965: Eastern 727s to Houston and Braniff BAC One-Elevens to Houston and San Antonio[19][20] (in 1965 the runway was still 5600 feet.) Braniff flew Lockheed L-188 Electras Corpus Christi - Houston Hobby Airport - Dallas Love Field - Oklahoma City - Wichita - Kansas City - Chicago O'Hare Airport.[20] In 1966, Trans-Texas Airways introduced nonstop Douglas DC-9-10s to Houston Hobby Airport in addition to Convair 600s nonstop to Houston, San Antonio and Harlingen.[21] In 1968, TTa flew the DC-9 nonstop to Harlingen and to Houston.[22] For a year or so in 1966-67 Mexicana de Aviacion Douglas DC-6s flew nonstop to Monterrey three days a week, continuing to Mexico City.[7]

Trans-Texas Airways changed its name to Texas International Airlines which in 1974 flew daily DC9s between Corpus Christi and Mexico City via McAllen and direct to Denver and Salt Lake City via Houston Intercontinental Airport and San Antonio.[5] In 1974, three airlines flew nonstop to Houston (IAH): Braniff Boeing 727-100s and 727-200s, Eastern Boeing 727-200s and Texas International Douglas DC-9-10s[23] with Braniff 727s also flying nonstop to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW).[23]

The 1976, Official Airline Guide[24] shows Eastern Boeing 727-200s Corpus Christi nonstop to New Orleans and nonstop to Houston, both continuing to Atlanta. Braniff had three direct Boeing 727s a day to Chicago O'Hare, all via Dallas/Fort Worth. Texas International DC-9s flew to Los Angeles (LAX) via Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth, Midland/Odessa, Roswell, NM, and Albuquerque.

Southwest Airlines began serving Corpus Christi on March 1, 1977, as an intrastate airline[25] and in 1979 had six Boeing 737-200s a day nonstop to Houston Hobby; it flew nonstop to Dallas Love Field on weekends.[26] In 1979, Braniff had ended nonstop service to Houston but had four nonstop 727s a day to Dallas/Fort Worth; Eastern 727s and Texas International DC-9s still flew nonstop to IAH.[26] In 1981, Eastern McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30s flew nonstop to Atlanta.[27]

In 1982, Braniff International went out of business while Texas International merged into Continental Airlines. American Airlines arrived in 1981; in 1983, three American Boeing 727-100s and 727-200s flew nonstop to Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) and a 727-200 flew to DFW via Austin.[28] Continental had four daily 727 and DC-9 nonstops to Houston Intercontinental while Pan Am Express (Emerald Air) flew three Douglas DC-9-10s a day to IAH. In 1984, Austin-based Emerald Air was operating as an independent carrier with up to ten DC-9 and Fairchild Hiller FH-227 departures a day nonstop to Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), Houston (IAH) and McAllen.[29]

United Airlines arrived in 1984 and pulled out in 1987; in 1985 United had two Boeing 727s a day to Denver via Austin.[30] Pan Am returned to Corpus Christi in 1985 and left in 1986; its 727s first flew to DFW-JFK, then to IAH-IAD.

In 1989, American Airlines had five daily McDonnell Douglas MD-80 nonstops to Dallas/Fort Worth, Continental and Continental Express had a total of six nonstops a day to Houston Intercontinental (Continental with Boeing 727-100s, 727-200s and Douglas DC-9-10s, and Continental Express with Britt Airways ATR 42s) while Southwest had eight Boeing 737-200s and 737-300s a day nonstop to Houston Hobby.[31] Eastern Air Lines had pulled out of Corpus Christi by 1987.

Delta Air Lines arrived in 1990. In 1991, Delta had three Boeing 737-200s a day nonstop to its Dallas/Fort Worth hub, while American and American Eagle had a total of seven nonstops a day to DFW, American with MD-80s and American Eagle with Saab 340s.[32] In 1993, Delta turned its Corpus Christi-Dallas/Fort Worth service over to Delta Connection (Atlantic Southeast Airlines ATR 72s and Embraer EMB-120 Brasilias); American continued to fly Fokker 100s to DFW until 1995-96 when American Eagle ATR 72s took over.[33] In 1999, Delta Connection (Atlantic Southeast Airlines) Canadair CRJ-200s were flying nonstop to Atlanta.[34] Continental then had one mainline flight a day to Houston Intercontinental (IAH) with Continental Express flying nine Embraer ERJ-145s and ATR 42s a day to IAH.[34] In 2010 Continental merged with United Airlines and the Continental Express service to Corpus Christi began to be operated as United Express.

Independent commuter airlines served Corpus Christi from the 1970s to the 1990s, including[35]

Incidents at Corpus Christi Airport

On April 2, 2012, United Airlines flight 4128 operated by United Express made an emergency landing at Corpus Christi International Airport after it suffered damage to its front landing gear and experienced a flat tire. The flight originated in Harlingen, Texas and was en route to George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston with 37 passengers on board. No injuries were reported. The aircraft was an Embraer ERJ 145 regional jet flown by ExpressJet.[36]

References
  1. "Corpus Christi International (CRP) Summary Statistics". Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  2. FAA Airport Form 5010 for CRP PDF, effective April 23, 2020.
  3. "Corpus Christi International Airport, United States of America – Airport Technology". Retrieved October 4, 2014.
  5. "Airline Timetables Images - Texas International Airlines". Airline Timetables Images. 1 March 1974. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  6. http://www.departedflights.com, April 15, 1975 Official Airline Guide
  7. http://www.timetableimages.com, October 31, 1967 Mexicana timetable
  8. http://www.united.com, May 2, 2016, Flight Status
  9. "NPIAS Report 2019-2023 Appendix A" (PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. October 3, 2018. p. 97. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  10. http://www.aa.com, American Airlines schedules
  11. http://www.united.com, United Airlines Flight Status listings
  12. http://www.timetableimages.com, April 22, 1935 Braniff timetable
  13. http://www.timetableimages.com, November 1, 1940 Braniff timetable
  14. http://www.timetableimages.com, March 1, 1939 Eastern timetable
  15. http://www.timetableimages.com, March 1, 1941 Eastern timetable
  16. http://www.timetableimages.com, December 1, 1958 Eastern timetable
  17. http://www.timetableimages.com, January 1, 1952 Trans-Texas timetable
  18. http://www.timetableimages.com, March 1, 1963 Trans-Texas timetable
  19. http://www.60sairlineantiques.net Archived April 1, 2019, at the Wayback Machine, June 1, 1965 Eastern timetable
  20. http://www.timetableimages.com, April 24, 1966 Braniff timetable
  21. http://www.timetableimages.com, October 30, 1966 Trans-Texas timetable
  22. http://www.timetableimages.com, August 1968 Trans-Texas timetable
  23. http://www.departedflights.com, April 1, 1974 Official Airline Guide
  24. February 1, 1976 Official Airline Guide
  25. http://www.southwest.com, Press Room, Our History
  26. http://www.departedflights.com, November 15, 1979 Official Airline Guide
  27. http://www.departedflights.com, April 1, 1981 Official Airline Guide
  28. http://www.departedflights.com, July 1, 1983 Official Airline Guide
  29. http://www.departedflights.com, March 1, 1984 Emerald Air timetable
  30. http://www.departedflights.com, February 15, 1985 Official Airline Guide
  31. http://www.departedflights.com, December 15, 1989 Official Airline Guide (OAG), Corpus Christi schedules
  32. http://www.timetableimages.com, October 1, 1991 Official Airline Guide
  33. September 15, 1994 Official Airline Guide
  34. http://www.departedflights.com, June 1, 1999 Official Airline Guide
  35. http://www.departedflights.com, Official Airline Guide editions: November 15, 1979; April 1, 1981; July 1, 1983; February 15, 1985; December 15, 1989; April 2, 1995; June 1, 1999
  36. "United Flight 4128 Makes Emergency Landing in Corpus Christi Texas | TFNJ: The Florida News Journal". thefloridanewsjournal.com. Retrieved April 12, 2014.
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