Harrisburg International Airport | |||||||||||
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 2018 aerial view of Harrisburg International Airport | |||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public/military | ||||||||||
| Owner/Operator | Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority | ||||||||||
| Serves | Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Location | Lower Swatara Township, Pennsylvania, U.S.[1][2] | ||||||||||
| Hub for | Wiggins Airways[3] | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 310 ft / 94 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 40°11′35″N076°45′48″W / 40.19306°N 76.76333°W /40.19306; -76.76333 | ||||||||||
| Website | www.FlyHIA.com | ||||||||||
| Maps | |||||||||||
 FAA diagram of the airport | |||||||||||
 Interactive map of Harrisburg International Airport | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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| Statistics (2024) | |||||||||||
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| Sources: HIA Airport[4] and theFAA[5] | |||||||||||
Harrisburg International Airport (IATA:MDT,ICAO:KMDT,FAALID:MDT) is a public airport inLower Swatara Township, Pennsylvania,[1][6] United States, nine miles (14 km) southeast ofHarrisburg. It is owned by theSusquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority.[7]
The airport code MDT refers toMiddletown, the city name specified on the postal address of the airport. Planes landing at MDT from the south are often routed nearThree Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station a few miles from the airport. The airport, frequently referred to as HIA, is the primary commercial airport inSouth Central Pennsylvania and is the third-busiest airport in Pennsylvania for passenger enplanements and cargo shipments behindPhiladelphia International Airport andPittsburgh International Airport. In terms of total yearly aircraft operations within Pennsylvania, MDT is the fifth-busiest, behind Lancaster and Lehigh Valley International, according to FAA data from 2024 and 2025.[8][9]
Harrisburg International Airport has been serving south-centralPennsylvania since the late 19th century.[10] Beginning in 1898, theSignal Corps of theU.S. Army was stationed there. This was followed by the first military airplanes landing in 1918 at what had becomeOlmsted Field of the fledglingU.S. Army Air Service.
The Middletown Air Depot, later renamed Middletown Air Materiel Area at Olmsted, provided logistical and maintenance support of military aircraft until it closed in 1969. In 1968, airline flights moved fromCapital City Airport to the formerU.S. Air Force base, renamed asOlmsted State Airport. The airport was renamed Harrisburg International Airport in 1973.[11] ArchitectWilliam Pereira designed the new terminals, completed in 1973.
From April 1969 through the completion of its May 1971 acquisition byUniversal Airlines, American Flyers Airline, asupplemental air carrier, was based at Olmsted State Airport. American Flyers flew charter flights, including to Europe.
In the mid 1970s, the airport was a leading center for exporting cattle by air. In 1974, 33 flights departed the airport withHolstein cattle to countries such as France, Italy, Kuwait, Japan, Turkey and Uganda, on"stretch" Douglas DC-8s from airlines such asFlying Tiger,Seaboard World andAirlift International.[12]
Prior to deregulation, Harrisburg was served byAllegheny Airlines with flights to severalNortheast destinations,Trans World Airlines with flights toChicago, andAltair Airlines with commuter flights within Pennsylvania.[13]
In 1998, the Commonwealth transferred ownership to theSusquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority (SARAA). The Authority board consists of community volunteers appointed to staggered, five-year terms by the elected officials fromCumberland,Dauphin, andYork counties, the cities of Harrisburg andYork, andFairview andLower Swatara townships.
A new 360,000 square-foot terminal was completed in 2004. It cost $120 million and was designed by the Sheward Partnership.[14]
As of 2008, about 1,400 people work in the system of Harrisburg International Airport.[15]
Harrisburg International Airport covers 680 acres (280 ha) at an elevation of 310 feet (94 m) abovemean sea level. It has oneasphaltrunway, 13/31, 10,001 by 200 feet (3,048 by 61 m).[7][16]
Runway 13 has a CAT III approach allowing operations down to 600 feet (180 m) RVR (Runway Visual Range). The airport has a Surface Movement Guidance Control System (SMGCS) that allows aircraft and vehicle ground movements during reduced visibility (below 1,200 feet (370 m) RVR down to 600 feet (180 m) RVR).
The airfield also boasts a 140-foot control tower and associated approach control staffed and operated by FAA air traffic controllers.
In the year ending December 31, 2021, the airport had 48,788 aircraft operations, an average of 134 per day: 26%air taxi, 29%general aviation, 27%scheduled commercial and 18%military. 29 aircraft were then based at this airport: 6 single-engine, 4 multi-engine, 11jet, and 8military.[7]
The terminal has 12 gates and is a pier finger layout near the middle of the airfield, almost parallel to the runway.Delta Air Lines uses A1 and A3.United Airlines uses B1 and B3.Allegiant Air uses B6.American Airlines uses B2, and C1–C3.Frontier Airlines uses Gate B4. Gate A2, and B5 are currently unused.[17]
Built in 2004, and attached to the new terminal building via a climate-controlled sky bridge, theMulti-Modal Transportation Facility (MMTF) is a four-story facility that handles allground transportation. The top three levels have 2,504 parking places for Short-Term Hourly, Daily, and Long-Term public parking. The first level accommodates all limos, taxis, hotel shuttles, public and charter buses, plus the rental car ready/return lot.[18]
In the first floor lobby area are six rental car counters, restrooms, flight and bus information displays, and a seating area. On the second floor of the lobby area, climate-controlled moving sidewalks connect to the aerial walkway to the terminal.[18]
Route 7 of theCapital Area Transit System runs todowntown Harrisburg and surrounding communities. TheMiddletown Amtrak Station, about 3 miles (5 km) east of the terminal, hasAmtrak service via theKeystone Corridor. There had been a proposal to construct a new rail terminal adjacent to the MMTF, but the final location chosen for the new station is about 2 miles (3.2 km) east, inMiddletown.[19]
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Harrisburg International Airport has freight-forwarding capability. The airport is next toI-76 (Pennsylvania Turnpike),I-83, andI-81, allowing fast transfer of goods. Three major air cargo shippers maintain air service at the east end of the airport in an apron area next to the runway:[36]
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| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| FedEx Express | Indianapolis,Memphis |
| UPS Airlines | Chicago/Rockford,Louisville |
| Rank | City | Passengers | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Charlotte, North Carolina | 149,350 | American |
| 2 |  Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois | 141,880 | American, United |
| 3 |  Atlanta, Georgia | 105,130 | Delta |
| 4 |  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 67,860 | American |
| 5 |  Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas | 54,790 | American |
| 6 |  Detroit, Michigan | 45,890 | Delta |
| 7 |  Orlando–Sanford, Florida | 44,290 | Allegiant |
| 8 |  Washington-Dulles, Virginia | 42,110 | United |
| 9 | St. Petersburg, Florida | 24,940 | Allegiant |
| 10 | Punta Gorda, Florida | 23,080 | Allegiant |
| Rank | Airline | Passengers | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Piedmont Airlines | 338,000 | 21.41% |
| 2 | Allegiant Air | 305,000 | 19.31% |
| 3 | American Airlines | 227,000 | 14.37% |
| 4 | Delta Air Lines | 197,000 | 12.49% |
| 5 | United Airlines | 103,000 | 6.5% |
| Other | 410,000 | 25.92% |
| Rank | Airline | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | American Airlines | 45.9% |
| 2 | Allegiant Airlines | 18.5% |
| 3 | Delta Air Lines | 17.8% |
| 4 | United Airlines | 16.2% |
| 5 | Frontier Airlines | 1.6% |
| Passengers | Change from previous year | Cargo (tons) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 1,294,632 | — | 54,344 |
| 2014 | 1,289,487 |  0.40% | 48,922 |
| 2015 | 1,173,938 | 8.96% | 51,401 |
| 2016 | 1,205,461 |  2.69% | 52,807 |
| 2017 | 1,195,763 | 0.80% | 51,886 |
| 2018 | 1,294,765 | 8.28% | 57,303 |
| 2019 | 1,512,585 | 16.82% | 55,268 |
| 2020 | 633,310 | 58.13% | 55,430 |
| 2021 | 1,021,110 | 61.36% | 63,549 |
| 2022 | 1,256,348 | 23.04% | 57,175 |
| 2023 | 1,303,990 | 3.79% | 53,940 |
| 2024 | 1,444,778 | 10.8% | 48,999 |
Despite the closure of Olmsted AFB in 1969, the US Air Force continues anAir National Guard presence at Harrisburg[39] in the form of Harrisburg Air National Guard Station and thePennsylvania Air National Guard's193rd Special Operations Wing (193 SOW), anAir Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC)-gained unit flying theEC-130J Commando Solo aircraft. The 193 SOW is the sole operator of this critical aircraft asset for the entire US Air Force and in 2001 transitioned from the EC-130E to the new EC-130J variant. The wing has seen extensive federal service in recent years in support of OperationsJust Cause,Desert Storm,Enduring Freedom andIraqi Freedom.
The Air Force Presidential Airlift Squadron uses MDT as a practice airport for a number of reasons: its runway is long enough for a loaded 747, relatively low traffic, close proximity to Andrews Air Force Base, and the presence of the Air National Guard at MDT.
Harrisburg International Arprt
City ofHarrisburg | |
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