Tallahassee International Airport | |||||||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||
| Owner | City of Tallahassee | ||||||||||||||
| Serves | Tallahassee metropolitan area | ||||||||||||||
| Location | Tallahassee, Florida, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 81 ft / 25 m | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 30°23′48″N084°21′01″W / 30.39667°N 84.35028°W /30.39667; -84.35028 | ||||||||||||||
| Website | flytallahassee | ||||||||||||||
| Maps | |||||||||||||||
 FAA airport diagram | |||||||||||||||
 Interactive map of Tallahassee International Airport | |||||||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||||||
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| Statistics (2025) | |||||||||||||||
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| Source:Federal Aviation Administration[1][2] | |||||||||||||||
Tallahassee International Airport (IATA:TLH,ICAO:KTLH,FAALID:TLH) is apublic airport located about 5 miles (8 km) southwest of downtownTallahassee inLeon County,Florida, United States. Owned and operated by the City of Tallahassee, it serves as the primary airport for Florida's capital city and the surroundingBig Bend region. Despite its designation as an "international airport", TLH currently does not offer scheduled international passenger flights.[3] The international status was granted in 2015 following the installation of a federal customs and border protection facility, enabling it to handle international cargo and charter flights.[4]
As of 2024, the airport provides commercial passenger service through several major airlines, includingAmerican Airlines,Delta Air Lines, andSilver Airways, offering nonstop flights to key hubs such asAtlanta,Charlotte,Dallas/Fort Worth, andMiami. With annual passenger traffic averaging between 850,000 and 900,000, Tallahassee International Airport ranks as one of the smaller commercial airports in Florida, yet remains a crucial transportation hub for the northern part of the state.[5]
TLH covers 2,485 acres (1,006 hectares) and features two asphalt runways: Runway 9/27, measuring 8,000 feet (2,438 meters), and Runway 18/36, measuring 7,000 feet (2,134 meters). The airport accommodates commercial flights, cargo operations, general aviation, and military use. It also supports flight training programs affiliated with local educational institutions, includingTallahassee Community College andFlorida State University.
The airport also serves a vital role in regional emergency management, often functioning as a staging area for hurricane relief and other disaster response efforts due to its inland location and proximity to theGulf Coast. Economically, TLH supports thousands of jobs in the region and contributes millions of dollars annually to the local economy through passenger travel, cargo operations, and associated businesses.
The airport began as Tallahassee Municipal Airport with a ceremony on April 23, 1961. The United States flag was presented to the City of Tallahassee by CaptainEddie Rickenbacker, World War I fighter ace and Chairman of the Board ofEastern Airlines. U.S. Army aircraft fromFort Rucker, Alabama, performed an aerial demonstration. Tallahassee Municipal replaced the city's first airport,Dale Mabry Field, which closed that year.
Eastern Airlines opened the airport by ferrying city, state, and chamber of commerce officials. Aboard the flight were Tallahassee Mayor Joe Cordell, State Comptroller Ray Green, Tallahassee City Commissioners Davis Atkinson, George Taff, Hugh Williams, Tallahassee City Manager Arvah Hopkins, Tallahassee City Clerk-Auditor George White, Airport Manager Flagg Chittenden, and Ernest Menendez, Frank Deller, James Calhoun, John Ward and Jeff Lewis, all of the Tallahassee-Leon County Chamber of Commerce.
In June 1961, less than two months after it opened, the airport was the site ofFreedom Rider protests. The airport restaurant, Savarin, was designated "Whites Only", and closed rather than serve a racially-mixed group of clergy and activists.[6] The protestors were arrested and removed, and later served prison sentences after the Supreme Court rejected their case inDresner vs City of Tallahassee on a technicality.[7]
From the airport's opening until the early 1980s, its primary runway was Runway 18/36, a 6,076-foot runway with anILS approach, enabling all-weather approaches, and aUSAF certified HighTACAN approach for practice by Air Force aircraft based atTyndall AFB, nearPanama City. Runway 09/27 was 4,000 feet long and supportedgeneral aviation operations. By the 1970s, the airport had scheduled flights onEastern Airlines,Delta Air Lines,National Airlines andSouthern Airways, mainly onBoeing 727s,Boeing 737s andMcDonnell Douglas DC-9s.
By the 1980s the terminal was becoming obsolete, and the 6,100 foot runway was too short for theBoeing 757 andBoeing 767 coming into service. Runway 09/27 was converted to a taxiway and a new Runway 09/27, 8,003 feet long withILS, was built just to the south. A new passenger terminal was built just north of the new runway. Ground was broken on November 2, 1987 and the new terminal prompted officials to rename the airport from Tallahassee Municipal Airport to Tallahassee Regional Airport. On December 3, 1989, the city opened the $33 million terminal, and on February 20, 2000, the terminal was renamed the Ivan Munroe Terminal in honor of Tallahassee aviation pioneer Ivan Munroe. Munroe was the first man in Tallahassee to own a plane.
On July 20, 2002,FedEx Express Flight 1478 crashed a half mile short of the Runway 9 while attempting to land. TheNational Transportation Safety Board determined that the crash was due to a combination of pilot fatigue and pilot error. All three crewmembers survived.[8]
On June 26, 2015, Tallahassee Regional Airport was renamed Tallahassee International Airport. On June 29, 2015 the City of Tallahassee and the FAA announced the name change. International passengers are allowed to exit the airport via Tallahassee International Airport due to the facility's full-service "service port" for U.S. Customs.[9] The change allows international cargo and general aviation flights to directly come to Tallahassee, which is the leading cargo handler in the panhandle of Florida. Tallahassee handles 9.5 million pounds of cargo per year, more than the next city, Pensacola, which handles around 6.8 million pounds.[10]
On January 27, 2021, the airport was struck by anEF1 tornado, causing minor damage and temporary closure to assess the damage. A small plane was flipped and minor damage was done to a hangar. No injuries were reported.[11]
The airport covers 2,485acres (1,006 ha) at anelevation of 81 feet (25 m). It has tworunways: 09/27 is 8,000 by 150 feet (2,438 by 46 m) and 18/36 is 7,000 by 150 ft. (2,134 by 46 m).[1][12] Helicopter operations are generally confined to the Runway 18/36 area, or direct approaches to the Million Air FBO ramp area.
The Million Air FBO at the airport provides contracted fuel services to U.S. Military and Department of Defense aircraft.[13] TLH is regularly visited by U.S. NavyP-8 Poseidon aircraft,Lockheed Martin C-130 family aircraft, as well asDornier C-146 andT-6 Texan II aircraft on training missions and practice approaches.
The terminal building is divided into two concourses, A & B. All gates except for Gates A4 & A7 are located on the main level of the terminal, and are equipped with jet bridges, while Gates A2 & A4 are located on the lower level.
Gate assignments:
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| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| American Eagle | Charlotte,[14][15]Dallas/Fort Worth,[14][15]Miami,[14][15]Washington–National[14][15] |
| Delta Air Lines | Atlanta[14][15] |
| Delta Connection | Atlanta[14][15] |
| Destinations map |
|---|
Destinations from Tallahassee International Airport Red = Year-round destination Green = Seasonal destination Blue = Future destination |
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| FedEx Express | Memphis |
| FedEx Feeder | Memphis,Orlando[16] |
| Quest Diagnostics Aviation | Tampa |
| Rank | Airport | Passengers | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Atlanta, Georgia | 178,110 | Delta |
| 2 |  Charlotte, North Carolina | 76,990 | American |
| 3 |  Miami, Florida | 69,160 | American |
| 4 |  Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas | 58,210 | American |
| 5 | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | 47,530 | Silver |
| 6 |  Washington–National, D.C. | 19,700 | American |
| 7 | Tampa, Florida | 11,960 | Silver |
| Rank | Airline | Passengers | Percent of market share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Envoy | 285,000 | 30.93% |
| 2 | Delta | 276,000 | 29.92% |
| 3 | PSA | 103,000 | 11.20% |
| 4 | Endeavor | 77,610 | 8.42% |
| 5 | Silver | 64,780 | 7.03% |
| Other | 115,000 | 12.50% |
