The airport's six-gate 165,000 sq ft (15,300 m2) Hayden Wilson Head Terminal, designed by Gensler, opened on November 3, 2002, with a theme of "When the Sun Meets the Sea."[2]
With the arrival of the Chautauqua Airlines operating United Express flights with Canadair CRJ200 regional jets via a code sharing agreement with United Airlines (with Chautauqua operating a number of United Express flights into the airport at the time), the airline established a crew base with about 75 pilots and flight attendants in Corpus Christi. However, Chautauqua then closed this crew base in November 2008 with the airline ceasing to operate United Express flights from Corpus Christi. In May 2016, all United Express flights at Corpus Christi were being operated by Mesa Airlines with Embraer ERJ-175 regional jets or by ExpressJet with Embraer ERJ-145 regional jets.[6]
The Dallas Love Field-Corpus Christi nonstop 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, until 2024, when the flight was reinstated seasonally from June 8, 2024, to August 3, 2024.[7]
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).[1][9]
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 jets, 3 helicopters, and 1 glider.[1]
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 with the sixth gate using stairs to reach the aircraft parking ramp.
All Southwest Airlines flights at Corpus Christi are flown with various Boeing 737 models; Southwest is the only airline to serve Corpus Christi with year-round mainline jet service while American Airlines (AA) and United Airlines (UA) operate seasonal mainline jet flights, AA to Dallas/FortWorth, and UA to Houston/IAH.
In 1935, BraniffLockheed Model 10 Electras flew Brownsville - Corpus Christi - San Antonio - Austin - Waco - Fort Worth - Dallas Love Field.[14] 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.[15]
Eastern arrived at Corpus Christi in April 1939 with direct DC-3 flights from New York Newark Airport via a number of enroute stops with this service connecting to Pan Am's flight to Mexico City.[16][17] 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.[18]
Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) was flying Douglas DC-3s between Houston and Mexico City via Corpus Christi in 1947 with a daily roundtrip routing of HoustonHobby Airport (HOU) - Corpus Christi - Brownsville - Tampico - Mexico City with the airline having a name for this international service, being the "Sun Ray Clipper".[19] According to the November 1, 1947 Pan Am system timetable, the southbound "Sun Ray Clipper" flight overnighted in Mexico City and then operated continuing service the next day on a southbound routing of Mexico City - Guatemala City, Guatemala - Managua, Nicaragua - San Jose, Costa Rica - Balboa, Panama with return northbound service from Balboa to Houston via Corpus Christi being operated on the same routing in reverse with an overnight stop being made in Mexico City as well.[19] However, Pan Am was no longer serving Corpus Christi by 1950 although the airline would return to the airport with jet service by the mid-1980s.[20][21]
Trans-Texas Airways (TTa) arrived in 1950; in 1952, its Douglas DC-3s flew a multi-stop routing of Brownsville - Harlingen - McAllen - Alice - Corpus Christi - Beeville - Victoria - Houston.[22] By 1963, most TTa flights to the airport were operated with Convair 240s direct to Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, Fort Worth, Harlingen, McAllen, and Victoria; TTa DC-3s also flew a routing of Corpus Christi - San Antonio - San Angelo - Midland/Odessa - Pecos - El Paso.[23] By 1969, TTa had changed its name to Texas International Airlines, which continued to serve Corpus Christi with McDonnell Douglas DC-9 jet service
Scheduled jets arrived in the spring of 1965: Eastern Boeing 727-100s nonstop to Houston Hobby Airport and Braniff International BAC One-Elevens nonstop to both Houston Hobby Airport and San Antonio with the Braniff jet service continuing on to Dallas.[24][25] In 1965, the primary runway was just 5600 feet long. In 1966, Braniff was operating Lockheed L-188 Electra propjets on a routing of Corpus Christi - Houston Hobby Airport - Dallas Love Field - Oklahoma City - Wichita - Kansas City - Chicago O'Hare Airport.[25] Also in 1966, Trans-Texas Airways introduced nonstop Douglas DC-9-10 jet service to Houston Hobby Airport in addition to Convair 600 turboprop flights nonstop to Houston, San Antonio, and Harlingen.[26] In 1968, TTa was operating nonstop DC-9 jet service to both Harlingen and Houston Hobby Airport.[27]
In 1966-67 Mexicana de Aviacion, a Mexican-based air carrier, was operating Douglas DC-6 propliners on nonstop international service to Monterrey, Mexico three days a week with this flight then continuing on to Mexico City.[5]
The February 1, 1976 Official Airline Guide (OAG)[29] lists Eastern Boeing 727-200s from Corpus Christi nonstop to New Orleans and also nonstop to Houston with both flights continuing on to Atlanta. Also in 1976, Braniff was operating three direct Boeing 727 flights a day to Chicago O'Hare, all via Dallas/Fort Worth. The same year, Texas International DC-9s flew direct to Los Angeles (LAX) via stops in Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth, Midland/Odessa, Roswell, NM, and Albuquerque.
Southwest Airlines began serving Corpus Christi on March 1, 1977, as an intrastate airline[30] and in 1979 was operating six Boeing 737-200s a day nonstop to Houston Hobby Airport (HOU); it also flew nonstop to Dallas Love Field on weekends.[31] In 1979, Braniff had ended nonstop service to Houston but was flying four nonstop 727s a day to Dallas/Fort Worth while Eastern 727s and Texas International DC-9s still flew nonstop to Houston Intercontinental (IAH).[31] In 1981, Eastern McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30s flew nonstop to Atlanta.[32]
In 1982, Braniff International went out of business while Texas International was merged into Continental Airlines. American Airlines arrived in 1981; in 1983, American Boeing 727-100s and 727-200s flew nonstop to Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) with a total of three flights a day with an American 727-200 also flying to DFW via a stop in Austin.[33] Continental had four daily 727 and DC-9 nonstops to Houston Intercontinental (IAH) while Pan Am Express operated by Emerald Air via a code sharing agreement with Pan Am operated three Douglas DC-9-10s a day to IAH. By 1984, Austin-based Emerald Air was operating as an independent carrier with up to ten DC-9 jet and Fairchild Hiller FH-227 turboprop departures a day nonstop to Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), Houston (IAH), and McAllen.[34]
United Airlines arrived in 1984 but then pulled out in 1987; in 1985, United was operating two direct flights a day to Denver with both services making a stop in Austin with Boeing 727-100s and 727-200s being flown on the route.[35] United would return to Corpus Christi following its merger with Continental Airlines.
Pan Am returned to Corpus Christi in 1985 but then discontinued its flights in 1986; its Boeing 727-200s first operated Corpus Christi - Dallas/Fort Worth - New York Kennedy Airport (JFK) service with the airline subsequently operating Corpus Christi - Houston Intercontinental - Washington Dulles Airport (IAD) flights. Also in 1985, Eastern was operating a daily Boeing 727-200 service on a routing of Corpus Christi - San Antonio - Atlanta - New York LaGuardia Airport - Montreal;[36] however, Eastern had pulled out of Corpus Christi by 1987.
In 1989, American Airlines had five daily McDonnell Douglas MD-80 nonstops to Dallas/Fort Worth while Continental and Continental Express were operating 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 AirwaysATR 42s) while Southwest was flying eight nonstops a day to Houston Hobby with Boeing 737-200s and 737-300s.[37]
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.[38] In 1993, Delta turned its Corpus Christi-Dallas/Fort Worth service over to Delta Connection flown by Atlantic Southeast AirlinesATR 72s and Embraer EMB-120 Brasilia turboprops operated via a code sharing agreement with Delta while American was operating Fokker 100 jets to DFW until 1995-96 when American Eagle ATR 72 turboprops took over.[39] In 1999, Delta Connection operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines Canadair CRJ-200 regional jets were flying nonstop to Atlanta.[40] Also in 1999, Continental was operating one mainline jet flight a day to Houston Intercontinental (IAH) while Continental Express flying nine nonstops a day to Houston (IAH) with Embraer ERJ-145 regional jets and ATR 42 turboprops.[40] In 2010 Continental merged with United Airlines and the Continental Express service from Corpus Christi then began to be operated as United Express.
In 1970, Rio Airways, which was operating as an independent commuter air carrier at the time, was based in Corpus Christi where it operated a hub with nonstop service to the Texas cities of Austin, Brownsville, Houston, Laredo, McAllen and San Antonio flown with Beechcraft 99 turboprops.[41]
Several other independent commuter airlines served Corpus Christi from the 1970s to the 1990s with small turboprop and prop aircraft, including[42]
^Feb. 1, 1985 Official Airline Guide (OAG), North American Edition, Corpus Christi to Montreal flight schedule & Flight Itineraries section, routing for Eastern flt. no. 106
^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
