Jackson Hole Airport (IATA: JAC, ICAO: KJAC, FAALID: JAC) is a public airport located seven miles (11 km) north of Jackson, in Teton County, Wyoming, U.S. In 2019, it was the busiest airport in Wyoming by passenger traffic with 455,000 passengers.[5] During peak seasons of summer and winter, Jackson Hole has nonstop airline service from up to 15 destinations throughout the United States. The airport is served year-round by Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines and seasonally by Sun Country Airlines.
The airport was created in the 1930s as the best place to put an airport in Teton County. The airport was declared a national monument in 1943 and merged with Grand Teton National Park in 1950. The runway was extended to its current length in 1959. President John F. Kennedy landed in an Army helicopter here on September 25, 1963. In the 1960s and 1970s a runway extension to 8,000 feet (2,400 m) to allow jets was considered; the National Park Service successfully opposed it. In the late 1970s jets began using the existing runway. The area is noise sensitive and the airport allows no jets louder than stage III. The airport is a popular mating ground for the rare sage grouse.[7]
The airport once had an unusual terminal resembling a pioneerlog cabin. The terminal was completely rebuilt between 2009 and 2014. The new terminal, designed by Gensler,[9] still blends with the unique surroundings of the national park with exposed wood, fireplaces, and nature photography throughout. The park limited the height of the terminal building to 18 feet (5.5 m).[10] The terminal design received an American Institute of Architects Honor Award in 2014. In the spring of 2021, construction began on relocating the pre-security Café to baggage claim. Doing this gave check in counter space for Allegiant Airlines. In 2021, Allegiant left the airport due to small flight loads and the inability to reliably turn a profit at the airport.[11] The next phase of construction will modernize and expand the TSA checkpoint and give more gate space to American Airlines. In the spring of 2022 when the airport is closed, construction will commence on rebuilding Jedediah's restaurant and adding two more gates.[needs update]
Jackson Hole Airport covers 533 acres (216 ha); its one runway, 1/19, is 6,300 x 150 ft (1,920 x 46m) asphalt.[3][12]
Jackson Hole Airport is noise sensitive and bans older, noisier aircraft with stage-II engines.
Due to a short runway at high altitude, the largest aircraft seen regularly at the Jackson Hole Airport is the Boeing 757-200 operated by Delta Air Lines on flights to Atlanta. Other aircraft typically seen include the Airbus A319, A320, Embraer 175, and the Bombardier CRJ700. Due to these conditions, Jackson Hole Airport does not typically see stretched versions of aircraft such as the Airbus A321 or Boeing 737-900, as they become weight restricted when taking off.
The airport currently[when?] has eleven hard stand gates and three baggage carousels. Jackson Hole Airport does not have jet bridges so passengers board aircraft via ramps. The airport terminal has a restaurant and gift shop post security as well as a cafe by the baggage claim area. The airport is served by Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise and National rental car companies. Dollar, Hertz, and Thrifty offer shuttle service from the airport to in-town rental cars.
Destinations from Jackson Hole Airport Red = Year-round destination Green = Seasonal destination Blue = Future destination
Statistics
In the year ending December 31, 2019 the airport had 27,325 aircraft operations, average 75 per day: 37% general aviation, 29% air taxi, 33% airline and 1% military.[3] 21 aircraft at the time were based at the airport: 17 single-engine, 2 multi-engine, and 2 jet.[3]
Top destinations
Busiest domestic routes from KJAC (September 2022 - August 2023)[16]
On September 11, 1988, a Snowy Butte AviationBeechcraft Super King Air nosedived and crashed during a nighttime take off due to pilot fatigue and spatial disorientation. The sole occupant, the pilot, was killed.[18]
On December 20, 2000, actress and resident Sandra Bullock survived the crash of a chartered business jet at Jackson Hole Airport. The aircraft hit a snowbank instead of the runway, shearing off the nose gear and nose cone and damaging the wings.[20]
On June 27, 2005, John T. Walton, son of Walmart founder Sam Walton, died when his CGS Hawk Arrow homebuilt aircraft (registered as an "experimental aircraft" under FAA regulations) that he was piloting crashed in Jackson, Wyoming. Walton's plane crashed at 12:20 p.m. local time (1820 GMT) shortly after taking off from Jackson Hole Airport.[21]
^Bureau of Transportation Statistics. "RITA BTS Transtats". transtats.bts.gov. United States Department of Transportation. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
