Jacksonville International Airport

Jacksonville, Florida is home to the Jacksonville International Airport. Jacksonville is the largest city in the state. Jacksonville is located on the First Coast region in Northeast Florida and St. Johns River. Jacksonville is 25 miles from Georgia and 340 miles from Miami. To help bring tourists and business people to the city, Jacksonville International Airport services a number of airlines.

The airport is shared with the military. The airport is nine miles from the business district. Jacksonville International Airport was built in 1965. It took three years for the airport to open replacing the original airport, Imeson Field. The older airport was no longer able to handle the capacity required or the bigger jets. Jacksonville International Airport was not largely used until after the 80's. They served perhaps two million passengers a year. Today they have more than six million passengers come through the building a year.

Since 2006 the airport has been under construction to expand it. The project added a new Concourse A and C. Concourse B is still under construction. They did the other two concourses first because they have better existing options. Concourse B has been under demolition since June 2009. The lower traffic the airport has been experiencing due to the credit crunch makes it easier for the construction works to work on the building. It is estimated that the concourse will be finished by 2013. A new baggage and screening system will be added to the airport to make it more efficient.

The newer concourses have ten gates with moving walkways. They are expected to have a people mover added in 2020. More shops and restaurants will be added to the airport. Already onsite is Starbucks, Chili's, Cinnabon, Sam Adams Brewhouse, Sam Snead's, Sbarro's, Burger King, Freshens Smoothies, and Quiznos. There are other restaurants besides these that will come in or have just opened. Shops at the airport include places like Hudson News and Newsstand. The airport offers places to find books, newspapers, toiletries, and other essentials a traveler might require.

In the future the airport may connect to the Clarion Hotel. The hotel is the closest place for travelers with long layovers to stay or anyone who is staying in Jacksonville. Airlines at the airport include AirTran, Delta, Northwest, Continental, JetBlue, and United. On Concourse A airlines are American, US Airways, Southwest, and International Charters. Jacksonville Airport is an international airport which means they service more than the United States. As a hub it is possible to go places in Europe, Asia, and the United Kingdom. Flights to the Caribbean and Mexico are also offered.

Jacksonville International Airport or JAX as many refer to it as covers 7,900 acres of land with two long runways for the larger jets. The airport is laid out in a V style to make moving around the buildings easier for the planes. From the airport taxis, buses, and rental cars are available. There is also parking onsite for numerous cars. Individuals can park short or long term at the parking.