El Paso Airport is ideally located in Texas, just 6 miles away from the downtown El Paso and only 3.7 miles from Interstate 10. It covers some 7,100 acres and caters to around 3.3 million passengers annually, making it the primary way to explore Texas and the surrounding area.
El Paso Airport was open for business on September 8th 1928, and has been at the forefront of aviation technology ever since. In the 60s it became the first airport to have a 130 foot tall air traffic control tower and in 2000 it was the first to use the STARS radar system. It's even heavily involved in the space program, with NASA having its Training Center for Shuttle Astronauts on site and simulating landings on a daily basis.
The airport is home to three runways - two carrier runways that are 12,010 and 9,025 ft long and one general aviation runway of 5,493 ft. These allow over 99,000 passenger aircraft operations a year, as well as cargo operations of around 67,800 tons. Airlines that operate at the site include Continental Airlines, Delta, Frontier and US Airways, all offering numerous flights daily to destinations throughout the US.
The terminal has 15 gates and two levels, with restaurants, bars and retails outlets throughout. There are ATM's and postage facilities as well as a bureau de change, newsagents and gift shops. For business travelers there's the Travelex Business Center, located in the main lobby, which handles travel insurance, office supplies, a fax and photocopy service, money transfers, laptop service and overnight package delivery, among others. Although there aren't any meeting facilities in the airport itself conference facilities are available in the on-site hotel, and Wi-Fi is available throughout.
There are both short term and long term parking options with a total of 5,738 spaces being available. To get to and from the terminal a free shuttle bus is offered, and disabled parking is provided closer to the terminal. Short term parking costs a maximum of $6.50 per day and long stay parking is up to $4.50 a day or $22 per week.
If driving isn't an option then passengers can get to the airport by public transport. The Sun Metro bus service operates a daily route to the airport, and commercial shuttles are available with prior arrangement. Taxis are another option, with a taxi rank being located just outside the baggage claim department and all cabs being registered and metered. Car rentals are also available with a number of companies having offices in the baggage claim area including Alamo, Enterprise and Thrifty.
El Paso International Airport is in a prime location and offers a great way to access Texas, Southern New Mexico and Northern Mexico. Facilities on site cater to business and personal travelers alike, and with numerous hotels both on-site and nearby there's everything the passenger could need.
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