Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport – PHX Phoenix
The Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is a civil-military facility that’s alsoArizona’s largest and busiest airport. Located 4.8 kilometers (3 miles) southeast of downtown Phoenix, Arizona, it’s also one of the largest commercial airports in the U.S. and the 44th busiest in the whole world. Home to the Arizona Air National Guard’s 161st Air Refueling Wing, PHX is also the sixth largest hub for its biggest carrier, American Airlines. The fourth airport to be constructed in Phoenix, it originally had one runway in 1928 and was owned by Acme Investment Company until 1935, when the city purchased it for $100,000.
Best Time to Visit
Occupying 3,400 acres (1,400 hectares), Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport has three parallel grooved concrete runways, three terminals, and 116 aircraft gates. Terminal 2, which opened in 1962, is currently the oldest of the three terminals. It has 17 gates (1-15, C, and D) and is used by Alaska Airlines, Boutique Air, Spirit, and United among others. It will cease to operate and be demolished upon completion of the Terminal 3 Modernization Project in 2020. Terminal 3 currently has 15 gates (F1-F15) and is used by Delta, Frontier, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue, and Sun Country. It was opened in October of 1979 and was officially named John S. McCain III Terminal 3 in 2017, in honor of the late senator. The newest, Terminal 4, opened in 1990 and is the largest and busiest of the three. It has 86 gates(A1-30, B1-28, C1-19, and D1-8) divided among seven concourses and is the exclusive international customs arrival terminal. Officially called Barry M. Goldwater Terminal 4 after the late senator and 1964 presidential candidate, it is primarily used by Air Canada, American Airlines, British Airways, Southwest, Volaris, and WestJet. According to airport administration, there is no Terminal 1 since the designation has been retired and renumbering the other terminals might prove confusing to passengers already familiar with the current designations. PHX is the airport of choice for those who wish to visit Peoria, Tempe, Paradise Valley, and Scottsdale.
What to Do & Area Attractions
Some highly rated hotels about a mile from the PHX-Phoenix are Courtyard by Marriott Phoenix Airport, the 4-star Crowne Plaza Phoenix, PHX Airport, and the Aloft Hotel Phoenix Airport, which all offer free shuttle service to the airport.
