Jacksonville International Airport
Jacksonville International Airport | |||||||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public / Military | ||||||||||||||
| Owner/Operator | Jacksonville Aviation Authority | ||||||||||||||
| Serves | Jacksonville metropolitan area | ||||||||||||||
| Location | within Jacksonville city-county limits | ||||||||||||||
| Opened | September 1, 1968 | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 30 ft / 9 m | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 30°29′39″N 081°41′16″W / 30.49417°N 81.68778°W | ||||||||||||||
| Website | www | ||||||||||||||
| Maps | |||||||||||||||
FAA airport diagram | |||||||||||||||
![]() Interactive map of Jacksonville International Airport | |||||||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||||||
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| Statistics (2024/2025) | |||||||||||||||
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| Sources: FAA,[1] airport website[2][3] | |||||||||||||||
Jacksonville International Airport (IATA: JAX, ICAO: KJAX, FAA LID: JAX) is a civil-military public airport 13 miles (21 km) north of Downtown Jacksonville, in Duval County, Florida, United States. It is owned and operated by the Jacksonville Aviation Authority.
History

Construction started in 1965 on a new airport to handle travel to nearby naval bases. The new airport was dedicated on September 1, 1968, replacing Imeson Field which carried the same IATA code of JAX.[4] Terrain precluded lengthening the runways at Imeson, a necessity with the inception of commercial jet airliners. A new idea at JIA was separating departing and arriving passengers on different sides of the terminal. This is no longer the case, and the airport now uses the more typical layout with departing passengers on an upper level with an elevated roadway, and arriving passengers on the lower level.
The new airport was slow to expand, only serving two million passengers a year by 1982, but it served over five million annually by 1999 and an expansion plan was approved in 2000. The first phase, which included rebuilding the landside terminal, the central square and main concessions area, as well as consolidating the security checkpoints at one location, and more parking capacity was completed in 2004–2005. In 2007, 6,319,016 passengers were processed.
The second phase of the expansion program[5] was carried out over three years, commencing in mid-2006 and projected to cost about $170 million. Concourses A and C were completely rebuilt; the former concourses have been demolished. Work on Concourse B was given a low priority because the capacities of the rebuilt Concourses A and C were more than adequate for existing demand. The expansion was designed by Reynolds, Smith & Hills (RS&H).[6]
The economic downturn of 2009 caused a decrease in passengers and flights. This led the JAA to commence the demolition of Concourse B in June 2009 because it was safer and easier for the contractor. After the debris was removed, asphalt was laid to provide space for ground equipment parking. The concourse will be rebuilt when passenger traffic increases, which the JAA had originally projected would occur in 2013 but did not materialize.[7][8] A section of the old concourse eventually became part of an airline club lounge which opened in 2019.
Expansion
In 2018, the airport handled 6,460,253 passengers, breaking the previous record set in 2007.[9] 7,186,639 passengers were handled in 2019.[10] This increase in traffic prompted the JAA to revive the plan to rebuild concourse B and in 2019 RS&H and Jacobs Engineering were chosen to perform the design, while Balfour Beatty was selected as the construction manager for the concourse B project.[11][12] However, the project was put on hold again due to the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting decrease in passenger demand. By 2022 traffic recovered to over 6.5 million passengers annually and the expansion project was restarted. On May 10, 2024, ground was broken on the new Concourse B, which will house six new gates, with the ability to expand to up to 10 additional gates. Concourse B is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2026.[13] The design of concourses A and C also allow them to be extended to accommodate additional gates.
Operations
Facilities

The airport covers 7,911 acres (3,201 ha) and has two concrete runways: 08/26, 10,000 x 150 ft (3,048 x 46 m) and 14/32, 7,701 x 150 ft (2,347 x 46 m).[1][14] The terminal at JAX is composed of a baggage claim area, on the first floor and a ticketing area on the second floor, at the front of the structure. Past baggage claim and ticketing is the mezzanine, where shops, restaurants and the security checkpoint are located. Beyond the mezzanine are the airport's Concourses A and C, which include 10 gates each (for a total of 20), along with other shops and restaurants.[15]
The airport also has a Delta Sky Club on Concourse A and a multi-airline passenger club located behind the airside food court.
There are three galleries located off of the main courtyard before the security checkpoint. One features an art exhibit, the second houses a revolving exhibit about a Jacksonville-area landmark or institution, and the third houses a permanent exhibit highlighting the history of aviation in the region.
In the year ending February 28, 2023, the airport had 99,616 aircraft operations, an average of 273 per day: 63% scheduled commercial, 19% general aviation, 14% air taxi and 4% military. In February 2023, there were 72 aircraft based at this airport: 3 single-engine and 3 multi-engine airplanes, 46 jet, and 20 military.[1]
The airport has multiple fixed-base operators for transient general aviation aircraft. Besides fuel, the two offer services such as maintenance, catering, hangars, and courtesy and rental cars; there are also amenities such as internet, conference rooms, vending machines, crew lounges, snooze rooms, and showers.[16][17]
Runways
The airport has two runways: 08/26 and 14/32, laid out in a "V" pattern (with the tip of the "V" pointing west). Originally, a plan existed to build two more runways, each next to one of the existing runways. However, the airport's latest master plan, introduced in 2020, proposed a different future layout. Instead of an additional runway alongside runway 14/32, a new 8000-foot runway would be built in the southwestern portion of the airport, offset from, but in a direction parallel to runway 08/26, the existing northern runway. The future runway will extend westwards from near the southern end of runway 14/23 and would require relocating Terrell Road. This plan would result in an airfield layout resembling an inverted "Z", which would allow for a traffic pattern that provides for simultaneous independent operations on the current runway 08/26 (which would be re-designated 08L/26R) and the future southern runway (08R/26L), while eliminating the directional conflict at the tip of the current "V" layout. The north and south parallel runways will be separated by distance of approximately 7,500 feet.[18]
Military facilities

Concurrent with the closure of Imeson Airport, the 125th Fighter-Interceptor Group (125 FIG) of the Florida Air National Guard (FANG) relocated to Jacksonville International Airport. Military Construction (MILCON) funds provided for the establishment of Jacksonville Air National Guard Base in the southwest quadrant of the airport and placement of USAF-style emergency arresting gear on the JAX runways. Upgraded from group to wing status and redesignated as the 125th Fighter Wing (125 FW) in the early 1990s, the wing is the host unit for Jacksonville ANGB and operates F-15C and F-15D Eagle aircraft. The 125 FW is operationally-gained by the Air Combat Command (ACC).[citation needed] The first Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning arrived on March 4, 2025.[19]
Jacksonville ANGB is a small air force base, without the military housing, military hospital or other infrastructure of major U.S. Air Force installations. The Air National Guard provides a fully equipped USAF Crash Fire Rescue station to augment the airport's own fire department for both on-airport structural fires and aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) purposes. The base employs approximately 300 full-time military personnel (ART and AGR) and 1,000 part-time military personnel who are traditional air national guardsmen.[20]
Airlines and destinations
Passenger

Cargo
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| FedEx Express[45] | Memphis, Indianapolis |
| UPS Airlines[46] | Louisville, San Juan, Philadelphia |
Statistics
Passenger traffic
The 2024 fiscal year (10/1/2023-9/30/2024) set a record for passenger numbers at Jacksonville International Airport. handling 7,647,916 passengers, which was a 4.7% increase from the prior fiscal year.[47]
Annual traffic
| Fiscal Year | Passengers |
|---|---|
| 2017/2018 | 6,221,827 |
| 2018/2019 | 7,073,228 |
| 2019/2020 | 3,960,498 |
| 2020/2021 | 4,162,825 |
| 2021/2022 | 6,387,924 |
| 2022/2023 | 7,306,171 |
| 2023/2024 | 7,647,916 |
| 2024/2025 | 7,573,168 |
Top destinations
| Rank | City | Passengers | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 685,020 | Delta, Frontier | |
| 2 | 315,570 | American | |
| 3 | 264,640 | American | |
| 4 | 185,140 | Delta, JetBlue | |
| 5 | 169,880 | American, Frontier | |
| 6 | 164,970 | Southwest | |
| 7 | 154,400 | American, United | |
| 8 | 153,130 | American | |
| 9 | 146,690 | United | |
| 10 | 130,190 | Delta, JetBlue |
Airline market share
| Rank | Airline | Passengers | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | American Airlines | 1,795,000 | 24.34% |
| 2 | Delta Air Lines | 1,650,000 | 22.38% |
| 3 | Southwest Airlines | 1,145,000 | 15.52% |
| 4 | United Airlines | 909,000 | 12.32% |
| 5 | JetBlue Airways | 434,000 | 5.88% |
| Other | 1,442,000 | 19.55% |
Ground transportation
Jacksonville International Airport has direct public transit service to Jacksonville Transportation Authority's bus network. The Route 1[52] bus connects the airport to downtown Jacksonville, with connections to Greyhound Bus Lines and to the Jacksonville Skyway monorail system.
Accidents and incidents
- On October 4, 1971, George M. Giffe Jr. hijacked a plane in Nashville, Tennessee, then forced the pilot to fly to Jacksonville, where Giffe killed his wife, the pilot, and himself when cornered by the FBI.[53]
- On December 6, 1984, Provincetown-Boston Airlines Flight 1039 crashed on takeoff, killing 11 passengers and 2 crew on board. The debris from the Tampa-bound flight burned near Lem Turner Road. The 1986 National Transportation Safety Board report cited an elevator trim control system failure, which caused separation of the horizontal stabilizer.[54]
- On December 21, 2001, a Piper PA-32 Cherokee Six crashed while making a missed approach at the Jacksonville International Airport. The crash was attributed to spatial disorientation.[55]
- On December 14, 2002, a Beech 200 King Air landed with collapsed landing gear after the gear failed to retract after departure. The probable cause of the incident was found to be a failure of the main landing gear locking mechanism for undetermined reasons, which resulted in the main landing gear collapsing, and damage to the airplane during landing.[56]
- On October 28, 2004, a Scottish Aviation Bulldog model 120 collided with trees then experienced collapse of the right main landing gear during an emergency landing at the Jacksonville International Airport. The probable cause of the accident was found to be the pilot's failure to maintain altitude/clearance with trees.[57]
- On November 28, 2005, a Beechjet 400 made a successful emergency landing at the Jacksonville International Airport after losing both engines in cruise flight.[58]
- On April 30, 2025, a Delta Air Lines Boeing 757 en route to Atlanta returned to Jacksonville after departure. The aircraft experienced a mechanical issue with its flaps and landed safely.[59]
- On November 2, 2025, a man broke through a security door at the Jacksonville International Airport, stole a car, and drove around the airport area. After being arrested, the man admitted to the breach and said that, though he does not know how to fly a plane, he would learn.[60]
2025 parking garage fire
On May 16, 2025, the parking garage structure suffered damage after a vehicle caught fire. The fire quickly spread across a portion of the 3rd level, affecting around 50 vehicles and causing a partial collapse of the second and third levels. The garage will remain closed indefinitely until its structural integrity can be examined.[61]
As of June 2025, the origin of the fire was linked to a single BMW, though it is still unclear how the fire spread so significantly. The airport is expected to spend $38 million to fix the garage; while insurance proceeds are expected to play a large role, it is not completely clear how the full cost of the fix will be covered.[62]
The airport says it may use the opportunity to add an additional floor to the parking garage as well as a sprinkler system to help suppress future fires.[62]
See also
References
- ^ a b c FAA Airport Form 5010 for JAX PDF, effective April 17, 2025.
- ^ "Jacksonville International Airport". www.flyjax.com. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
- ^ JACKSONVILLE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TRAFFIC SUMMARY REPORT (PDF) (Report). December 2023.
- ^ "Dedication program, Jacksonville International Airport
- ^ "Jacksonville International Airport". www.jaa.aero.
- ^ "Reynolds, Smith & Hills – Aviation Building Projects". Archived from the original on June 19, 2012.
- ^ Bauerlein, David (June 4, 2019). "Economy soars, but memories of Great Recession linger in Jacksonville". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
- ^ Gibbons, Timothy J. (June 22, 2009). "Demolition of JIA's Concourse B brings end of an era". Florida Times-Union.
- ^ "JAX Sets New Record for Annual Passenger Traffic" (Press release). Jacksonville Aviation Authority. January 24, 2019. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
- ^ "Enplanements by Airline" (PDF). flyjacksonville.com. Jacksonville Aviation Authority. May 31, 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 30, 2021. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
- ^ Burmeister, Caren (March 1, 2019). "With traffic surging Jacksonville International Airport adding 3rd concourse". Jacksonville Daily Record. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
- ^ Colburn, Allison (May 2, 2019). "JAA selects design team for new concourse". Jacksonville Business Journal. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
- ^ "JIA breaks ground on Concourse B". News4Jax. May 10, 2024. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
- ^ "JAX airport data at skyvector.com". skyvector.com. FAA data effective April 17, 2025.
- ^ "Terminal Maps". Jacksonville International Airport. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
- ^ "Signature Flight Support FBO Info & Fuel Prices at Jacksonville Intl (KJAX)". FlightAware. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
- ^ "Sheltair FBO Info & Fuel Prices at Jacksonville Intl (KJAX)". FlightAware. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
- ^ "JAX 2020 Master Plan Update" (PDF). Jacksonville Aviation Authority. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
- ^ Air Forces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. May 2025. p. 13.
- ^ Pike, John. "125th Fighter Wing [125th FW]". GlobalSecurity.org.
- ^ "Air Canada drops Toronto-Jacksonville route". PAX News. June 30, 2025. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
- ^ a b c "Allegiant offering nonstop flights from JAX to Akron-Canton, De Moines, Grand Rapids". November 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g Roguski, Randy (November 19, 2024). "Allegiant Airlines announces 3 new flights from Jacksonville | Jacksonville Today". Retrieved January 14, 2026.
- ^ a b "Airline announces new nonstop flight, low fares from Harrisburg to Florida". February 12, 2024.
- ^ Mid-Michigan NOW Newsroom (December 7, 2021). "Flint Bishop Airport announces new routes to Boston and Jacksonville". WEYI. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
- ^ Mahoney, Ashley (December 10, 2025). "Direct flights from Charlotte". Axios. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
- ^ "American Airlines adding more flights from Phoenix this winter".
- ^ "American Airlines Adds Flights from New York and Dallas". Aviatoon A2Z. October 12, 2025. Retrieved October 14, 2025.
- ^ Wright, Bailey (December 9, 2024). "Dominican Republic among Avelo Airlines' 5 new destinations". Retrieved December 9, 2024.
- ^ Smith, Emily (May 7, 2025). "Breeze Airways offering service to 6 new destinations from Akron-Canton Airport". WJW (TV). Nexstar Media Group. Archived from the original on May 8, 2025. Retrieved May 7, 2025.
- ^ "Breeze adding eight cities from Fort Lauderdale, including Tallahassee, Jacksonville". February 24, 2026. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
- ^ Messier, Catherine (February 21, 2025). "Breeze Airways to offer new direct flight out of Bradley Airport this summer. Here's where". Norwich Bulletin. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
- ^ Zickuhr, Monty (September 7, 2022). "Breeze Airways beginning nonstop service to Las Vegas". Jax Daily Record. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
- ^ "Breeze Airways to begin flying from Tweed-New Haven Airport". NBC Connecticut. August 13, 2024. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f "Breeze Airways adding 6 Nonstop Destinations from Jacksonville in a Week". Action News Jax. May 18, 2023. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
- ^ "Breeze Airways adds two Florida destinations from T.F. Green. Here's where they're flying". The Providence Journal. July 18, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
- ^ Weisberg, Lori (January 9, 2024). "A new low-cost airline is coming to San Diego and with it five new nonstop destinations". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
- ^ "Breeze Airways Sep 2025 Network Additions". Aeroroutes. Retrieved April 17, 2025.
- ^ "Delta to launch nonstop flights from Austin to Jacksonville in May 2025". KXAN. Archived from the original on May 15, 2025. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
- ^ "Frontier Airlines 2Q25 Atlanta Network Expansion". Aeroroutes. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
- ^ "JetBlue Adds Five New Routes". AirlineGeeks. December 3, 2025. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
- ^ "Southwest Airlines Extends Schedule". Southwest Airlines Investor Relations (Press release). Retrieved February 6, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g Dixon, Drew (February 6, 2025). "Jacksonville International Airport adding direct flights to Austin, St. Louis". Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
- ^ "Sun Country Announces Service From Minneapolis to Jacksonville, Fla". Jacksonville International Airport. October 19, 2021.
- ^ "Statewide Air Cargo Study Technical Report" (PDF). Retrieved January 26, 2026.
- ^ "Statewide Air Cargo Study Technical Report" (PDF). Retrieved January 26, 2026.
- ^ "JAX Airport Statistics For Fiscal Year 2023" (PDF). flyjacksonville.com. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
- ^ "JAX Airport Annual Passengers by Fiscal Year" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on January 26, 2022. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
- ^ "JAX Annual Passenger Traffic by Fiscal Year" (PDF). flyjacksonville.com. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
- ^ "Transtats". Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Retrieved October 8, 2025.
- ^ "Jacksonville International". Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Retrieved October 8, 2025.
- ^ "Map - Jacksonville Transportation Authority Schedules and Routes". schedules.jtafla.com. Retrieved December 8, 2022.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Hargrove, Brantley (August 27, 2009). "A Nashville hijacking 38 years ago set the standard on how not to handle hostage negotiations". Nashville Scene. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
- ^ Freeman, Clayton (May 4, 2019). "Commercial flight crash not Jacksonville's first". Florida Times-Union. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
- ^ Ranter, Harro. "Accident Piper PA-32-260 Cherokee Six N7701J, Wednesday 12 December 2001". Aviation Safety Network. Flight Safety Foundation. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
- ^ Ranter, Harro. "Accident Beechcraft 200 Super King Air N623VP, Saturday 14 December 2002". Aviation Safety Network. Flight Safety Foundation. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
- ^ Ranter, Harro. "Accident Scottish Aviation Bulldog 120/121 N556WH, Thursday 28 October 2004". Aviation Safety Network. Flight Safety Foundation. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
- ^ "Raytheon Corporate Jets Beechjet 400 crash in Florida (N691TA) | PlaneCrashMap.com". planecrashmap.com. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
- ^ "Delta flight lands safely at Jacksonville International Airport after experiencing mechanical issues". Action News Jax. May 1, 2025. Retrieved June 25, 2025.
- ^ Camargo, Marcela (November 4, 2025). "Man told police 'he didn't know how to fly a plane, but would've learned' after driving stolen car on JAX ramp: JSO". WJXT. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
- ^ Harris, Jenese (May 16, 2025). "'Going to be a long process': JFRD chief says crews unable to enter garage at JAX after fire causes partial collapse". WJXT News 4 Jax. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
- ^ a b Dixon, Drew (June 22, 2025). "Jacksonville International Airport likely to spend $38M on garage torched by fire in May". Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government. Retrieved June 25, 2025.
External links
- Jacksonville International Airport page at the Jacksonville Aviation Authority website
- "Jacksonville International Airport". brochure from CFASPP
- Jacksonville International Airport in the 1960s-1970s,1980s, an extensive history of airline service at JAX
- Jacksonville International Airport Arts Commission, official site
- JIA ARFF Fire Department, unofficial site
- FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective February 19, 2026
- FAA Terminal Procedures for JAX, effective February 19, 2026
- Resources for this airport:
- AirNav airport information for KJAX
- ASN accident history for JAX
- FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
- NOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three days
- SkyVector aeronautical chart for KJAX
- FAA current JAX delay information
