San Diego International Airport: Difference between revisions

'''San Diego International Airport''' {{airport codes|SAN|KSAN|SAN}} is an [[international airport]] serving [[San Diego]], [[California]], United States. The airport is located {{convert|3|mi|km nmi|spell=in}} northwest of [[downtown San Diego]]. It covers {{cvt|663|acres}} of land and is ranked the third busiest airport in California in terms of passenger traffic.<ref name="FAA">{{FAA-airport|ID=SAN|use=PU|own=PU|site=02170.*A}}. [[US Federal Aviation Administration]]. Effective April 18, 2024.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=SAN airport data at skyvector.com |url=https://www.skyvector.com/airport/SAN/San-Diego-International-Airport |access-date=August 27, 2022 |website=skyvector.com}}</ref> It is the busiest single-[[runway]] airport in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Candelieri |date=August 30, 2023 |title=San Diego International Airport is busiest single-runway airport in US |url=https://fox5sandiego.com/news/local-news/san-diego-international-airport-is-busiest-single-runway-airport-in-us/ |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=May 11, 2024 |website=FOX 5 San Diego}}</ref>

The airport is owned and operated by the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority.<ref name="FAA" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=About the Airport Authority |url=http://www.san.org/Airport_Authority/index.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060923220007/http://www.san.org/Airport_Authority/index.asp |archive-date=September 23, 2006 |website=San Diego County Regional Airport Authority}}</ref> It operates in [[controlled airspace]] served by the [[Southern California TRACON]].<ref name="SoCal TRACON">{{Cite web |title=Southern California TRACON (SCT) |url=https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ato/service_units/air_traffic_services/tracon/sct/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170529233825/https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ato/service_units/air_traffic_services/tracon/sct/ |archive-date=May 29, 2017 |access-date=May 29, 2017 |publisher=[[US Federal Aviation Administration]] |quote=Southern California TRACON (SCT) serves most airports in Southern California and guides about 2.2 million planes over roughly 9,000 square miles in a year, making our facility one of the busiest in the world.}}</ref> The airport's landing approach is well known for its close proximity to the [[skyscrapers]] of downtown San Diego,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lori Weisberg |date=August 3, 2011 |title=How safe is San Diego airport? |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/tourism/sdut-how-does-san-diego-fare-on-airport-safety-2011aug03-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190622054044/https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/tourism/sdut-how-does-san-diego-fare-on-airport-safety-2011aug03-story.html |archive-date=June 22, 2019 |access-date=June 21, 2019 |quote=Anyone who’s ever glanced skyward as a jetliner is making its final approach into Lindbergh Field would swear that it could easily scrape one of the high-rises in its path. As scary as the impending landing seems, San Diego International Airport is in fact the seventh safest airfield in the U.S., according to Travel + Leisure magazine.}}</ref> and can sometimes prove difficult to pilots due to the relatively short usable landing area, steep descent angle over the crest of [[Bankers Hill, San Diego|Bankers Hill]], and shifting wind currents just before landing.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sean Breslin |date=March 21, 2017 |title=The 10 Most Challenging U.S. Airports, According to Honeywell |url=https://weather.com/travel/commuter-conditions/news/most-challenging-airports-united-states-honeywell |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190622054045/https://weather.com/travel/commuter-conditions/news/most-challenging-airports-united-states-honeywell |archive-date=June 22, 2019 |access-date=June 21, 2019 |quote=Weather in San Diego is known for being ideal much of the year, but there are other factors that make arrivals and departures to this airport among the toughest in the nation. According to Honeywell, pilots must make a steep approach into the airport, and strong tailwinds can also be present.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=RALPH FRAMMOLINO and GEORGE RAMOS |date=April 26, 1988 |title=S.D. Airport Rated 5th on Danger List: Pilots Call LAX Most Dangerous in Nation |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-04-26-me-1461-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190622054044/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-04-26-me-1461-story.html |archive-date=June 22, 2019 |access-date=June 21, 2019 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |quote=The mountains to the east force pilots to make a steep landing on a relatively short runway, said Dick Russell, a United Airlines pilot and area safety coordinator for the Air Line Pilots Assn. (ALPA) chapter in Los Angeles. The runway measures 9,400 feet, but angling in over the man-made and natural obstacles effectively shortens that by 1,800 feet, Russell said.}}</ref>

Prior to the development of the airport, the area was a delta river outlet for the [[San Diego River]] into the [[San Diego Bay]], which was then re routed to terminate to the Pacific Ocean parallel to [[Mission Bay (San Diego)|Mission Bay]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Smythe, William E., "History of San Diego, 1542-1908", Part Seven, Chapter II |url=https://www.sandiegohistory.org/books/smythe/7-2.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160401065156/https://www.sandiegohistory.org/books/smythe/7-2.htm |archive-date=April 1, 2016 |access-date=May 14, 2021}}</ref>

The airport is near the site of the [[Ryan Airline Company|Ryan Airlines]] factory, but it is not the same as [[Dutch Flats Airport]], the Ryan airfield where [[Charles Lindbergh]] flight-tested the [[Spirit of St. Louis]] before his historic 1927 transatlantic flight. The site of Dutch Flats is on the other side of the [[Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego|Marine Corps Recruit Depot]], in the [[Midway, San Diego|Midway neighborhood]] area, near the intersection of Midway and Barnett Avenues.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 15, 2012 |title=Port of San Diego map |url=http://www.charleslindbergh.com/images2/RyanSanDiegoMap.jpg |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717034104/http://www.charleslindbergh.com/images2/RyanSanDiegoMap.jpg |archive-date=July 17, 2012 |access-date=July 18, 2012}}</ref>

The airport was the first federally certified airfield to serve all aircraft types, including [[seaplane]]s.<ref name="AECOM2018" /><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Katrina Pescador |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=whp_Vj4vCkYC&pg=PA35 |title=San Diego International Airport Lindbergh Field |last2=Alan Renga |last3=Pamela Gay |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |others=San Diego Air & Space Museum |year=2012 |isbn=978-0-7385-8908-4 |series=Images of Aviation |page=35 |lccn=2011936592 |access-date=February 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220116051351/https://books.google.com/books?id=whp_Vj4vCkYC&pg=PA35 |archive-date=January 16, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> The original terminal was on the northeast side of the field, on Pacific Highway.<ref name="AECOM2018">{{Cite report |url=https://www.sandiego.gov/sites/default/files/midway-pacific_hwy_cpu_peir_final.pdf |title=Midway-Pacific Highway Community Plan Update |last=AECOM |date=May 2018 |publisher=City of San Diego |pages=2–13 |access-date=February 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180905223117/https://www.sandiego.gov/sites/default/files/midway-pacific_hwy_cpu_peir_final.pdf |archive-date=September 5, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> The airport was also a testing facility for several early US [[Glider (sailplane)|sailplane]] designs, notably those by [[William Hawley Bowlus]] (superintendent of construction on the Spirit of St. Louis) who also operated the Bowlus Glider School at Lindbergh Field from 1929 to 1930.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Michelson |first=Alan |date=205 |title=San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, San Diego Municipal Airport Lindbergh Field, Bowlus, William Hawley, Glider School, San Diego, CA |url=http://pcad.lib.washington.edu/building/12469/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190224001805/http://pcad.lib.washington.edu/building/12469/ |archive-date=February 24, 2019 |access-date=February 23, 2019 |website=Pacific Coast Architecture Database |publisher=University of Washington}}</ref> The airport was also the site of a national and world record for women's altitude established in 1930 by [[Ruth Alexander]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Hannah S. Cohen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tllmDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA56 |title=Remarkable Women of San Diego: Pioneers, Visionaries and Innovators |last2=Gloria G. Harris |date=November 21, 2016 |publisher=Arcadia Publishing Incorporated |isbn=978-1-62585-726-2 |pages=56–58 |access-date=February 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220116051341/https://books.google.com/books?id=tllmDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA56 |archive-date=January 16, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=September 18, 1930 |title=Ruth Alexander Killed in San Diego Air Crash |work=Evening Tribune |location=San Diego |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/150-years/sd-me-150-years-september-18-htmlstory.html |url-status=live |access-date=February 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190224001923/https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/150-years/sd-me-150-years-september-18-htmlstory.html |archive-date=February 24, 2019}}</ref> The airport was also the site of the first transcontinental glider tow by Capt. Frank Hawks departing Lindbergh Field on March 30, 1930, and ending in Van Cortland Park in New York City on April 6, 1930. On June 1, 1930, a regular San Diego–Los Angeles [[airmail]] route started. The airport gained [[international airport]] status in 1934. In April 1937, [[United States Coast Guard]] Air Base was commissioned next to the airfield.<ref>{{Cite web |last=<!--Not stated--> |date=December 1999 |title=Coast Guard Activities San Diego |url=https://media.defense.gov/2017/Jul/04/2001772955/-1/-1/0/STATION_CG_ACTIVITIES_SAN_DIEGO.PDF |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190224002143/https://media.defense.gov/2017/Jul/04/2001772955/-1/-1/0/STATION_CG_ACTIVITIES_SAN_DIEGO.PDF |archive-date=February 24, 2019 |access-date=February 23, 2019 |publisher=Department of Defense}}</ref> The Coast Guard's [[fixed-wing aircraft]] used Lindbergh Field until the mid-1990s when their fixed-wing aircraft were assigned elsewhere.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Schnaifer |first=Jeff |date=August 26, 1995 |title=Sportswriter on Deep-Sea Outing Reported Missing |work=Los Angeles Times |url=httphttps://articleswww.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-08-26/local/-me-39061_1_coast39061-guardstory.html |url-status=live |access-date=February 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220116051353/https://www.latimes.com/archives |archive-date=January 16, 2022}}<br />{{Cite book |last=Coast Guard Sector San Diego |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OGPTryyGRTwC&pg=PA8 |title=The Coast Guard in San Diego |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-7385-8014-2 |page=8 |access-date=February 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220116051351/https://books.google.com/books?id=OGPTryyGRTwC&pg=PA8 |archive-date=January 16, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref>

British Airways started nonstop service to London using a Boeing 777 in March 2001.<ref>{{cite press release | title=British Airways Begins New Nonstop B777 Service from San Diego to London | publisher=British Airways | date=2001-03-25 | id={{ProQuest|444064246}}}}</ref> In 2001 the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority was created, and assumed jurisdiction over the airport in December 2002.<ref name="AB93" /> The Authority changed the airport's name from Lindbergh Field to San Diego International Airport in 2003, reportedly considering the new name "a better fit for a major commercial airport."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kinsee Morlan |date=August 15, 2018 |title=The Airport Is Sticking by Charles Lindbergh |work=[[Voice of San Diego]] |url=https://www.voiceofsandiego.org/topics/government/the-airport-is-sticking-by-charles-lindbergh/ |url-status=live |access-date=October 3, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181003100958/https://www.voiceofsandiego.org/topics/government/the-airport-is-sticking-by-charles-lindbergh/ |archive-date=October 3, 2018}}</ref> British Airways left the city in October 2003. Few people were traveling in business and first class. In addition, the [[2002–2004 SARS outbreak|SARS outbreak]] and the [[Iraq War]] had had a negative impact on the airline industry.<ref>{{cite news | title=British Airways to End San Diego-London Flights | work=The San Diego Union-Tribune | date=2003-07-11 | author=Kinsman, Michael | id={{ProQuest|463965123}}}}</ref>

In the jet age there have been concerns about a relatively small airport constrained by terrain serving as the area's primary airport; at one point acting [[Civil Aeronautics Act|Civil Aeronautics Authority]] administrator William B. Davis said he doubted any jet airline would use it.<ref name="sanhist">{{Cite web |title=City of the Dream, 1940-1970 |url=http://www.sandiegohistory.org/archives/books/citydream/ch8/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181028073839/http://www.sandiegohistory.org/archives/books/citydream/ch8/ |archive-date=October 28, 2018 |access-date=October 28, 2018}}</ref> In 1950 the city acquired what is today [[Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport]] and much of the land surrounding it through eminent domain to build a new airport, but the [[Korean War]] brought with it a massive expansion in jet traffic to nearby [[Naval Air Station Miramar]], which soon rendered a commercial service airport in the area impractical. The CAA refused to fund any major enhancements to SDIA through the 1950s, and at various times the city proposed [[NAS North Island]], [[Mission Bay (San Diego)|Mission Bay]], and [[Brown Field Municipal Airport|Brown Field]] as replacements. Cost, conflicts with the Navy, and potential interference with other air traffic stymied these plans.<ref name="sanhist">{{Cite web |title=City of the Dream, 1940-1970 |url=http://www.sandiegohistory.org/archives/books/citydream/ch8/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181028073839/http://www.sandiegohistory.org/archives/books/citydream/ch8/ |archive-date=October 28, 2018 |access-date=October 28, 2018}}</ref>

It was not until 1964 that the [[FAA]] would finally agree to an expansion of SDIA, which at this point was over double the capacity of its 1940s era terminals, leading to the construction of today's Terminal 1. Even then, it was only allowed with the assurance of San Diego Mayor [[Charles Dail]] that it was only a temporary measure until a replacement could be found.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018 |title=SDIA Airport Development Plan Project Historic Resources Study - July 2018a |url=http://san.org/Portals/0/Documents/Environmental/2018-Draft/DEIRA/Appendix_F_1_Historic_Resources_Study_July_2018a.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220116051340/http://san.org/Portals/0/Documents/Environmental/2018-Draft/DEIRA/Appendix_F_1_Historic_Resources_Study_July_2018a.pdf |archive-date=January 16, 2022 |access-date=October 28, 2018}}</ref> From that time until 2006, various public agencies conducted studies on potential locations for a replacement airport. One revisited a study done in the 1980s by the City in 1994 when [[Naval Air Station Miramar]] closed and was then immediately transferred to the [[US Marine Corps]] as Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. Another was by the City of San Diego in 1984 and another that started in 1996 and sat dormant with [[SANDAG]] until the airport authority was formed. This is the first study ever done to look for a new site by a public agency that actually had jurisdiction over the issue, and the first non-site specific comprehensive study of the entire region.

[[California State Assembly]] Bill 93 created the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority (SDCRAA) in 2001.<ref name="AB93">{{Cite web |last=Wayne |title=California Assembly Bill 93 |url=http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/01-02/bill/asm/ab_0051-0100/ab_93_bill_20011014_chaptered.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120218114949/http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/01-02/bill/asm/ab_0051-0100/ab_93_bill_20011014_chaptered.html |archive-date=February 18, 2012 |access-date=July 18, 2012 |publisher=Leginfo.ca.gov}}</ref> At the time, the SDCRAA projected SAN would be constrained by congestion between 2015 and 2022;<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 11, 2005 |title=Airport Master Plan |url=http://san.org/authority/amp/aviation_activity_forecast_fact_sheet.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051211125432/http://san.org/authority/amp/aviation_activity_forecast_fact_sheet.asp |archive-date=December 11, 2005 |access-date=July 18, 2012 |website=San Diego International Airport |publisher=San Diego County Regional Airport Authority}}</ref> the Great Recession, however, extended the forecast capacity limitations into the 2030s.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 8, 2015 |title=Stuck on the Waterfront, the Airport's Sky Isn't Falling as Once Feared |url=https://www.voiceofsandiego.org/topics/government/stuck-on-the-waterfront-the-airports-sky-isnt-falling-as-once-feared/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180907182925/https://www.voiceofsandiego.org/topics/government/stuck-on-the-waterfront-the-airports-sky-isnt-falling-as-once-feared/ |archive-date=September 7, 2018 |access-date=September 7, 2018 |publisher=The Voice of San Diego}}</ref> In June 2006, SDCRAA board members selected [[Marine Corps Air Station Miramar]] as its preferred site for a replacement airport, despite military objections the compromises this would require would severely interfere with the readiness and training of aviators stationed at the air station.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20151017192402/http://legacy.utsandiego.com/news/metro/20060605-1329-bn05airport.html SDCRAA Endorses Miramar For New Airport Site, Despite Military Protest] (San Diego Tribune: June 5, 2006)</ref> On November 7, 2006, San Diego County residents rejected an advisory relocation ballot that included a joint use proposal measure over these and related concerns over the potential impact reducing the region's military value would have on the defense-focused [[Economy of San Diego|San Diego economy]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Airport Measure Shot Down |url=http://voiceofsandiego.org/articles/2006/11/08/news/01miramar.txt |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090220145836/http://voiceofsandiego.org/articles/2006/11/08/news/01miramar.txt |archive-date=February 20, 2009 |access-date=July 18, 2012 |publisher=Voiceofsandiego.org}}</ref> Since then no public agency has placed forth a serious proposal to relocate SDIA, and the Airport Authority has stated it has no plans to do so for the foreseeable future.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 22, 2018 |title=Airport Usage Is Up — But Demand to Move and Expand It Is Way Down |url=https://www.voiceofsandiego.org/topics/economy/airport-usage-is-up-but-the-demand-to-move-and-expand-it-is-way-down/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180907144729/https://www.voiceofsandiego.org/topics/economy/airport-usage-is-up-but-the-demand-to-move-and-expand-it-is-way-down/ |archive-date=September 7, 2018 |access-date=September 7, 2018 |publisher=The Voice of San Diego}}</ref>

In 2021, the airport began construction on a complete replacement of Terminal 1, as per the Airport Development Plan (ADP), a study by the airport that began in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |title=San Diego International Airport > Airport Projects > Airport Development Plan |url=http://san.org/Airport-Projects/Airport-Development-Plan |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161223063122/http://san.org/Airport-Projects/Airport-Development-Plan |archive-date=December 23, 2016 |access-date=December 22, 2016 |website=san.org}}</ref> The new Terminal 1's construction is split into two phases, the first of which consists of a new 19-gate standalone terminal built directly east of the existing Terminal 1.<ref>{{Cite web |title=At long last, construction begins on San Diego airport's $3.4B Terminal 1 overhaul |date=November 3, 2021 |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/story/2021-11-02/at-long-last-construction-begins-on-san-diego-airports-3-4b-terminal-1-overhaul}}</ref> This first phase is scheduled to open in 2025 with a budget of US$2.6 billion, and is 60% complete as of April 4, 2024. <ref>{{Cite web |title=New San Diego Airport Terminal 1 construction 60% complete and ‘on time'|date=April 4, 2024|url=https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/new-san-diego-airport-terminal-1-construction-60-complete-and-on-time/3480311/}}</ref> Upon the opening of the first phase, the existing Terminal 1 is planned to be demolished, and the 11 remaining gates of the new Terminal 1 are planned to be built in its place, to open in 2028.<ref>{{Cite web |title=$2.7B T1 Project Will Transform SAN |date=March 6, 2023 |url=https://www.sdbj.com/special-report/2-7b-t1-project-will-transform-san/}}</ref> Other aspects of the ADP include a new 7,500-space parking structure to open in 2024, a new dual-level arrivals/departures roadway in front of the new Terminal 1 to match Terminal 2's, a new entry road extended from Harbor Drive, an expanded aircraft taxiway A to pair with existing taxiway B for almost the complete length of the airport's runway, and a new airport operations center to replace the one located within the long-decommissioned Commuter Terminal.<ref>{{Cite web |title=$3B plan to replace San Diego airport's aging Terminal 1 reaches major milestone |date=January 9, 2020 |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/tourism/story/2020-01-09/3b-plan-to-replace-san-diego-airports-aging-terminal-1-clears-major-milestone}}</ref> Space has also been set aside west of the new parking structure for a to-be-determined rail transit station to connect with Downtown San Diego, although neither constructing this station nor constructing tracks leading to it are the responsibility of the airport.<ref>{{Cite web |title=New T1 Fact Sheet |url=https://www.newt1.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/SDIA-T1-Fact-Sheet_English_3-2023.pdf}}</ref>

[[File:SAN airport diagram.svg|thumb|right|SAN runway and terminalsterminal layout prior to June 2015]]

The final approach to Runway 27 has also gained notoriety among passengers for the unusual experience of flying relatively low and close to [[Downtown San Diego|San Diego's densely populated downtown]], and has drawn comparisons to Kansas City's [[Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport]] and Hong Kong's former [[Kai Tak Airport]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Moser |first=Robert Harlan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3gg9igtWkhUC |title=Past Imperfect: A Personal History of an Adventuresome Lifetime in and Around Medicine |date=2002 |publisher=iUniverse |isbn=0595263887 |page=242 |quote=Before the new monster island skyport (Chek Lap Kok) was created, Kai Tak was jammed into an unbelievably small area, seemingly in the midst of downtown Kowloon. (The approach and take off will always rank close to the top of "One's Greatest Air Travel Adventures." It reminded me of the old Kansas City and current San Diego flight paths, but even scarier; you zoomed in at penthouse level, eye-balling surrounding, not-too-tall office buildings.) |access-date=June 22, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220116051341/https://books.google.com/books?id=3gg9igtWkhUC |archive-date=January 16, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> From the left side of the aircraft, the approach offers closeup views of skyscrapers, [[Petco Park]] (home of the [[San Diego Padres]]), the [[San Diego Bay]], and the [[San Diego–Coronado Bridge]], while [[Balboa Park, San Diego, California|Balboa Park]], site of the 1915–1916 [[Panama-California Exposition (1915)|Panama-California Exposition]], can be seen on the right. Contrary to local lore, the parking garage located {{convert|800|ft}} from the east of the end of the runway was built in the 1980s{{spaced ndash}}long after previous obstructions also on the east side of I-5 were built{{spaced ndash}}and does not affect the approach.

[[BBASignature Aviation]]'s Signature Flight Support (previously known as Landmark Aviation<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBA Aviation completes the acquisition of Landmark Aviation |url=https://www.signatureflight.com/about/newsroom/details/2016/02/05/bba-aviation-completes-the-acquisition-of-landmark-aviation |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180803133917/https://www.signatureflight.com/about/newsroom/details/2016/02/05/bba-aviation-completes-the-acquisition-of-landmark-aviation |archive-date=August 3, 2018 |access-date=August 3, 2018 |website=www.signatureflight.com |language=en}}</ref>) is the [[fixed-base operator]] (FBO) at San Diego International Airport.<ref>{{Cite web |title=San Diego International Airport > Travel Info |url=http://www.san.org/Travel-Info/Security-Regulationsecurity-Regulations |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180803080441/http://www.san.org/Travel-Info/Security-Regulations |archive-date=August 3, 2018 |access-date=August 3, 2018 |website=www.san.org |language=en-US}}</ref> The FBO ramp is at the northeast end of the airfield.

| [[Alaska Airlines]] | [[Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport|Atlanta]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Alaska Airlines adds new nonstop between San Diego and Atlanta |url=https://news.alaskaair.com/travel-tips/mileage-plan/alaska-airlines-adds-nonstop-between-san-diego-atlanta/ |website=Alaska Airlines News & Stories |date=September 25, 2023 |access-date=25 September 2023}}</ref> [[Austin–Bergstrom International Airport|Austin]], [[Boise Airport|Boise]], [[Logan International Airport|Boston]], [[Eugene Airport|Eugene]],<ref name="ASS23NEW">{{Cite web |date=February 5, 2023 |title=Alaska Airlines launches three new routes from San Diego |url=https://www.aviacionline.com/2023/02/alaska-airlines-launches-three-new-routes-from-san-diego/ |publisher=Aviacionline}}</ref> [[Paine Field|Everett]], [[Fresno Yosemite International Airport|Fresno]], [[Daniel K. Inouye International Airport|Honolulu]], [[Kahului Airport|Kahului]], [[Kona International Airport|Kailua-Kona]], [[Harry Reid International Airport|Las Vegas]] (resumes October 1, 2024),<ref>{{cite web |title=Alaska Airlines Adds 3 Domestic Routes From Oct 2024 |url=https://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/240425-asoct24 |website=Aeroroutes |access-date=25 April 2024}}</ref> [[Lihue Airport|Lihue]], [[Monterey Regional Airport|Monterey]], [[Newark Liberty International Airport|Newark]], [[John F. Kennedy International Airport|New York–JFK]], [[Orlando International Airport|Orlando]], [[Portland International Airport|Portland (OR)]], [[Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport|Puerto Vallarta]], [[Roberts Field|Redmond/Bend]], [[Sacramento International Airport|Sacramento]], [[San Francisco International Airport|San Francisco]], [[San Jose International Airport|San Jose (CA)]], [[Los Cabos International Airport|San José del Cabo]], [[San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport|San Luis Obispo]], [[Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport|Santa Rosa]], [[Seattle–Tacoma International Airport|Seattle/Tacoma]], [[Spokane International Airport|Spokane]], [[Tampa International Airport|Tampa]], [[Dulles International Airport|Washington–Dulles]]<ref name="ASS23NEW" /> <br />'''Seasonal:''' [[Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport|Anchorage]], [[Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport|Bozeman]], [[CancúnEagle InternationalCounty Regional Airport|CancúnEagle/Vail]] (begins December 20, 2024),<ref name="AlaskaWinter24">{{cite web |url=https://airlinegeeks.com/2024/07/10/alaska-adds-18-new-routes/|title=Alaska Adds 18 New Routes|website=Airline Geeks|date=July 10, 2024|access-date=July 10, 2024 }}</ref> [[Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport|Fort Lauderdale]], [[Glacier Park International Airport|Glacier Park/Kalispell]], [[Yampa Valley Airport|Hayden/Steamboat Springs]], [[Jackson Hole Airport|Jackson Hole]], [[Missoula Montana Airport|Missoula]], [[Reno–Tahoe International Airport|Reno/Tahoe]] (begins December 19, 2024),<ref name="AlaskaWinter24" /> [[Salt Lake City International Airport|Salt Lake City]] | <ref name="AlaskaRoutes">{{Cite web |title=Flight Timetable |url=https://www.alaskaair.com/content/travel-info/timetables.aspx |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202123138/https://www.alaskaair.com/content/travel-info/timetables.aspx |archive-date=February 2, 2017 |access-date=March 30, 2018}}</ref>

| [[Frontier Airlines]] |[[Dallas Fort Worth International Airport|Dallas/Fort Worth]], [[Denver International Airport|Denver]], [[El Paso International Airport|El Paso]],<ref>{{cite web | title=Frontier Airlines Adding New Nonstop Destination Out Of San Diego| date=February 29, 2024 |url=https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/frontier-airlines-san-diego-el-paso-texas/3447596/?amp=1| access-date=March 22, 2024}}</ref> [[Harry Reid International Airport|Las Vegas]], [[Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport|Phoenix–Sky Harbor]], [[Sacramento International Airport|Sacramento]] (begins August 13, 2024),<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/frontier-airlines-announces-new-routes-across-nine-airports/ |title= Frontier Airlines Announces New Routes Across Nine Airports |website=Travel and Tour World|access-date=June 13, 2024}}</ref> [[San Francisco International Airport|San Francisco]], [[San Jose International Airport|San Jose (CA)]] (begins July 22, 2024)<ref>{{cite web |title=Frontier Airlines Announces Daily Nonstop Service from San Jośe to Five Destinations| access-date=May 21, 2024| url=https://airportimprovement.com/news/frontier-airlines-announces-daily-nonstop-service-san-jos-five-destinations#:~:text=San%2520Jos%C3%A9%252C%2520Calif.,Diego%2520International%2520Airport%2520(SAN).}}</ref> <br /> '''Seasonal:''' [[Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport|Atlanta]], [[Orlando International Airport|Orlando]] | <ref name="FrontierRoutes">{{Cite web |title=Frontier |url=https://www.flyfrontier.com |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170912053526/https://www.flyfrontier.com/ |archive-date=September 12, 2017 |access-date=March 17, 2018}}</ref>

| [[JetBlue]] | [[Logan International Airport|Boston]], [[Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport|Fort Lauderdale]] (ends January 6, 2025),<ref>{{cite web |title=JetBlue NW24 Network Changes – 24JUL24 |url=https://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/240725-b6nw24 |website=Aeroroutes |access-date=25 July 2024}}</ref> [[John F. Kennedy International Airport|New York–JFK]] | <ref name="JetBlueRoutes">{{Cite web |title=JetBlue Airlines Timetable |url=https://b6.innosked.com/(S(ke2am3wxgiegj0zs1pxotirq))/default.aspx |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130713064749/http://b6.innosked.com/(S(52udsaj2thvywnmtihsndo55))/default.aspx |archive-date=July 13, 2013 |access-date=March 30, 2018}}</ref>

<br /> '''Seasonal:''' [[Baltimore International Airport|Baltimore]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/spirit-airlines-adds-4-new-routes-but-suspends-3-others/ar-BB1okjtA |url-statustitle=liveSpirit Airlines adds 4 new routes but suspends 3 others |archive-date=June 25, 2024|}}</ref>| {{cn|date=September 2024}}

{{Location map~ |United_States| mark = Red pog.svg |lat=29.9902|long=-95.3368|position=top |label='''<small>[[George Bush Intercontinental Airport|Houston–<br>{{nowrap|Intercontinental}}]]</small>'''|label_size=80 |marksize=7}}

{{Location map~ |mark = Green pog.svg |United States |lat=45.6770|long=-111.0429|position=right|label='''<small>[[Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport|Bozeman/<br>Yellowstone]]</small>'''|label_size=80|marksize=7}}

{{Location map~ |mark = Red pog.svg |United States |lat=32.8481896944|long=-9697.8512038056|position=left|label='''<small>[[Dallas LoveFort FieldWorth International Airport|Dallas–LoveDallas/<br>Fort Worth]] </small>'''|label_size=80|marksize=7}}

{{Location map~ |mark = Red pog.svg |United States |lat=32.9187847222|long=-96.0590851677|position=right|label='''<small>[[Dallas FortLove Worth International AirportField|Dallas/<br>Fort WorthDallas–Love]] </small>'''|label_size=80|marksize=7}}

{{Location map~ |mark = Green pog.svg |United States |lat=48.3077|long=-114.2525|position=right|label='''<small>[[Glacier Park International Airport|KalispellGlacier Park/<br>Glacier ParkKalispell]] </small>'''|label_size=80|marksize=7}}

{{Location map~ |mark = Red pog.svg |United States |lat=43.5658|long=-116.2223|position=bottomright|label='''<small>[[Boise Airport|Boise]]</small>'''|label_size=80 |marksize=7 }}

{{Location map~ |mark = Red pog.svg |United States |lat=39.2904|long=-76.6122|position=right|label=<small>'''[[Baltimore/Washington International Airport|Baltimore/Washington]]'''</small>|label_size=80 |marksize=7 }}

{{Location map~ |mark = Red pog.svg |United States |lat=47.906111|long=-122.281389|position=left|label='''<small>[[Paine Field|{{nowrap|Seattle/Everett/Seattle}}]] </small>'''|label_size=80|marksize=7}}

{{Location map~ |mark = Red pog.svg |United States |lat=37.618889|long=-122.375|position=left|label='''<small>[[San Francisco International Airport|San <br>Francisco]] </small>'''|label_size=70|marksize=7}}

{{Location map~ |mark = Red pog.svg |United States |lat=38.944444|long=-77.455833|position=rightleft|label='''<small>[[Dulles International Airport|{{nowrap|Washington–Dulles}}Washington–<br>Dulles]] </small>'''|label_size=80|marksize=7}}

{{Location map~ |mark = Green pog.svg |United States |lat=38.805833|long=-104.700833|position=rightbottom|label='''<small>[[Colorado Springs Airport|{{nowrap|Colorado Springs}}]] </small>'''|label_size=80|marksize=7}}

|{{Location map+ |Alaska |width=381378 |float=left |alt=Alaska destinations from San Diego International Airport

{{Location map+ |Hawaii |width=439436 |float=right |alt=Hawaii destinations from San Diego International Airport

{{Location map~ |mark = Red pog.svg |Hawaii |lat=21.3069|long=-157.8583|position=bottom|label='''[[Daniel K. Inouye International Airport|Honolulu (Oahu)]]'''|label_size=90 |marksize=7 }}

{{Location map~ |mark = Red pog.svg |Hawaii |lat=20.8946|long=-156.4361|position=top|label='''[[Kahului Airport|Kahului (Maui)]]'''|label_size=90 |marksize=7 }}

{{Location map~ |mark = Red pog.svg |Hawaii |lat=21.9788|long=-159.3438|position=right|label='''[[Lihue Airport|Lihue (Kauai)]]'''|label_size=90 |marksize=7 }}

{{Location map~ |mark = Red pog.svg |Hawaii |lat=19.6400|long=-155.9969|position=left|label='''[[Kona International Airport|{{nowrap|Kailua-Kona}}<br>(Hawaii)]]'''|label_size=90 |marksize=7 }}

|{{Location map+ |Canada |width=357354 |float=left |alt=Canada destinations from San Diego International Airport

{{Location map+ |Mexico |width=462459 |float=right |alt=Mexico destinations from San Diego International Airport

|{{Location map+ |Asia |width=402399 |float=left |alt=Asian destinations from San Diego International Airport

{{Location map+ |Europe |width=418415 |float=right |alt=Europe destinations from San Diego International Airport

| [[FedEx Express]] | [[Indianapolis International Airport|Indianapolis]], [[ Memphis International Airport|Memphis]], [[San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport|Oakland]], [[Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport|Phoenix–Sky Harbor]]

|+ '''Busiest domestic routes from SAN<!-- BTS DATA IS ONLY FOR DESTINATIONS; THIS IS NOT "TO AND FROM" --> (MarchJune 2023 – FebruaryMay 2024)'''<ref name="RITA | BTS | Transtats">{{Cite web |title=San Diego, CA: San Diego International (SAN) |url=https://www.transtats.bts.gov/airports.asp?20=E&Nv42146=fNa&Nv42146_anzr=fn0%20Qvrt1,%20PN:%20fn0%20Qvrt1%20V06r40n6v10ny&pn44vr4=SNPgf |access-date=JuneJuly 724, 2024 |publisher=[[Bureau of Transportation Statistics]]}}</ref>

| 818768,000

| 740754,000

| 656674,000

| 640652,000

| 625618,000

| [[SanDallas JoseFort Worth International Airport|SanDallas/Fort JoseWorth, CaliforniaTexas]]

| 597605,000

| [[DallasSan Fort WorthJose International Airport|Dallas/FortSan WorthJose, TexasCalifornia]]

| 587575,000

| 416408,000

| 405407,000

|+ '''Airline market share at SAN <br />(MarchMay 2023 - FebruaryApril 2024)'''<ref name="RITA | BTS | Transtats"/>

| 8,267231,000

| 35.5620%

| 23,980033,000

| 12.8297%

| 2,870898,000

| 12.3439%

| 2,754812,000

| 1112.8503%

| 2,518513,000

| 10.8375%

| 3,862898,000

| 16.6167%

Note: Obtained passenger data for 2011-present2011–present from Air Traffic Reports, data does not match up with the Historical Passenger table from 2011-2018.

*On April 29, 1929, a [[Ford Trimotor]] operated by [[Maddux Air Lines]] collided in mid-air with a [[Boeing Model 15|PW-9D]] shortly after taking off from Lindbergh Field. The aircraft collided over [[Downtowndowntown San Diego]], killing all 5 aboard the Trimotor and the [[USAAC]] pilot of PW-9D. According to eyewitness accounts shortly before the collision the Air Corps pilot had been flying extremely close to the larger airliner in an impromptu show for viewers on the ground, when he misjudged the distance between the two aircraft and crashed into it.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Aviation Safety Network |url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19290421-0 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303180457/http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19290421-0 |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |access-date=July 22, 2019}}</ref>

*On June 2, 1941, the first British [[Consolidated LB-30 Liberator II]], ''AL503'', on its acceptance flight for delivery from the [[Consolidated Aircraft Company]] plant in San Diego, crashed into [[San Diego Bay]]<ref name="rafbii">{{Cite web |date=January 1, 1970 |title=AL503 |url=http://www.rafb24.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2627:AL503&catid=20&Itemid=394 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190224174015/http://www.rafb24.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2627:AL503&catid=20&Itemid=394 |archive-date=February 24, 2019 |access-date=February 24, 2019 |website=RAF Liberator Squadrons}}</ref> when the flight controls froze, killing all five of the civilian crew: Consolidated Aircraft Company's chief test pilot William Wheatley, co-pilot Alan Austen, flight engineer Bruce Kilpatrick Craig, and two chief mechanics, Lewis McCannon and William Reiser. Craig had been commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Army Reserve in 1935 following Infantry ROTC training at the [[Georgia Institute of Technology]], where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering. He had applied for a commission in the US Army Air Corps before his death; this was granted posthumously, with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. On August 25, 1941, the airfield in his hometown of [[Selma, Alabama]] was renamed [[Craig Field (airport)|Craig Field]], later [[Craig Air Force Base]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Memorialization of Lackland Streets |url=http://www.lackland.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-070222-007.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120315074109/http://www.lackland.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-070222-007.pdf |archive-date=March 15, 2012 |access-date=December 8, 2019 |website=Lackland Air Force Base}}</ref> Investigation into the cause of the accident caused a two-month delay in deliveries, resulting in the [[Royal Air Force]] not receiving Liberator IIs until August 1941.{{Citation needed|date=September 2017}}