Least Busy Class B Airport?

fiveninerzero

fiveninerzero

Well-Known Member
So I was curious. It seems there is a huge disparity between, say, JFK and MCI as far as traffic numbers (aircraft movements, pax) go.

I was wondering if there was a list of just Class B airports out there that goes from busiest (I know ORD would top it) to least busy based on movements. All of the ones I have come across just have raw numbers of all passenger service airports worldwide.

Is there any reason that they kept airports such as MCI, PIT, CVG etc. Class B airspace even though traffic numbers have declined to less than some Class C airports? Does anybody even know?
 
How bout least friendly? Some are really professional and you would never know they were operating a class b airspace. Others not so much.
 
They probably leave the airspace as is at the aforementioned airports because the process/bureaucratics required to change them isn't worth the $$$$. That's my best educated guess.
 
fiveninerzero said:
So I was curious. It seems there is a huge disparity between, say, JFK and MCI as far as traffic numbers (aircraft movements, pax) go.

I was wondering if there was a list of just Class B airports out there that goes from busiest (I know ORD would top it) to least busy based on movements. All of the ones I have come across just have raw numbers of all passenger service airports worldwide.

Is there any reason that they kept airports such as MCI, PIT, CVG etc. Class B airspace even though traffic numbers have declined to less than some Class C airports? Does anybody even know?
Click to expand...
Total guess, but HNL?

LC
 
MSY, MEM, and CVG all seem like Class Charlies to me. Every time I went to those places it seemed as busy or less busy than places like AUS, or SAT which are only Class C. MSY I would say is probably hardly warranted to be a class B, but maybe there is something I don't know that makes MSY need to be a class B.

Statistics from airnav.com:

Average Operations Per Day

MSY 345
CVG 367
SAT 471
AUS 502
MEM 604

So I guess MEM is still a contender with FedEx drumming up most of the traffic, and having a good chunk of satellite airport activity. However the heavyweight class B airports (doesn't include surrounding satellite airport activity) average over 1,000 operations per day.

AUS, and SAT have a lot of satellite airport activity. CVG doesn't really, and MSY has NEW right next door. I'm going to go out on a limb and say MSY hardly warrants being a Bravo. Anyone know a slower class B than MSY?
 
Last edited:
I have a cousin that lives in Pflugerville, just about between the parallel approaches to the 17s at AUS. With the amount of stuff flying over his place every day when I go visit I'm honestly surprised AUS isn't a B.
 
william B said:
How does the FAA even decide what airports are class D, C and B?
Click to expand...

It's based on the amount of traffic on the traffic at the primary, satellite airports, and surrounding airspace.

Which is why some class C airspace is around some relatively low traffic airports such as CRP.


The main reason that most airports haven't changed their airspace category is basic bureaucratic inertia. The amount of paperwork and money that would be required to change AUS/SAT from two class Cs to one big class B would be astronomical, and the understaffed/underbudget FAA just doesn't have the time or energy. Dropping MCI from B to C would be easier, but still substantial.
 
FM_Weasel said:
I ran a ranked report of all U.S. tower operations for 2015. It didn't split them into airspace classes, but you guys are probably already familiar with what's what:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/9urkgjjzum8vajp/US 2015 Tower Rank.xls?dl=0

Anyone can play around with air traffic counts at this link: https://aspm.faa.gov/opsnet/sys/Main.asp
Click to expand...

I knew my previous facility felt busier in the tower. The tracon operations though are way higher at the new facility.

USMCmech said:
It's based on the amount of traffic on the traffic at the primary, satellite airports, and surrounding airspace.

Which is why some class C airspace is around some relatively low traffic airports such as CRP.


The main reason that most airports haven't changed their airspace category is basic bureaucratic inertia. The amount of paperwork and money that would be required to change AUS/SAT from two class Cs to one big class B would be astronomical, and the understaffed/underbudget FAA just doesn't have the time or energy. Dropping MCI from B to C would be easier, but still substantial.
Click to expand...

I understand CRP being a Class C with the amount of Navy trainers flying around.
HRL being a Class C though is crazy to me. It's the only non-FAA contract tower that has Class C airspace. Looking at Wikipedia, I think all the rest are either FAA or military bases.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Class_C_airports_in_the_United_States
 
Stinger said:
HRL being a Class C though is crazy to me.
Click to expand...

You can't just count HRL by itself. "Valley approach" also takes care of BRO and MFE as well as all the small GA fields in south TX. Add in all the crop duster and law enforcement aviation in the area, and there is a lot more traffic than you might realize.


As several others have noted, some class B airports are VERY busy at night despite being comparative ghost towns during the day.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top