Provo Airport (
IATA: PVU,
ICAO: KPVU,
FAALID: PVU), formerly Provo Municipal Airport, is a public-use airport on east shore of
Utah Lake on the southwestern edge of
Provo, in
Utah County,
Utah, United States. It is a small regional airport with domestic flights mainly to destinations in the western United States.
American Airlines, through regional brand
American Eagle, plans to introduce service to
Dallas/Fort Worth and
Phoenix in October 2024, competing with Breeze's and Allegiant's existing flights.[12]
History
The airport's
Air Traffic Control Tower opened in 2005; previously, the airport was
uncontrolled. When the control tower opened, the nearby airspace became
Class D airspace over a radius of 4 nautical miles (7.4 km) around the airport and up to 7,000 feet (2,100 m)
MSL (2500 feet AGL), with a circular cutout in the southern portion surrounding nearby
Spanish Fork Municipal Airport Woodhouse Field, which is not Class D.
In anticipation of airline service, a new terminal area was built in early 2011 to house
Transportation Security Administration equipment for passenger screening. As of August 2012, a millimeter-wave full-body scanner is in use.[13] In November 2019, the airport broke ground on a new $40 million terminal. The new terminal would have four gates initially, with future expansion to ten gates in total. The terminal was completed in May 2022, with a full shift to the new terminal and gates planned for a later date.[14][15]
In 2022, the Allegiant Travel Company announced plans to invest $95 million to expand their presence in Provo and establish a four-aircraft base at the Provo Airport.[16] Additionally, Utah based
Breeze Airways announced they would create the airline's Utah operating base at the airport with four airplanes, and five new routes.[11]
In 2020 Duncan Aviation, the US largest
general aviationmaintenance MRO finished a 328,000 sq/ft maintenance facility on the north end of the field.[17]
Facilities
Provo Municipal Airport covers 869 acres (3.5 km2) and has two runways:[18]
13/31: 8,603 ft × 150 ft (2,622 m × 46 m), asphalt
18/36: 6,628 ft × 150 ft (2,020 m × 46 m), asphalt
Destinations from Provo Municipal Airport Red = Year-round destination Green = Seasonal destination Blue = Future destination
General aviation
General aviation (GA) also contributes to the overall operations of the Provo airport. There are two
fixed base operators (FBO), Duncan Aviation and Signature Flight Support, on the field.
Utah Valley University operates a flight school, as well as its Fire and Rescue program. Numerous privately owned aircraft and hangars are also based on the Provo airport property.[21]
Statistics
Busiest domestic routes from PVU (March 2022 - February 2023)[22]
There have been a total of 22 accidents and incidents in and around the Provo Airport since 1984.[24]
On November 21, 1995, a
Cessna 152impacted terrain east of Provo five minutes after departing the Provo Municipal Airport. The sole pilot on board was fatally injured. Witnesses reported that the aircraft did not make any sudden movements to avoid the terrain or make any unusual engine noises. It was later found the pilot was terrified of serving jail time after being convicted in a
pyramid scheme court case and that he was building a new identity after becoming estranged from his father. The NTSB ruled the probable cause of the accident was pilot suicide.[25]
On July 16, 2001, a
Diamond DA-20 collided with terrain following a loss of control during an aborted landing at Provo Municipal Airport. The sole student pilot on board was not injured. The probable cause was found to be an
inadvertent stall induced by the pilot during the go-around attempt.[26]
On April 17, 2003, a
Cessna 310 crashed while inbound to Provo. The three people on board were declared dead at the scene. Wreckage signified the aircraft nosedived into the ground instead of skidding first.[27]
On March 28, 2013, a Diamond DA-20 crashed after its wing impacted the ground on a hard landing attempt. The student pilot on board escaped uninjured.[29]
On August 16, 2019, a light sport aircraft's front nose gear collapsed on landing at Provo. Nobody on board was injured, and no runway damage was reported.[30]
On January 31, 2022, a
Piper PA-44 Seminole operated by the Utah Valley University School of Aviation Sciences suffered a landing gear collapse while performing a touch-and-go. The plane reportedly touched down safely, but the gear collapsed before the aircraft was able to lift off again. Neither person on board was injured.[31][32][33]
On January 2, 2023, an
Embraer Phenom 300 crashed shortly after takeoff. As of January 3, 2023, the cause of the accident is under investigation. The pilot was fatally injured, and one passenger was critically injured. The other two passengers received minor injuries. The airport was closed until January 4 due to the investigation.[34][35]