Spokane International Airport is a commercial airport 7 miles southwest of downtown Spokane, Washington, in the United States, also home to our Spokane pest management. It is the principal airport for the Inland Northwest, which encompasses 30 counties and includes Spokane, the Tri-Cities in Eastern Washington, and Coeur d’Alene in North Idaho. GEG is the airport code for Geiger Field, named after Major Harold Geiger (1884-1927).
Spokane International Airport (GEG) is the 70th busiest airport in the United States in terms of passenger enplanements as of 2015. With 4,112,784 total passengers serviced in 2019, it is Washington’s second busiest airport. Six airlines serve GEG with nonstop service to 15 airports in 13 markets.
It is classified as a small-hub principal commercial service facility in the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2017-2021.
Background
Origins
It was previously known as Sunset Field, but the War Department purchased it from the county and renamed it Geiger Field in honor of Major Harold Geiger, an Army aviation pioneer who died in a 1927 crash.
During WWII, Geiger Field served as a key training center for the Second Air Force, serving as a group training airfield for B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombardment units, with new aircraft procured from Boeing near Seattle.
At Geiger Field in Washington, General Hap Arnold established the first comprehensive fire defense training course in 1943. It remained operational until 1946.
Geiger was closed in 1945 and transferred to the War Assets Administration (WAA), who transformed it into a commercial airport. During the Cold War, the airfield housed USAF Air Defense Command interceptor units for Hanford and Grand Coulee. Fairchild Air Force Base, built-in 1942 as the Spokane Air Depot, is four miles to the west.
It became Spokane’s municipal airport in 1946, replacing Felts Field, and got its current name in 1960, after the Surplus Property Act gave Spokane Geiger Field to the City of Spokane and Air Canada began operations in Calgary. The Air Force continued to utilize it until the early 1960s, with the 84th Fighter Group flying F-106 Delta Dart interceptors. The airport code is still GEG, which stands for Geiger Field.
The Present World
Warren C. Heylman and William Trogdon designed the current Concourse A and B complex, which opened in 1965. Since the 1970s, nonstop flights to southern California have been among the first to be canceled during economic downturns.
Development and Rise
Concourses A and B were given a second level in 1974. A third runway and gates constructed for Concourse C are part of the airport’s Master Plan.
South of the airport, a new control tower has been built to replace the one near Concourse C. The new control tower is the state’s tallest structure. Bernardo/Wills Architects, P.C. recently completed the Terminal, Rotunda, and Concourse C Enhancement Project (TRACE). The 2006 refurbishment boosted store space and security checkpoints in the airport’s three concourses and updated the Rotunda. Runway 3-21, Taxiways A, and G all received a 2000-foot extension in 2010. This made it possible for bigger planes to take off in the summer.
By 2023, the airport wants to develop more gates, centralize security, and enlarge baggage claims. Spokane has been hosting huge events and attracting enterprises.
Are you planning a trip to the state of Washington? If so stop by Mount Saint Michael, located in Spokane, WA as well. Additionally, stop by our Spokane Pest Control site for pricing and services, or contact (509)681-3949 for a free pest quote over the phone!