Bradford Regional Airport

Bradford Regional Airport (IATA: BFD^[2], ICAO: KBFD, FAA LID: BFD) is 11 miles (18 km) south of Bradford, in Lafayette Township,^[3] McKean County, Pennsylvania.^[1] It has scheduled airline service subsidized by the Essential Air Service program.

Bradford Regional Airport
IATA: BFD ICAO: KBFD FAA LID: BFD
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	Bradford Regional Airport Authority
Operator	Bradford Regional Airport Authority
Serves	Bradford, Pennsylvania
Location	McKean County, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Elevation AMSL	2,143 ft / 653 m
Coordinates	41°48′11″N 078°38′24″W
Website	BradfordAirport.net
Maps
Airport diagram
BFD Show map of Pennsylvania BFD Show map of the United States
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 14/32 6,307 1,922 Asphalt 5/23 4,499 1,371 Asphalt
Statistics
Aircraft operations (2019) 2,987 Based aircraft (2022) 15
Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1]

The airport is owned by the Bradford Regional Airport Authority^[1] and serves Pennsylvania and western New York including Olean, New York. There is an armory at the airport for the National Guard.

The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2021–2025 categorized it as a non-primary commercial service airport (between 2,500 and 10,000 enplanements per year).^[4]

Former airline service

Its first scheduled airline flights were United Airlines Douglas DC-3s in 1948. In 1953 United's DC-3 flew New York Newark Airport - Philadelphia - Bradford - Youngstown - Akron/Canton - Cleveland - Toledo - Chicago Midway Airport - Moline, IL - Cedar Rapids - Omaha - Lincoln, NE.^[5] United left in 1954.

In 1953 Allegheny Airlines DC-3s stopped at Bradford on a multi-stop route between Buffalo, NY and Pittsburgh.^[6] In 1971 Allegheny Convair 580s flew nonstop to Erie, Harrisburg, Jamestown, NY, New York Newark Airport, Pittsburgh and Washington National Airport and direct to Detroit.^[7] Allegheny introduced McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30s and flew one-stop in 1976 from Chicago O'Hare Airport via Erie and from New York LaGuardia Airport via Elmira while continuing to fly nonstop Convair 580s from Buffalo and Pittsburgh.^[8] Allegheny remained until 1979 when Allegheny Commuter took over, with nonstop Beechcrafts from Buffalo and nonstop Short 330s from Pittsburgh.^[9] Allegheny Commuter service continued for a number of years for Allegheny successor USAir.^[10] In 1994 Allegheny Commuter successor USAir Express was operating nonstop code sharing BAe Jetstream 31s to Pittsburgh.^[11] USAir changed its name to US Airways with US Airways Express Beechcraft 1900Cs being flown nonstop to Pittsburgh in 1999.^[12]

Facilities

The airport covers 1,015 acres (411 ha) at an elevation of 2,143 feet (653 m). It has two asphalt runways: 14/32 is 6,307 by 150 feet (1,922 x 46 m) and 5/23 is 4,499 by 100 feet (1,371 x 30 m).^[1]

In the year ending January 31, 2019, the airport had 2,987 aircraft operations, an average of 8 per day: 80% commercial, 14% general aviation, 4% air taxi and 2% military. In April 2022, there were 15 aircraft based at this airport: all 15 single-engine.^[1]

Airline and destinations

Southern Airways Express currently provides BFD with daily commercial flights to Pittsburgh International Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport. There are two daily departures to each destination. Scheduled passenger flights:

Airlines	Destinations	Refs
Southern Airways Express	Pittsburgh, Washington–Dulles	[13]

Statistics

Top domestic destinations from BFD (January - December 2024)^[14]

Rank	City	Passengers
1	Washington-Dulles, Virginia	2,210
2	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	1,310

Passenger boardings (enplanements) by year, as per the FAA^[15]

Year	2008 [16]	2009 [17]	2010 [18]	2011 [19]	2012 [20]	2013[21]	2014[22]	2015[23]	2016[24]	2017[25]	2018[26]
Enplanements	4,898	2,593	2,962	2,908	2,310	2,295	2,019	3,491	2,623	3,897	4,191
Change	057.80%	047.06%	014.23%	01.82%	020.56%	00.65%	012.03%	072.91%	024.86%	048.57%	07.54%
Airline	Colgan Air dba United Express	Gulfstream International Airlines dba Continental Connection	Gulfstream International Airlines dba Continental Connection	Gulfstream International Airlines dba United Express	Silver Airways dba United Express	Silver Airways dba United Express	Silver Airways dba United Express	Sun Air Express	Southern Airways Express	Southern Airways Express	Southern Airways Express
Destination(s)	Jamestown Washington-Dulles	Jamestown Cleveland	Jamestown Cleveland	Jamestown Cleveland	Jamestown Cleveland	Jamestown Cleveland	Jamestown Cleveland	Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh

Accidents and Incidents

Date	Flight Number	Information
December 24, 1968	AL0736	Allegheny Airlines Flight 736 crashed on approach to Bradford. 20 of the 47 passengers and crew on board are killed.[27]
January 6, 1969	AL0737	Allegheny Airlines Flight 737 crashed on approach to Bradford. 11 of the 28 passengers and crew on board are killed.[28]

See also

• List of airports in Pennsylvania